On behalf of Cardiff Metropolitan University I'm delighted to extend my congratulations to you as you reach the end of an extraordinary year in education.
It's been a year in which everyone has had to dig deep to achieve success and I have never been more proud of you, our Cardiff Met students, or of my colleagues – the staff who have supported you to give your best in the most challenging of circumstances.
Whether you are graduating this year or continuing next year - well done, we're all very proud of you.
This isn't the end of year celebration that any of us imagined. We've had to postpone many activities, including our Graduation Ceremonies which would have taken place this week at the Wales Millennium Centre and which have now been rescheduled in full for next spring.
In the meantime, colleagues and I are absolutely determined not to let your achievements pass without celebration, which is why this week we're marking the end of the year and, for some of you, the end of your degree with a series of special events, culminating at the end of the week in a celebration dinner.
Your University's purpose is to deliver education, research and innovation in partnership with you our students and with industry and to make a positive impact on our economy and society.
It is this purpose and impact, together with our commitment to prioritising your health and wellbeing, that resulted in Cardiff Met being named Welsh University of the Year 2021 by The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide – an accolade we and you can all be proud of.
We're committed to providing all of you with an outstanding student experience by working in partnership to deliver the Cardiff Met EDGE; an edge in ethical, digital, global and entrepreneurial skills, alongside building your confidence, resilience and experience to enable you to thrive in work and in your wider life beyond university.
Throughout this year, and in spite of the constraints imposed by the Coronavirus, we've sought to enable every one of you to fulfil your potential to make outstanding graduate-level contributions to our City, Wales and the wider world. I hope we've served you well – we, like you, have certainly tried our best.
Your purpose now is to make an impact with all that you have learned and to live our values of Creativity, Diversity, Freedom and Innovation and our behaviours of Leadership, Trust, Courage and Accountability and show the world that Cardiff Met has given you the EDGE.
What each of you has achieved this year is remarkable; you've adapted and demonstrated resilience, positivity and determination. I'm proud of what you have achieved in these most challenging of circumstances. Please be proud of yourself and all that you have achieved, and do take time to celebrate your year at university.
As I said earlier, this is by no means the end. Cardiff Met students have been crossing the Graduation stage for over 150 years, and those of you completing your degrees this year will be no different.
We have made a commitment that all students completing in 2020 and 2021 will be invited to a full Graduation Ceremony at the iconic Wales Millennium Centre with your family, friends and cohort in 2022 and I'm really looking forward to sharing that day with you.
Until we can come together in person once again, I'd encourage you to get involved at home and online, and mark the end of this unforgettable academic year with pride in your own and one another's achievements – achievements that have been truly outstanding.
On behalf of everyone here at Cardiff Met I wish you congratulations and an enjoyable celebration. Well done and thank you for being such a valuable member of our Cardiff Met community.