PROPRIETRESS/ MD CEO -

Chancellor, Lord Provost, graduands, honorary graduands, ladies and gentlemen,

I would like to start by welcoming you all to our Graduation ceremony, and to those of you who are
visiting Dundee for the first time I’d like to extend a warm welcome on behalf of the city and the
University of Dundee.

You have arrived in one of 2018’s ‘must visit’ places around the world – a status accorded Dundee by no
less than the Wall Street Journal, Lonely Planet, CNN, The Guardian and others. So you are all trend
setters, and we are delighted to see you here.

These are exciting times for the city and a sign that we are firmly on the rise.

Much of this current excitement, of course, has grown around the opening of V&A Dundee, housed in
Kengo Kuma’s magnificent building at the heart of our waterfront. This was an idea that first originated
here at the University of Dundee – to bring the V&A to the city.

We have worked with local and national partners to make it happen. It is a project that is already
transforming the city. And that is the core of our mission and belief here at the University,
transformation.

We aim to transform lives, by the creation, sharing and application of knowledge.

To the fore of that are you, our students – and soon to be graduates.

I hope that in your years here you have experienced that sense of transformation.

You will have gained new knowledge and skills that you can now take into the world. You will have
found new friends, possibly even your life partners. You cross this stage today with the next stage of
your life before you, and I hope your time here at Dundee has equipped you to take that step with
confidence and a spirit of adventure – to be bold, to be creative, to be innovative and to make your own
impact.