Opening Ceremony of the Johannes Gutenberg Promotion 2026/2027, Bruges campus

On Monday, 26 October 2026, we officially opened the 2026-2027 academic year at our Bruges campus with the Opening Ceremony of the Johannes Gutenberg Promotion.

For this special occasion, we had the honour of welcoming H.E. Alexander STUBB, President of the Republic of Finland and a College of Europe alumnus, back to Bruges more than three decades after his own time as a student at the College.

The ceremony opened with welcome remarks by Dr João CRAVINHO, Rector of the College of Europe, followed by addresses from Herman VAN ROMPUY, President of the Administrative Council of the College of Europe, and Dirk DE FAUW, Mayor of Bruges. Student Representatives Leonardo DE VIO and Adrien MEYER also addressed the audience on behalf of the Bruges Campus, while Student Representative Ellen LIND introduced President Stubb ahead of his keynote speech.

In a deeply personal and forward-looking address, President Stubb reflected on the Europe of his student days and the very different world facing this new generation. Looking back on a period marked by the end of the Cold War, European enlargement and a strong sense of optimism, he invited students to consider both how far Europe has come and the challenges it now faces.

From AI and enlargement to European security and a changing global order, President Stubb’s message was ultimately one of optimism, curiosity and responsibility. He encouraged students to remain curious and analytical, to embrace change without surrendering their capacity for independent thought and to recognise the responsibility that comes with the knowledge and opportunities they will gain during their time in Bruges.

“You have agency, and you have to use it.”

A message that could hardly be more fitting for the year ahead.

As the Johannes Gutenberg Promotion begins its year at the College, the Opening Ceremony set the tone for the months ahead: a year of learning, debate and intellectual discovery, but also one of responsibility and ambition to help shape the Europe of tomorrow.

We warmly thank President Stubb for returning to Bruges and for sharing his experience, perspective and optimism with our students and wider College community.