UNYP President’s Address to the Class of 2019

It seems like only yesterday that the University of New York in Prague community celebrated the graduation of the Class of 2018. One year later, it is time for the next student cohort – the Class of 2019 – to embark on the next exciting chapter of their lives.

Graduation is a moment of transition, and it hangs suspended between the past and the future. This moment is the borderline between what you have achieved over the past few years, and what you will make of yourselves in the years to come. However, this change may also feel bittersweet, because for change to take place and new possibilities to arise, existing things must end. Every ending creates the challenge of a new beginning. 

It is time to pursue and fulfill your dreams in a fast-changing world that can be harsh, unfair, and unpredictable. You will need a healthy dose of imperturbability to navigate it, and I hope that your time at UNYP has given you the skills that will prove useful in the future.

When you leave UNYP’s campus, you will become leaders in your chosen fields. You will no doubt face insoluble problems, as you encounter the incredible adventures that lie before you with the same passion and intelligence, with the same unfailing self-respect, with the same moral courage, that you have displayed during your time here among us. We place our faith in you to construct a new future for all of us, and we wish you the greatest success. Remember that after graduation, you always will be welcome at UNYP. Come back and see us, and when you do, bring your unique stories.

Congratulations, class of 2019!

Ilias Foutsis

President, University of New York in Prague & New York College Educational Group