The solemn SSM Graduation Ceremony returns, but the 2026 edition is a turning point
The countdown has begun. On October 17, 2026, the elegant setting of the Hotel Villa Pamphili in Rome will transform into the stage for one of the most anticipated events of the academic year: the Graduation Ceremony of Swiss School of Management.
As is a long-standing and cherished tradition, SSM graduating students from every corner of the planet will gather in the heart of Europe. The choice of the Eternal City is no coincidence: this is historically where the first campus of a global network was established, which today boasts 11 locations and 7 campuses worldwide. Hundreds of doctoral candidates and new graduates from BBA, MBA, DBA, and PhD programs will converge on the capital to officially receive their degrees before the Academic Court.
Welcoming this extraordinary international audience will be Dr. Serena Magnanti, Vice President of Swiss School of Management and a cornerstone of the event for years, who anticipates the spirit of the day:
“Every year, I feel the exact same emotion seeing the look in our students’ eyes during the ceremony. Graduation represents the culmination of an extraordinary journey, the precise moment when years of sacrifices transform into a passport to the future. Seeing this incredible global community converge on Rome, where it all began, makes us proud to support the birth of a new generation of global, empathetic leaders.”
(Serena Magnanti, Vice President of Swiss School of Management)
Before the Graduation Day: a step into the Academic Year and the Role of the “Viva Voce” Sessions
The festive October ceremony represents the final act of an academic path that, in the preceding months, saw students tackle their last and most demanding hurdle: the Viva Voce Defense sessions. Each candidate had to discuss and defend their thesis, structured as a complex scientific research project or a solid corporate Business Plan, depending on their program.
At the center of this rigorous and stimulating academic process is the relentless work of the SSM Research Center, directed by Dr. Vasileios Margaritis. The Center supervises and guarantees the quality and originality of the institution’s scientific output, positioning SSM at the top of global management education, including the front of academic integrity.
Dr. Margaritis highlighted the high level and modernity of the controls preceding access to Graduation:
“Methodological rigor is the pillar of our theses. In an era dominated by digitalization, we have implemented the most sophisticated anti-plagiarism and AI detection control systems. This does not mean rejecting innovation, far from it: we educate our students in the ethical and strategic use of new technological tools. This cutting-edge approach makes SSM one of the leading business schools capable of guiding contemporary education, ensuring that every degree proclaimed is the result of authentic intellectual and applied value.”
(Vasileios Margaritis, Dean of the SSM Research Center)
The commencement: between historical rigor and modern spirit
The celebration will blend the rigor of centuries of European traditions, inherited from the first medieval universities, with the modern, dynamic, and competitive spirit that characterizes SSM’s managerial paths. The event will be enriched by the inspiring Commencement Speech, delivered by prominent leaders of the institution, and the highly anticipated presentations organized by the student association, packed with irony and show-style parodies.
The day will also feature the presentation of the “Best Leader of the Year” award, a prestigious recognition reserved for a key figure within SSM, such a Center Director, a student particularly active in extra-curricular activities, or a member of the staff or Faculty, who has stood out for vision and impact.
The three key moments of the Ceremony, a true ritual
The Commencement will unfold according to a precise and evocative academic choreography, marked by three fundamental steps:
#1 The Academic Procession
Accompanied by the solemn notes of the march played by the band, the graduating students will make their entrance marching in black gowns (gown) and wearing the classic square mortarboard caps (mortarboard).
#2 The Hooding
For those earning a Master’s degree, such as the MBA, the tradition remains for a professor or the Dean to physically place the academic hood over the student’s shoulders. The hood is lined with the university’s colors and finished with a blue velvet border, the official color of SSM. Immediately following, each student will be called individually to the stage to collect their diploma scroll and shake hands with the Dean.
#3 The Tassel Turn
The true turning point of the day. At the start of the ceremony, the tassel on the cap is kept on the right side. Right after the official proclamation, all students will simultaneously move their tassel from right to left, symbolizing their definitive transition from students to graduates and managers.
The celebration will conclude with the most liberating and photographed moment: the Cap Toss, a collective shout throwing the mortarboards into the air along with the future of these young leaders.
Beyond the finish line, the Global Network and the SSM method
Behind the celebration and solemnity of Graduation lies a solid and ramified educational model. The Vice President, Serena Magnanti, continue explains the philosophy that accompanies students up to the day of proclamation:
“As a Business School, we have always focused on highly practical teaching and learning methods, because our goal is to ensure that students acquire all the necessary skills, but above all that they learn to immediately apply what they study in real life, on the field. We offer so many campuses around the world precisely because we want to guarantee a real international experience, where students can engage in fruitful networking, interacting every day with different cultures, nationalities, and backgrounds.”
This pragmatic, market-oriented approach characterizes SSM’s entire educational offering, which unfolds globally through three flexible formulas.
The On-Campus mode allows students to experience the campus and foster direct contact with international faculty and managers.
The Online formula guarantees maximum flexibility through cutting-edge e-learning platforms for professionals who do not want to interrupt their careers.
Finally, the Blended mode combines the best of both worlds, mixing remote lessons with intensive sessions and physical workshops.
An educational ecosystem of excellence that spans the globe through the campuses of Rome, Milan, Brescia, Barcelona, and Madrid, reaching into Asia, North Africa, and the Middle East with centers in Dubai, Manama, Singapore, and Cairo. This intercontinental presence also enables unique mobility programs like the Ulysses Project, which offers students the opportunity to spend an academic term dividing their studies among different locations in the network, such as Brescia, Dubai, or Cairo, with no additional academic costs.
The new era: the Relocation to Dallas in the heart of “Y’all Street”
This year, the Swiss School of Management marked a milestone by officially transferring its headquarters to Dallas, Texas. This strategic move perfectly aligns the administrative base with the American accreditation from the DEAC agency, consolidating its presence in the US market and opening new international online teaching positions for faculty. The choice fell on Dallas because the urban area has emerged as America’s new financial hub, ironically dubbed “Y’all Street” in open rivalry with New York, with over than 40% employment growth in the sector over the last decade, counting 386,000 employees. The city attracts global giants like Goldman Sachs, which is building a 700-million-dollar campus there for over 5,000 employees, Scotiabank, and the main headquarters of Fortune 500 companies, including Tesla, Oracle, X, SpaceX, and ExxonMobil, officially surpassing California.
But that is a chapter for another day. For now, let’s stay focused on the 2026 Graduation Ceremony, set to take place in Rome on October 17, which promises to be a major milestone for the academic year and beyond.