In honour of the first generation of students, who enrolled in the University of Donja Gorica as far back as 2007, a formal diploma award ceremony was organised on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, as has been the case in all previous years.
The date and time were carefully selected as a reminder that it was 16 years ago that the UDG Faculty of International Economics, Finance and Business and the UDG Faculty of Law each received 111 newly enrolled students. That first generation of UDG students, who marked the start of everything for this institution of higher education, truly deserves eternal gratitude for believing in the vision of university professors Veselin Vukotić and Dragan K. Vukčević, who implemented the greatest entrepreneurial venture in the field of education and research in Montenegro.
Speaking at the opening of the award ceremony, UDG Rector Veselin Vukotić congratulated the students and their parents on their diplomas and expressed his hope that their life at UDG to date has awakened within them the courage to believe in themselves, to respect their own freedom and dignity. He also expressed his hope that they experienced a spiritual transformation and that they are on the road to being liberated from “small town arrogance” and “provincial intellect”. As Rector Vukotić himself noted, he is convinced that these students will contribute to realising the UDG mission – by becoming global players and responsible world citizens. He reminded attendees of the student initiative to call UDG the University of Life, because they themselves felt that one doesn’t learn about life at UDG, but rather from life!
The graduation award ceremony is a day that marks the culmination of an important chapter in the lives of students. At the same time, it is also a day that fills their hearts and those of their families who attend the ceremony. Approximately 500 students graduated this year from UDG’s 24 study programmes, with a significant number of them set to continue their studies at prestigious European, American and Asian universities. Apart from diplomas, special awards were also presented to the top students of the generation.
Approximately 500 students graduated this year from UDG’s 24 study programmes, with a significant number of them set to continue their studies at prestigious European, American and Asian universities
The event’s rich programme included the participation of all-female vocal group Alata, which performed the Montenegrin national anthem and the student anthem, the ‘Crna Gora’ folklore ensemble, poet, lawyer and presenter Jelena Božović, who dedicated her poem Ima li đe? [Is There Anywhere?] to the graduating UDG students who are continuing their studies at universities around the world.
The University Day celebration was also marked by a number of events, with the standouts including an Homage to Blaise Pascal, Chinese Arts Events and happenings organised by the university’s research centres. The National Competence Centre for Supercomputing organises Info Days with companies, while the FoodHub Centre of Excellence is a co-organiser of the 3rd Black Sea Association of Food Science and Technology Congress (B-FoST 2023).
In accordance with tradition, this year also saw the presenting of the award bearing the name of Svetozar Stiv Pejović, one of the 20th century’s top economists and one of the founders of the UDG Faculty of International Economics, Finance and Business. Among the 34 nominees, this year’s award, which includes a monetary prize of 1,000 euros, was presented to Viktor Avhust from Ukraine’s American University Kyiv (AUK) for his essay entitled “The Future of Democracy in a Spiritless Society”.
