Graduates, family, friends, and members of the MSc MADE and AMS Institute communities gathered at CRCL Park to celebrate this milestone and reflect on the experiences, memories, and connections built throughout the Master's program of Metropolitan Analysis Design and Engineering (MSc MADE).
From learning to making a difference
The ceremony was opened by Dave Huitema, Scientific Director of AMS Institute, who emphasized the graduates’ role in shaping the cities of tomorrow. He then referred to AMS Institute’s mission to accelerate the development of science-based solutions for more resilient and just cities and encouraged new urban engineers to continue this ambition in the future.
What does it mean to be an urban engineer?
Jess Wreyford, Program Director of MSc MADE, continued the ceremony by highlighting MSc MADE’s unconventional approach, which does not focus on a single discipline. Instead, the program actively brings together different fields of knowledge and expertise, encouraging collaboration to understand and address complex urban challenges.
She then asked the new graduates to repeat a sentence describing how they could introduce themselves after graduation. This exercise highlighted the challenge of explaining the MSc MADE experience in a single sentence, as the breadth of knowledge and experience developed throughout MADE cannot be captured in a single sentence.
As graduates signed their diplomas, personal video speeches reflected on their journeys, relationships, shared memories, and the qualities they developed during the program.
Memories, laughter, and the MADE community
Then, the board of MSc MADE’s Study Association, MADE IT, shared a few memorable moments and experiences from the student life. Their stories brought not only laughter, but also gave a glimpse into the graduates' lives beyond the academic program. The MADE IT board also encouraged the new graduates to stay connected to the program through the MSc MADE alumni community, reminding them that this ceremony marks the end of their time as students, but also opens the opportunity to strengthen their connections with fellow graduates, the program, and the wider network of urban innovation.
Leaving a mark on Amsterdam
The celebration concluded with the graduates placing their pins on the alumni board, featuring a map of part of Amsterdam. This symbolized the graduates’ connection to the city they studied and researched in, as well as the growing number of MSc MADE alumni community. While gathering in front of the map, the graduates took a picture, holding the final collective moment of the group, before moving on to their next chapters.
Congratulations to all MADE graduates on this important milestone. As one of the former MADE IT board members reminded everyone at the ceremony:
“There is an elephant in the room that we all know, YOU MADE IT!”
Text by Shahrzad Rezaei Bami