Smiles, selfies, and perhaps a little sunshine. From Madrid to Massachusetts, the end of the academic year brings students, staff and families together to mark the completion of a course of study. Commencement is a day of celebration, reflection, and gratitude, acknowledging the graduate’s hard work, dedication, and the support of others.

Santiago Iñiguez, President of IE University reflects on this powerful and profoundly human moment of joy, with his personal advice for both graduates and speakers.

I prefer the term commencement (beginning) because it captures the deeper meaning of this moment: it is not simply about finishing university, but about stepping into a new phase of maturity and responsibility.

Commencement marks the transition from student life to professional life, when individuals begin contributing their economic and intellectual value to society. It represents a symbolic threshold into adulthood, often accompanied by real personal independence – financial autonomy, leaving the family home, or entering committed relationships and establishing new households.

The ceremony also offers a moment of reflection – an emotional pause to appreciate the friendships, learning experiences, and personal growth cultivated during university. It stirs a mix of emotions: excitement for the future, a sense of emancipation, and deep nostalgia for the vibrant, formative years now drawing to a close. It signals the emergence of graduates as cosmopolitan citizens, ready to engage with the world and shape their place within it.

Importantly, the excitement and optimism that surround commencement do not erase the presence of uncertainty. Many graduates stand at this threshold filled with questions about the future, unsure of the exact path ahead. Yet it is precisely this blend of anticipation and doubt that makes commencement such a powerful and meaningful milestone.

The essence of education and personal transformation

That said, in my experience, the emotional intensity of the day often makes it difficult to recall specific speeches, messages, or even moments from the ceremony itself. Graduates are usually so immersed in excitement – and often unaware of many of the things unfolding around them – that the details blur, while the overall sense of transition remains.

Having had the privilege of chairing commencement ceremonies as Dean of IE Business School and President of IE University over the past twenty years, I can honestly say I may enjoy the occasion even more than the graduates do. From the stage, I witness their beaming faces, the pride and emotion of their families, and the deep, enduring bonds of friendship formed during their university years. These moments are powerful and profoundly human – they speak to the essence of education and personal transformation.

For those entrusted with leading or speaking at these ceremonies, I offer a few simple yet essential recommendations: be authentic, be emotional, and speak from the heart. Don’t read from a script – connect with the audience. Touch their hearts, not just their minds. And above all, respect the moment by keeping your message brief, memorable, and on time.

A commitment to engage with the world

Commencement is far more than a ceremonial formality – it is a moment of profound public meaning. As graduates walk across the stage to receive their diplomas, they do so not only as individuals celebrating personal achievement, but as members of a broader community participating in a civic ritual.

On one hand, the ceremony represents the formal recognition by the institution of the knowledge, skills, and growth students have acquired. It is a public endorsement of their academic and professional readiness – a declaration that they are prepared to enter society as competent, thoughtful, and capable professionals.

At the same time, commencement carries a deeper ethical and civic dimension. By stepping forward to receive their diplomas, graduates also symbolically accept the responsibilities that come with their new status. It marks their commitment to engage with the world not only with expertise, but with integrity.

They join the professional sphere as citizens shaped by values nurtured during their years of study-respect for others, social responsibility, a commitment to sustainability, adherence to the rule of law, and fidelity to the ethical standards of their chosen fields.

These are not mere ideals, but the very foundation of what it means to be a well-rounded, engaged, and accountable member of society.

In this sense, commencement is not just an ending, nor merely a beginning – it is a pledge, made in public, to carry forward both knowledge and character in service of the greater good.

Remain open, curious and humble enough to keep learning

In every commencement address I deliver at IE University, I like to remind our graduates of one of the most enduring philosophical insights: “I know that I know nothing.” Socrates’ simple but powerful phrase serves as a timeless reminder that true wisdom lies in recognizing how much we still have to learn.

Why teach philosophy at business school?

And then – just to keep the graduates on their toes – I usually give the phrase a little twist.

I look out into the audience, smile, and say: “You know nothing.” Not to diminish their achievements – after all, they have proven their competence, acquired knowledge, and earned their degrees – but to remind them that the end of university is only the beginning of lifelong learning.

The world they are stepping into is dynamic, complex, and ever-changing. The wisest professionals are those who remain open, curious, and humble enough to keep learning.

At the close of our ceremonies, we often sing the academic anthem Gaudeamus igitur, iuvenes dum sumus – Let us rejoice while we are young. It’s a joyful tradition, but also a meaningful one. Yes, our graduates are young in years, but the anthem speaks to something deeper: youth as a mindset. The spirit of youth belongs to those who stay open to knowledge, who never stop asking questions, who remain curious across the years.

In today’s rapidly evolving world, this mindset is more important than ever. The pace of change means that professionals will likely need to return to learning again and again – perhaps every five years. And with each return, there may be another commencement ceremony, another celebration, another moment of reflection and renewal.

This is not a reason for anxiety – it’s a reason for joy. Because with each new beginning, we are given the chance to reinvent ourselves and to experience once again the excitement, hope, and sense of possibility that filled us on the day we first graduated.

So yes – you know nothing. And that may be the best possible place to start.

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