Bioceb Graduation Day of the third intake

The third cohort’s students celebrated their graduation in the elegant setting of the Degermann Salon in Reims. After two years of intensive training across several European universities, the students, who began their journey in September 2022, gathered with their families and friends to share this unforgettable moment.

Organized by the University of Reims Champagne-Ardenne, which hosted the students for their common first semester of the master’s program, and by AgroParisTech as coordinator, the ceremony was marked by moments of emotion, recognition, and sharing. It also gave the new members of the 2024 cohort the opportunity to meet their predecessors, creating a space for exchange and intergenerational learning.

This graduation ceremony was not only a chance to celebrate academic success, but also to highlight the the connections forged throughout this international adventure. The graduates are now ready to bring their expertise and to contribute to innovative projects around the world.

Around 130 attendees gathered for the ceremony, including graduates with their families, students from the first, fourth, and fifth cohorts, along with faculty members, the Bioceb administrative staff, and representatives from both the consortium and the city of Reims.

To start with, the guests were warmly welcomed at 4 pm by the two ceremony moderators, Stéphanie Baumberger, professor in green chemistry at AgroParisTech and Bioceb coordinator, and Caroline Rémond, professor in biotechnology and Bioceb local coordinator at URCA.

TalTech and ULiège honoured the assembly with the presence of a total of five members who made the trip to Reims: Jaan Kers, professor in polymer sciences, and Yevgen Karpichev, Senior Research Scientist in sustainable chemistry, as Bioceb consortium’s representatives of TalTech, Fjodor Sergejev, TalTech Dean of the School of Engineering, along with Manon Genva, lecturer in chemistry of natural substance, and Quentin de Roover, doctoral candidate, both from ULiège.

Besides Caroline Rémond, the participants from URCA included Christophe Clément, President of the University, and Marie-Charlotte Belhomme, lecturer in chemistry. Also present was the entire International Relations Office, with Philippine Henry (Director), Alpin Charbaut (Deputy Director and primary event organizer), but also Pascale Cliquot, Priscilla Ebaka, Romane Genon who are highly involved in Bioceb student affairs at URCA.

AgroParisTech was represented by Étienne Verrier, Deputy Director General responsible for Academic Affairs and Development. Were also present Jeanne Beyrand as Bioceb manager, Ana Karen Sánchez Castañeda, lecturer in microbiology, and Ghislaine Tamisier, intercultural trainer. The European Office was represented by Elodie Popenda (Head of European Affairs), Clémence Rotolo, Isabelle Laissy, and Léona Canno.

After the introduction of the ceremony, it was time for official speeches delivered by:
–  Christophe CLEMENT, President of University of Reims Champagne-Ardenne
–  Patricia DURIN, Vice President in charge of higher education at Communauté urbaine du Grand Reims
–  Dimitri OUDIN, Deputy Mayor in charge of International Relations at Communauté urbaine du Grand Reims
–  Mounya TAGGAE, City councillor in charge of student’s life at Communauté urbaine du Grand Reims
–  Etienne VERRIER, Deputy Director General in charge of Academic Affairs and Development at AgroParisTech
–  Fjodor SERGEJEV, Dean of the School of Engineering at Tallinn University of Technology

During the speeches, Fjodor Sergjev emphasized the crucial role of training young researchers in strategic fields such as bioeconomy and encouraged the graduates to become influential players in this essential sector to meet contemporary challenges, such as the global rise of bioeconomy.

Then, the moment finally arrived for the students to showcase their artistic talents! They had the honour of delighting the audience with a variety of musical performances, ranging from passionately performed songs to expertly played piano pieces. It was a moment of pure joy and sincere emotion to see them shine on stage. These performances not only celebrated their artistic skills but also demonstrated the remarkable cohesion and collective pride of this cohort of students.

Before handing out their diplomas to the graduates, Stéphanie Baumberger and Caroline Rémond played a ping-pong game aiming at qualifying Cohort 3 through a few words. The first word chosen was “competitiveness”: the students of this cohort demonstrated this trait by winning first place at the BISC-E finals in October 2023 and receiving two awards for two posters at the EBU Scientific Forum in Vienna in September 2023. The second word was “artistic” as they showed on stage and throughout these two years that they enjoy dancing, playing the piano, singing together, and engaging in theatre. Another word chosen was “committed”; indeed, they demonstrated notable commitment through various high-profile engagements. For instance, they actively participated in the Bioeconomy Changemakers Festival in Brussels in 2024, and one of their peers spoke at the World Food Forum held at the FAO headquarters in Rome in 2023. Additionally, they were involved in Track 1 of the World Café brainstorming sessions focused on ecological transition during the Biosphera Scientific Days in Paris in 2023. Finally, they were described as “lovely” but also as very good eaters, as the students enjoyed gathering around good meals to chat and love cooking.

The highlight of the evening was the long-awaited moment when students were called to the stage, according to their track, to receive their diplomas.
Each successful Bioceb student obtain a triple degree composed of the National Master Degree certificate of each university of his/her track:
– Master in Integrative Biology and Physiology (IBP), study track Biomass Engineering for Bioeconomy (BEB), delivered by the Université Paris-Saclay (UPSaclay), operated by AgroParisTech;
– Master of Science (Technology), delivered by the Aalto University;
– Master of Science in Engineering, delivered by Tallinn University of Technology (TalTech), Estonia;
– Master: Bioingénieur en chimie et bioindustries, à finalité (Master in Bioengineering: Chemistry and Bio-industries), delivered by the University of Liège (ULiège);
– Master in Biology AgroSciences (BAS), delivered by the University of Reims Champagne-Ardenne (URCA).

Students from Track 1 “Bioproducts, green chemistry, biomass engineering” (URCA, TalTech, AgroParisTech) were called on stage by their TalTech Semester 2 teacher Yevgen Karpichev who evoked key moments they had in Estonia, such as the summer school:

Students from Track 2 “Bioproducts, green chemistry, bioprocesses” (URCA, TalTech, ULiège) were called on stage by their ULiège Semester 3 teacher Manon Genva who sincerely congratulated them for their success:

Students from Track 3 “Bioproducts, green chemistry, materials, polymers” (URCA, TalTech, Aalto) were called on stage by their TalTech Semester 2 teacher Jaan Kers who said a few personalized words on each student:

Students from Track 4 “Agro-resources, value-chain assessment, bioprocesses” (URCA, AgroParisTech, ULiège) were called on stage by their AgroParisTech Semester 2 teacher Ana Karen Sánchez Castañeda who warmly emphasized the dynamism of the students during their Green Line Project experimental work:

Students from Track 5 “Agro-resources, value-chain assessment, materials, polymers” (URCA, AgroParisTech, Aalto) were called on stage by their URCA Semester 1 teacher Marie-Charlotte Belhomme who remembered them the times of their very first organic chemistry lessons at URCA:

The graduation ceremony was marked by touching reunions and shared moments of joy. Students, their families, as well as partners and administrative staff, had the chance to celebrate together during a memorable evening.

A delightful buffet pleased the guests, while the music provided by the DJ turned the venue into a real dance floor. The festive atmosphere allowed everyone to celebrate successes and enjoy themselves in a lively and convivial setting.

Mix of students from cohort 1, 3, 4 and 5!

Congratulations to all the graduates, and a warm welcome to the new cohort, who is embarking on this exciting journey full of challenges and opportunities!

All the pictures are available here: https://jdieppedalle.wixstudio.io/bioceb-2