A ceremony to celebrate those in person who have obtained their degrees from the University of Gastronomic Sciences of Pollenzo during the lockdown in 2020 and 2021.
Guest of honour: Francesca Lavazza
On Friday, the 17th of September 2021, the University of Gastronomic Sciences of Pollenzo is hosting a special Graduation ceremony, designed specifically for all those Italian and international students who have obtained their Bachelor’s, Magistrale and Master’s degrees during the lockdown periods between 2020 and 2021.
Many of them discussed and presented their final work remotely and were unable to collectively celebrate this important milestone, as is the tradition in Pollenzo.
For this reason, in the afternoon of Friday, the 17th of September, 150 students of different backgrounds and nationalities – Italy, Austria, Brazil, Bulgaria, Colombia, Denmark, Germany, Japan, India, Israel, Kenya, Mexico, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Russia, Senegal, the United States, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, and Tanzania – will participate in the now historic Pollentino ritual.
The ceremony will begin at 5 pm with the traditional procession of students dressed in graduation caps and cloaks that will wind from Cascina Albertina to the Quadrilateral of the Pollenzo Agency.
Here the students will take their seats in the audience, constructed of spaced-out seats and assist in delivering the certificates.
The ceremony complies with the current provisions in force to contain the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. It provides access only to students and their accompanying guests in possession of a Green Pass.
Below is the afternoon program, which includes various speeches, as well as moments of music and theatre:
▪ Speech and greetings by the outgoing rector prof Andrea Pieroni
Subsequent speeches:
▪ Francesca Lavazza, member of the Lavazza Group Board of Directors
▪ Duncan Okech, UNISG alumnus
▪ Alessandra Roversi, UNISG alumna
Delivery of certificates to graduates
▪ Speech by the new UNISG rector prof Bartolomeo Biolatti
▪ Conclusions and greetings from Carlo Petrini, UNISG President
The Terra Madre Orchestra will accompany the ceremony musically.
The guests:
Francesca Lavazza, exponent of the fourth generation of the Lavazza family at the helm of the historic coffee company and member of the Group’s Board of Directors, member of the Board of Directors of the University of Gastronomic Sciences, President of the Castello di Rivoli Museum of Contemporary Art.
Alessandra Roversi, Swiss UNISG alumna, Program Officer at the Swiss Confederation Agency for International Cooperation (SDC), former consultant in food policy, communication and sustainability to Swiss government bodies as well as Swiss and international non-governmental organizations.
Duncan Okech, a Kenyan UNISG alumnus, who today works for the Valdibella Cooperative in Camporeale (Palermo), co-author of the book “Tieni il tuo sogno seduto accanto a te”, Giunti Slow Food Editore.
Download the Ceremony booklet: UNISG Graduation Ceremony 2021 >