Next chapter for 1,400 master graduates: leaders for positive change

This year’s joyful graduation ceremony for graduates of master programmes in Rotterdam’s De Doelen concert hall was the biggest ever for Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University (RSM). More than 1,400 graduates were joined by their friends and families, making a total of more than 6,300 people joining the celebration and filling three of the halls. There were 13 ceremonies, one for each master study programme.

Professor Aukje Hassoldt, Dean of RSM welcomed everyone in a speech that was livestreamed from the Grote Zaal on Saturday, 18 October 2025. She spoke of the courage, hard work and resilience that students put in to achieve their degrees. She spoke of them moving towards the next chapter of their personal stories; when they become leaders who can create positive change, and who care for people, business and society.

As well as 1400 diplomas handed out during the ceremonies, there were also several Best Thesis Awards handed out by academic directors, and class photographs done on stage. The graduates have now joined a worldwide alumni network of more than 55,000 people sharing the RSM spirit.

Farewell speakers

Every programme had a farewell speech from one of its new graduates. The farewell speakers were:

Ivo Smeets for the MSc Global Business & Sustainability
Rienk de Weerd for the MScBA Part-time Master in Management
Vincent Schneider for the MSc People, Organisations & Change
Chantal Booi for the MScBA Master in Management
Wouter Jansen for the MSc Strategic Management
Yuki Watanabe for the MSc Supply Chain Management
Liza Rakutskaya, Asia Minuti, and Lea Hunn for the MSc Management of Innovation and MSc Medical Business & Innovation
Nikita Prokhorets for the MSc Finance & Investments
Ioana Buia for the MSc Business Information Management
Niccolò Di Leo for the MSc Strategic Entrepreneurship
Robine Vermaat for the MSc Marketing Management
Rania Bamhaoudi for the MSc Business Analytics & Management
Lizi Burduli for the MSc Accounting & Financial Management

Career inspirations

Each graduation ceremony had an alumni speaker who graduated from that programme to give a reflection of their experience, and to give inspiration for the careers that might lie ahead. Alumni speakers from the international RSM alumni network were:

Emma Voncken (MSc Global Business & Sustainability 2020), now a Policy Officer with the Ministerie Infrastructuur en Waterstaat
Pouria Mousavi (MScBA Part-time Master in Management 2023) now a Process Manager for Heijmans
Bianca Banica (MSc People, Organisations & Change 2023) now Co-founder, Business Manager and Trainer for LifeVersity
Fiona Fu, MScBA Master in Management 2020), now a Senior Auditor for Deloitte
Momoka Tsuruoka (MSc Strategic Management 2024), now Sustainability Consultant for Deloitte
Sven van Duren (MSc Supply Chain Management 2017) now Business Unit Manager for Van Duuren
Paraskevas Spiliopoulos (MSc Management of Innovation 2023) now Product Marketing Specialist for BenQ Corporation
Brian Van de Wiel (MSc Finance & Investments 2023) now Analyst for Eight Advisory
Maksut Gavaz (MSc Business Information Management 2019) now Founder and Owner of Gavaz Business Group
Laurens Boeren (MSc Strategic Entrepreneurship 2023) now Junior Consultant, Future of Tech for Capgemini Invent
Tetiana Pasieka (MSc Marketing Management 2022) now Global; Senior Brand Manager for Danone
Maarten Bakker (MSc Accounting & Financial Management 2014) and now Senior Finance Business Partner for The Ocean Cleanup.

Watch the ceremonies again

All of the graduation ceremonies were livestreamed, and can be watched again via the RSM website where there is also a photo gallery of the ceremonies and celebrations.

More information

Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University (RSM) is one of Europe’s top-ranked business schools. RSM provides ground-breaking research and education furthering excellence in all aspects of management and is based in the international port city of Rotterdam – a vital nexus of business, logistics and trade. RSM’s primary focus is on developing business leaders with international careers who can become a force for positive change by carrying their innovative mindset into a sustainable future. Our first-class range of bachelor, master, MBA, PhD and executive programmes encourage them to become critical, creative, caring and collaborative thinkers and doers. www.rsm.nl

For more information about RSM or this release, please contact Pavlina Novakova, RSM corporate communications and PR manager, or Danielle Baan, science communications lead and PR, by email at press@rsm.nl.