University of Gibraltar Celebrates Its Sixth and Largest Graduation

The event celebrated the academic achievement of 119 graduates from the University’s Bachelor of Business Administration (Hons), MBA, MA in Leadership and Management, BSc (Hons) in Adult Nursing, BSc (Hons) Maritime Science programmes (nautical and engineering), PGCE, Master’s in Marine Science and Climate Change, Master’s in Environmental Science and Climate Change, Applied Clinical Psychology programmes, and notably, the first cohort of students from the BSc (Hons) Computing and Entrepreneurship, MSc in Contemporary Healthcare, Masters in Education, and Masters in Business Administration (Gaming). There were also four individuals who received their Doctorate in Philosophy.

Vice-Chancellor, Professor Catherine Bachleda, opened the ceremony by congratulating all those graduating and stating how proud all the UniGib team were of their achievements. She then outlined how the University ensured all its programmes were industry-relevant and of the highest quality, and how, for every graduating cohort to date, this had supported an average employment rate of 90% within six months of graduating. She also noted that, on average, 93% of University of Gibraltar students felt satisfied that the knowledge and skills they took away from their programmes would support their career aspirations.

For his part, Sir Lindsay Hoyle, Speaker of the House of Commons and the University’s Chancellor, spoke to the graduating students about the hard work and resilience needed to complete their studies, saying,

Addressing graduates via a video message, the Chief Minister of Gibraltar, Hon Fabian Picardo KC MP, congratulated them and said, “Many, many congratulations on your graduation. The University of Gibraltar is one of the things I am proudest of. There are 119 of you graduating this year, 64% of you from Gibraltar itself. You make your families proud; you make your government proud. Be very proud of yourselves too.”

Minister for the University of Gibraltar, the Hon Pat Orfila, remarked, “Class of 2025, may happiness and success always follow you. May you achieve what you want and remember nothing comes easy. You must work hard for it, and if you stumble, get up. Dust yourself off and keep going. You’ve made it this far already. All the very best for the future, and well done Class of ’25, you all made it!”

The ceremony also saw the official installation of the University’s fifth Beacon Professor, Professor Julia Fa, in recognition of her outstanding and consistent contribution to work that examines the complex and dynamic relationships between people and nature, particularly in regions where communities depend heavily on natural resources. She delivered her inaugural lecture in October 2025 and now joins fellow Beacon Professors David Abulafia, John Cortes, Clive Finlayson and Jamie Trinidad.

The University also recognised two organisations with corporate recognition awards for their lasting contributions made to the University in the last year. First, in alphabetical order, was Boluda Towage, who were recognised for their generous donation of a cutting-edge simulation suite to our Maritime Simulation Centre. This suite will provide our cadets with the opportunity to develop critical skills in bridge management, ship-handling and emergency response, all within a safe, controlled and fully immersive training environment. Second was Peninsula, who were recognised for their generous donation of a Maritime Navigation Simulation Suite to our Maritime Simulation Centre. This simulation suite will provide the mandatory simulation training required by the UK’s Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA), directly enabling our cadets to progress toward their Certificate of Competence as Officers of the Watch.

Each programme saw attending Valedictorians sharing words with their fellow graduates. Valedictorians included Shayne Lopez (BSc Adult Nursing), Abigail Aguilera (MSc Contemporary Healthcare), Kelly-Anne Bacarese (MA in Leadership and Management), Lukas Kloucek (MBA Gaming), Anna Figueras (PGCE), Kathryn Cheeswright (Masters in Education), Emma Ocaña (MSc Environmental Science and Climate Change), Ann Driskill (MSc Marine Science and Climate Change), Clément Chii (BSc Maritime Science – Engineering), and Anfal Muhammad (BSc Maritime Science – Nautical). The ceremony also saw four individuals—Dr Robert Chandler, Dr Darren Cruz, Dr Judith Glynn and Dr Harshdeep Mangat—receiving their Doctorates in Philosophy (PhDs).

The University also extended its gratitude to this year’s graduation sponsors, Playtech and Grant Thornton, whose support assisted in making the event possible. Their continued commitment to the University and its students contributes meaningfully to the success of milestone occasions such as this graduation ceremony.

Graduating students each received their certificates as well as a goody bag that contained a lapel pin in the shape of the Gibraltar key. The locally produced pin references the University’s motto, ‘knowledge is the key to success’, and also echoes the key on Gibraltar’s own flag. It also acts as a symbol of their membership of the University’s Alumni Network.