Ravensbourne Celebrates the Class of 2026 at Summer Graduation Ceremonies
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Graduates crossed the stage from across the University's creative and technical disciplines, including the School of Business, Management and Commerce (with postgraduates from the MBA — Master of Business Administration), the Department of Design, and the Department of Computing & Emerging Technologies.
A Welcome from the Vice Chancellor
Opening both ceremonies, the Vice Chancellor Jon Kingsbury welcomed graduates, families and guests, speaking warmly of the international community that defines life at Ravensbourne:
"Ravensbourne is a university where we celebrate the fact that people come here from around the world and learn in a spirit of harmony, togetherness and respect for each other."
The Vice Chancellor went on to congratulate graduates on joining a growing global community of Ravensbourne alumni driving change across business, technology and design, and encouraged them to carry that same spirit forward — whether into industry, further research or entrepreneurship. Graduates were urged to stay connected as ambassadors for the University's values of innovation, creativity and excellence, with a final word of pride and excitement for everything they will go on to achieve.
Graduation summer 2026 mini gallery
Graduate Spotlights: Nikol Dehaan
Among this year's graduates was Nikol Dehaan, whose journey to graduation embodies Ravensbourne's commitment to widening access to creative education. Having arrived in the UK after being deported in 2017 and subsequently experiencing homelessness, Nikol's connection to Ravensbourne began through the University's partnership with the homelessness charity Accumulate. She went on to complete an Access to Higher Education qualification, followed by her degree studies in Digital Photography.
Nikol graduated with an MFA in Digital Photography, a significant achievement that reflects both her personal resilience and Ravensbourne's commitment to supporting students from all backgrounds and experiences.
Now graduated, Nikol continues to give back to the programme that supported her, assisting this year's Accumulate cohort as they begin their own journeys into education. Reflecting on her time at Ravensbourne, she has spoken about how the University equipped her with the technical skills and creative confidence to navigate the creative industries, and about the importance of representation in helping students from underrepresented backgrounds feel they belong.
Graduate Spotlights: Cerys Luck
Also celebrating success was Cerys Luck, a London-based photographer who graduated with an MFA in Digital Photography.
Cerys, who has achondroplasia, a form of dwarfism, produced a series of portraits of current and former UK Paralympians for her MFA project, exploring their experiences and identities through documentary portraiture.
As the Class of 2026 moves on from Ravensbourne, they join a global alumni community shaping the future of business, design, computing and the creative industries. From founders and entrepreneurs to practitioners pioneering new ways of working, Ravensbourne's graduates carry forward the University's ethos of learning with industry - and, as today's ceremonies showed, of lifting each other up along the way.
Congratulations to the Class of 2026.
