Ceremony of the Awarding of Diplomas of the “European Master’s Programme in Human Rights and Democratisation” 2023/2024

In a grand celebration of academic excellence and human rights advocacy, the European Master’s Programme in Human Rights and Democratisation (EMA, Global Campus Europe) marked the end of another successful academic year with its Diploma Awarding Ceremony held on 22 September 2024. The prestigious event took place at the historical Scuola Grande San Giovanni Evangelista in Venice, serving as a testament to the dedication and passion of 82 graduates from 32 countries. The ceremony also marks a significant moment: the inauguration of the 28th cohort for the academic year 2024/2025, welcoming 78 students from 32 countries. 

 

The ceremony was opened by Veronica Gomez, the President of the Global Campus of Human Rights, Manfred Nowak, the Secretary General of the Global Campus, Orla Ní Cheallacháin, EMA Programme Director and Diego Vecchiato from the Scuola Grande San Giovanni Evangelista. They extended a warm welcome to the graduating students, their families, professors, and a global network of supporters, including representatives of the European Union as the main partner and donor, from partner organizations and local guests and the ceremony’s keynote speakers. 

 

The ceremony’s opening speeches were given by Sabrina Ugolini, newly appointed President of the Italian Inter-Ministerial Committee for Human Rights, and Micha Ramakers, Deputy Head of Unit Gender Equality, Human Rights and Democratic Governance, DG INTPA, European Commission.  

"The CIDU, placed since 1978 at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, ensures the role of governmental coordination among Italian Administrations in their relations with international bodies on the issue of respect for human rights and has always fostered ongoing dialogue between institutions, civil society and academia," said Sabrina Ugolini.

“Today, we live in a world where human rights and democracy are increasingly attacked, and narratives are developed or resurface that question the universality, indivisibility and interdependence of human rights. There is a backlash that involves the use of pernicious new strategies and tools, notably in the digital sphere, that we had not seen before. In such a world human rights professionals are more than ever key actors and drivers of renewed positive change. This is why we support the Global Campus”, said Micha Ramakers. 

 
The highlight for students and guests was the keynote address by HE, Albin Kurti, Prime Minister of Kosovo. For 20 years EMA students have travelled to Kosovo at the end of their first semester to see first-hand the realities of human rights field work, and the wide range of actors that are required to rebuild society after war. This experience has always been a key highlight of the EMA year for our students, helping them to develop skills that are now more necessary then ever considering horrific violence taking place in Palestine, Ukraine, Sudan, Myanmar, and elsewhere. 

"This academic year we have an even greater reason to celebrate, due to two milestones that have been reached. First, on December 10, 2023, we marked the 75th anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the landmark document that launched the modern human rights movement. And second, this year was also the 20th time that students from the EMA program embarked on a field trip to Kosova — the country I lead — to learn first hand about what it means to promote human rights and democratization in a real-world setting. I have had the pleasure of welcoming them to Kosova every year." Declared Albin Kurti.
 

“The EMA graduates, celebrated during the 2024 Graduation Ceremony, remind us of the reason why the EMA programme and the Global Campus were established by our university network and the EU in the 1990s: to educate professionals ready to engage in the essential work demanded by global polycrises and conflict situations our world continues to be the stage of.” - said Manfred Nowak. “This expertise has always been key to assist countries torn apart by wars or taking their first steps into democracy.”  

 

Established in 1997, the EMA programme is the longest-running and largest regional network in the Global Campus. In its decades-long history, the EMA programme has been a pioneer in inter-university cooperation growing from an original group of 10 universities to a network of 43 universities representing all EU member states, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. The EMA programme is possible due to the dedication, energy and commitment of our 43 EMA Directors, who ensure that the programme continues to live up to the vision of its founders, to shape the state of the art in human rights education through mobility exchange and collaboration in teaching and research. The graduation ceremony, and governance meetings that take place before them, are an important moment to recognise and to celebrate the contributions of EMA universities, and the support they give to the graduating students throughout their academic journey in EMA.  

Among significant moments of the Ceremony were the EMAlumni Award 2024, introduced by Hélène Bauwens, President of the EMA Alumni Association. This year’s award was given to Andra Matei, founder of Avant-Garde Lawyers, for her tireless work to protect cultural rights defenders and artists at risk and promote the right to freedom of artistic expression in a time where civic and cultural space is ever shrinking. The award is a glass sculpture entitled “Collective Memory” generously donated by artist Koen Vanmechelen and Fondazione Berengo. In addition, the second Joint Annual Engaged Artivist Award on Atrocity Prevention and Human Rights has been presented to the artivist Kai Mata. The year-long artistic residency award is symbolized with a Murano glass sculpture created by Venetian designer Eleonora Vaccari in collaboration with our partners from the Auschwitz Institute for the Prevention of Genocide and Mass Atrocities (AIPG) and Binghamton University (G-IMAP). 

  

Finally, Global Campus Europe has given the second scholarship in memory of our late colleague Nicola Tonon, IT and web marketing specialist, to Abdus Sadiq, EMA student of the 2024/2025 cohort, from Pakistan. 

 

“The EMA graduation ceremony 2024 is the occasion for the Global Campus of Human Rights to bring an old-time partnership into light, that with the Scuola Grande of San Giovanni Evangelista“, said Elisabetta Noli, Administrative Director of the Global Campus. “The Scuola hosted one edition of the graduation in the past. This year, thanks to the Scuola welcoming us again, we have an opportunity to strengthen cooperation and include the EMA Graduation among the different human rights and democracy events in the Scuola’s rich portfolio as seat of the Venice Commission and of G7-related activities. We are sure this partnership will grow in the future and increase visibility of the Global Campus of Human Rights in Venice.” 

 

The ArTime Quartet contributed to the Ceremony’s special atmosphere with beautiful musical pieces, including Beethoven’s Ode to Joy, a tradition of the Ceremony honouring our shared spirit with the European institutions. 

 

The event concluded with a sense of pride and accomplishment, marking not only the end of an academic journey but also the beginning of a new chapter for these human rights advocates. As the graduates embark on their respective paths, armed with knowledge, passion, and a global perspective, they carry with them the legacy of the Global Campus of Human Rights, reaffirming the commitment to a world where human rights are upheld and cherished by all.