BIG's dinner at the Faculty Club. Photo: Birgitta Åkerman.

Faculty dinner for master's students

The Faculty of Science has had a tradition since 2012 of inviting all master's students who have started their degree work to a joint dinner at the end of the spring term. This year, the event took place on May 26 and a total of 320 students were invited. Almost half of them attended the dinner and a large percentage were international students. In addition, nine representatives of the Faculty's departments attended, one of whom was Jessica Slove Davidson from BIG.

Like last year, the Proviant Restaurant on Campus Albano was responsible for the catering, a vegetarian buffet. The University Big Band provided the musical entertainment and Joakim Edsjö, chair of the Undergraduate Education Committee, gave a speech. He said, among other things, that he did not think at all that the rise of AI would make it difficult for students to get a job after graduation. Speaking of AI, later there was sing-along to ChatGPT-generated texts.

The master's students are celebrated not only at the faculty dinner, but also at a diploma awarding ceremony shared by the entire university. But this does not happen until after graduation, and by then the international students have often already traveled home. That was one of the main reasons why the faculty started their own celebration while the students are still in Stockholm.

BIG's dinner for bachelor students

A week later, on June 2, it was time for BIG's own graduation dinner, where they instead celebrate the bachelor's students. All the fifty students who took the course Degree project in biology, marine biology or molecular biology during the academic year were invited and of them 21 could come to the party. In addition, four ten-year alumni, five teachers who taught the bachelor's courses and two representatives of BIG, Birgitta Åkerman and Björn Birgersson, participated. As usual, a buffet was served at the Faculty Club and, as usual, the troubadour Torbjörn (Tobbe) Ljunglöf entertained with his own biology songs, which was much appreciated.

Another valued tradition at BIG's graduation dinner is that the invited students receive a biology pin or a molecular biology pin, depending on the focus of their studies. This year the pins were distributed by Björn and in connection with that the students had to tell what they plan to do after graduation. Only three of the 21 students intend to apply for a job immediately after their bachelor's degree. Of the remaining 18, one plans to become a teacher, one intends to combine biology with computer science from KTH and all the others will study further at master's level, most at BIG.

The four ten-year alumni, who started studying ten years ago, instead had to tell us what they are doing right now, after graduation. Two of them are PhD students (at DEEP and Zootis respectively), one is a pathology consultant and one works at KI's virus unit. All four were satisfied with their current jobs and looked positively to the future.

BIG's dinner at the Faculty Club. Photo: Birgitta Åkerman.