Graduation ceremony – generation 2006/2007

Among distinguished guests were the Ambassador of the USA in Macedonia, H.E. Philip T. Reeker, the Head of the European Commission Delegation and Special Representatives of the EU in Macedonia, Ervan Fuere; the Minister of Economy of the RM, Fatmir Besimi, the Minister of Education and Science of the RM, Pero Stojanovski, representatives of local government, the Mayor of the Municipality of Gostivar, Rufi Osmani, representatives of the State University of Tetovo and other distinguished guest.

The Rector of SEEU academician Alajdin Abazi, in his opening address to the students said,  “This day is a special day for you, your families and all of us, as you are becoming not only a driving force of development of your future, but also of our society and the country as well.”

This was the message of the Rector to students: “In a short time, you will be potentially part of the workforce, fulfilling the gap and bringing us closer to European standards and institutions.  This can only be done by you, the new generation, who are prepared to confront the challenges of development and modern integration with competitive capacities”.

The opening address of the US Ambassador, Philip T. Reeker, was greeted with cheers, and on this occasion he spoke about two addresses given by Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton.  She wrote the first when she graduated from Wellesley College.  The second one she gave a few weeks ago for New York University (NYU).

Ambassador Philip T. Reeker said that she talked about the gap that university students face between “expectation and realities,” between the world as it is outside the university and how we wish it could be. Forty years later, almost to the day, Secretary Clinton spoke at Yankee Stadium to graduating students from NYU.  She mentioned that 700,000 international students went to the U.S. last year to study hoping to reach their expectations.

“Eneida Alimanova, an SEEU student, will start her master’s degree next year at the University of Oregon under the Fulbright program.  She will be the first Roma student from Macedonia to participate in this program.  Rector Abazi, you and your university should be proud of how you have nurtured her education,” said Ambassador Reeker.

The President of the SEEU Board, Dennis Farington said “on the sixth of June, we remember the thousands of American, British, Canadian and French young men, some younger than you, who gave their lives in Normandy on this day 65 years ago so that Europe could be free. I am sure you have learned here that spirit of tolerance and understanding of others for which they sacrificed everything.

 The Minister of Education and Science of the RM, Pero Stojanovski, said that SEEU is a model University of Higher Education. This University is the first University that from this year in the country offers dual degrees, in cooperation with prestigious European universities, by continuing with the epithet leader in the region.

The graduation ceremony of the fifth generation of SEEU was organized in two parts. In the first part were graduates from the Faculty of Business Administration, Contemporary Science and Technologies and Language, Culture and Communication.  In the second part of the ceremony were graduates from the Faculty of Public Administration and Political Sciences and Law.

“There are many reasons why today is a day for celebration,” said the Head of the European Commission Delegation and Special Representatives of EU in Macedonia, Ervan Fuere, who was a guest speaker in the second part. “The first reason is your own personal achievement in reaching this important stage in your lives. The second reason is your graduation from South East European University.”

Ambassador Fuere said, “This University is a living symbol of what this country aspires to be: a multi-ethnic society based on tolerance and respect.”

In holding with tradition, the best students of the generation were chosen: Majlinda Haxhiu, from the Faculty of Contemporary Science and Technologies, and Aleksandar Sotirovski, from the Faculty of Law.

 The artistic aspect of the ceremony was enriched by the Choir of Tetovo and Agim Poshka who sung the University song “Voice of Knowledge.”