Commencement 2014: 33 From 14 Countries Graduate in Paris

The American Graduate School in Paris celebrated its 20th Anniversary commencement on 5 June 2014, in the presence of alumni, students, faculty, and academic partners who traveled to Paris from France and abroad for the occasion. The ceremony took place in the Alliance Française auditorium, in the same building as AGS, and was followed by a graduation dinner in the French Senate, where AGS has held its commencement for the past ten years under the sponsorship of a sitting senator.

The thirty-three graduates who compose the AGS class of 2014 are from fourteen different national origins: France, Germany, Hungary, Spain, Russia, Ghana, Nigeria, South Africa, Philippines, Singapore, Iran, New Zealand, the US, and Trinidad and Tobago. “Cultural diversity has defined our student body - as well as our faculty - from our very first class 20 years ago, where we had five students from five different countries.” says Eileen Servidio, who heads the international relations programs at AGS. “Since then, we have had students from over 50 national origins.”

The question of diversity and difference was the theme of the official commencement address, delivered by former UK Ambassador Sir Christopher MacRae. A graduate of Oxford University and Henry Fellow at Harvard University, Sir Christopher MacRae drew from his thirty-five year diplomatic career in the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office, including assignments in Baghdad, Beirut and Tehran, to share advice with the new graduates. He called them to reflect on what defines identity, and to contribute to the world by fighting intelorance, closing his speech with an enthusiastic “Vive la différence!”

Also speaking at the ceremony was Steve Michael, Provost of Arcadia University, who encouraged the graduating students to achieve, through their careers, the experience of global citizenship for which the AGS and Arcadia education prepared them.

"Not only do our students and alumni come from a wide span of national backgrounds, they also go on to pursue their careers in countries all over the world,” says Joyce Lee, AGS Vice-President for Alumni Relations. "Our alumni community serves international organizations, NGOs, and private organizations on all continents.”

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