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Ukraine President during 2015 Convocation “Sooner or later the graduate of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy will become the president of Ukraine”
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- Published on Sunday, 28 June 2015 19:51
Traditionally on June 28 Kyiv-Mohyla Academy held its Convocation - graduation ceremony at the end of school year.
Six hundred eighty eight graduates were awarded degrees this year, marking the 400th anniversary of Kyiv Mohyla Academy, Ukraine’s oldest university.
The ceremony was attended by a large audience of graduates, students, their parents and families, faculty, and special guests, including President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko, and members of Ukraine’s government who hail from Kyiv Mohyla Academy: Minister of Education and Science Serhiy Kvit, Agriculture Minister Oleksiy Pavlenko, Deputy Head of the Presidential administration Rostyslav Pavlenko, First Deputy Minister of Education and Science Inna Sovsun and Kyiv City Council deputy Serhiy Gusovsky.
At the beginning of the ceremony the President of the Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, Andriy Meleshevych said: “Today we have two reasons to celebrate: University Convocation and Ukrainian Constitution Day. Kyiv-Mohyla Academy’s name is closely associated with constitutional culture in the country. The author of the first Constitution of not only Ukraine, but also Europe, Pylyp Orlyk, graduated from Kyiv-Mohyla Academy. In 1996 on this very day and place then Ukrainian President, Leonid Kravchuk, announced the first Constitution of Independent Ukraine. Today the Academy continues to play an active role in the creation of a new text of this fundamental law – 9 members of the Constitutional Commission of Ukraine are from Kyiv-Mohyla Academy”.
The honorary President of KMA, Vyacheslav Brykhovetsky noted in his speech that: “Today Ukraine lives through very difficult times. It’s not easy, but I’m not afraid to say maybe there’s some positive side to it: because in such challenges the might of the nation is tempered. Kyiv-Mohyla representatives of all age, status and position continue to fight for the same cause, as many generations of Ukrainians did. Time flies and soon your children will ask you, dear graduated, what you did for Ukraine. So work hard and build a new strong country”.
The President of Ukraine, Petro Poroshenko, congratulated 688 graduates on the beginning of a new period in their life. "Today, you make a huge step in the future, cross the invisible line that divides childhood, adolescence and adult life," the President said.
The Head of State noted the role of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy in the history of Ukraine and congratulated the Academy community on the 400th anniversary that will be celebrated on October 15. "You proved that even with such a respectful age the Academy can be a leader in innovations that are crucial for successful reformation, modernization, implementation of the European choice and westernization of Ukraine. If so many Hetmans graduated from your Academy, sooner or later a graduate of this institution will become the Ukrainian President," these words were especially well-perceived by the audience.
At the end of the ceremony the students, professors, honorary guests and friends of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy built a big live KMA 400 sign in a photo flash mob dedicated to the 400-year anniversary of one of the oldest Universities in Eastern Europe.
The video of the President’s address can be found here.