Brandeis International Business School

It was harder than they imagined when they signed up, but they succeeded nonetheless.

The International Business School recently celebrated about 40 winter graduates, a group comprised mostly of students who began their Brandeis journey amid the pandemic, with a send-off dinner with faculty and staff.

“Facing unprecedented global challenges, we witnessed a revolution in the way of life, study, and work,” said Cerina Liu, MSBA’22, who gave the keynote speech. “We are the people who will use our courage, knowledge, and kindness to change the world, contribute to society, and help people in need.”

Calculating the exceedingly low odds anyone has of meeting any given person on a planet of nearly 8 billion people, let alone of becoming friends, Liu said she was awed by the community she found at Brandeis.

“How can we not be grateful to meet so many nice and diverse classmates, friends, comrades in our Brandeis family and cherish each moment we spend together?” Liu said.

Dean Kathryn Graddy congratulated the class, recognizing the extraordinary effort the new graduates put into starting and finishing a master’s degree during such an uncertain time.

“Even in the midst of the pandemic, you kept chipping away,” said Graddy.

The first group of 2022 graduates includes Master of Science in Finance (MSF), Master of Science in Business Analytics (MSBA), Master of Arts in International Economics and Finance (MA) and several dual-degree students.

The winter graduation dinner marked the first in-person graduation event held since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic. To honor the other recent graduates whose academic career also was upended, Brandeis is planning a [Re]Commencement ceremony for the graduates of 2020 and 2021 on May 22, 2022.

Recent alumni should RSVP by December 17, 2021.