‘I decided to take a leap and I’m so happy I did,” said Maria Abbadi, who was one of 110 students to graduate with either a master’s or apprenticeship degree on June 6.
LONDON — Stopping for photos with the River Thames as the backdrop before her graduation ceremony, Sophie Cooper had a double cause to celebrate.
Not only was Cooper graduating with a degree apprenticeship in digital and technology solutions from Northeastern University in London, she was also toasting having secured a full-time position at Japanese tech firm Fujitsu as an application developer.
“It has already helped me,” the 29-year-old from Stockport in Greater Manchester, England, said about her degree. “As soon as I finished, I got a full-time role and a pay rise, so it really helped.”
Accompanied by mother Erica and sister Jessica, their plan was to enjoy the graduation ceremony at Queen Elizabeth Hall on the South Bank before choosing a London restaurant to keep the celebration going.
Cooper was one of 110 students graduating with either master’s degrees or apprenticeship degrees — a U.K. program whereby a company funds their employee’s higher education study — as part of the Class of 2025 on Friday.
Maria Abbadi had been working steadily as a consultant before pausing her career to enroll for a postgraduate master of science in artificial intelligence and ethics on the London campus. Looking back on graduation day, Abbadi, who originates from Morocco but has lived in the U.K. for the past decade, said she can see it was the right move.
“My previous career was tech consulting and I felt like I had reached a peak in my learning,” the 29-year-old explained, “and so I wanted to become more technical. I decided to take a leap and do another course, and I’m so happy I did — I learned a lot.” Since finishing her studies, Abbadi has resumed her consulting career and is now working with Britain’s National Health Service.
During the hour-long ceremony, professor Anthony Grayling, principal of Northeastern in London, told the graduating class that their education had equipped them with the skills to “contribute to this world of ours in these challenging times.”
“It is wonderful to think that having this opportunity, having this achievement under your belt, means that you will be able to make choices, build careers and live lives that feel good,” he said.
Student speaker Giorgio Pirina, who was graduating with a master’s degree in AI and ethics, praised the friendships he forged during his studies. “To my classmates and friends,” he told them from the podium, “thank you for the late-night study sessions, the shared stress before deadlines and the laughter that brought us through it all — we made it together.”
The Italian admitted to being filled with both “excitement and doubt” when starting his studies in London. But the experience, he said, had left a lasting impression.
“What I found was not just an academic institution,” he added. “I found a place that challenged me, encouraged me and helped me grow in a way I never expected.”
Sujit Bhatt, worldwide head of digital and partner ecosystem for AI applications at IBM, pressed home to the graduates during his keynote speech how vital lifelong learning will be to their futures.
“My advice to you is, don’t stop learning,” Bhatt said. “This is just the start of your journey in terms of your ability to consume that knowledge. And when I say you have got a really strong foundation, you really have. Let’s build on the foundation through learning.
“I can tell you now, with the sheer rate and pace at which the industry is moving, what you knew yesterday will be obsolete come tomorrow. So make sure you’re constantly energized, learning new things, picking up new skills, seizing opportunities to serve yourselves in terms of education.”
After his speech, Bhatt was presented with a citation from Northeastern President Joseph E. Aoun in recognition of his work in progressing the development of technology, including AI.
It was not just learning that was set to continue after the graduates picked up their awards — the celebrations were scheduled to last the night.
Reuben Lesser’s parents, Andy and Judi, might have flown all the way from New Jersey to be there to watch their son’s proud moment, but nothing was going to stop him from marking the occasion with his fellow AI and ethics classmates.
Asked how he planned to mark the occasion, Lesser, who previously undertook his psychology undergrad with Northeastern in Boston, said: “With the rest of my degree program — we’re going to go out to the pub and then find a restaurant to spend the evening in.”
After a year studying in London, Lesser said he is looking forward to seeing what new avenues will open up for him.
“It is exciting,” he added. “It is a career change for me. It is exciting to have a new start, a new industry and to really figure out what it is that I want to do that is going to be fulfilling.”