The Rector’s Message, September 2024

25 september 2024

The harvest, a radiant moment marking the end of summer, celebrates the reward for the repeated and quiet efforts of those who have tended the vine throughout the year. Attentive hands pruned during the heart of winter, enduring the biting cold, and feared the hailstorms of spring and summer. They carefully monitored the fragile balance between excessive rain and relentless drought.

Then come the harvesters, rising at dawn, gathering the clusters one by one, despite bent backs, the morning chill, or the afternoon heat. All these efforts converge on this unique moment when the grapes, finally ripe, are harvested, crushed, and pressed. Fermentation, the true alchemy of the grape, transforms the juice into wine. Soon, the new wine will appear on the tables, symbolizing the joy of the harvest and the collective achievement.

In the same way, the journey of students mirrors this cycle of the vine. After years of quiet effort, hard work, nights spent researching, writing, overcoming blocks of inspiration and the stress of exams, the long-awaited day of the defense arrives. This is the moment when everything comes to fruition, when the fruits of five or more years of study and dedication are finally harvested. A mysterious alchemy transforms all the learning into an accomplished work, turning knowledge into wisdom and mastery.

The new graduates, like new wine, emerge from this long process of maturation and shared efforts. Let us congratulate them on their perseverance and success. Let us warmly thank those who accompanied them. Let us welcome the new students who are about to embark on this journey, with the hope that they too will experience the joy of the harvest, the moment when their hard work bears fruit.

To all, a successful academic year!

Marie Monnet, OP