The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Dundee University graduands
With a cast of around 5,000 set to feel the tap of the Dundee bonnet during 13 ceremonies taking place across seven days, Dundee University is set to hold its largest ever graduation season.
Graduation for the class of 2022 takes place at the Caird Hall from today to Friday, with two ceremonies each day.
Thousands of new graduates will cross the stage over the course of the week, one of the major celebrations in the university calendar.
The following week will see ceremonies taking place for those from the classes of 2020 and 2021 who were denied their day of celebration by the restrictions put in place due to the Covid pandemic.
When they cross the Caird Hall stage to the applause of family and friends in the audience, they will be tapped by the Dundee bonnet, a traditional item used by the chancellor, Professor Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell, to symbolically confer degrees.
Professor Iain Gillespie, principal and vicechancellor of the university, said this year’s graduation holds special significance for all involved.
“The fact we are able to welcome thousands of graduates from 2020 and 2021 back to celebrate alongside this year’s graduands and in the company of their loved ones is a powerful symbol of how we have reached a point we all longed for in the dark days of lockdown and other restrictions,” he said.
“Graduation is always one of the biggest moments in the lives of all those involved, and the absolute highlight of our calendar.
“This year it is a particular privilege to welcome so many people to celebrate the achievements of our graduates.
“The classes of 2020, 2021 and 2022 have succeeded academically despite the incredible number of challenges placed in their way.
“We are very proud of them, and they should likewise look back on all they have achieved with great pride.”
Dundee University will also award honorary degrees to leading figures in science, dentistry, and the charity sector at the ceremonies.
And the university’s biggest ever graduation ball will take place at Dundee University Students’ Association on Saturday, while celebratory garden parties will take place on Campus Green on all seven days of which ceremonies are being held.