A look back at the 2025 Wishes Ceremony at Université Bourgogne Europe

On 16 January, President Vincent Thomas held his New Year’s ceremony at the Salle Multiplex on the Dijon campus. The event also marked the official launch of the Université Bourgogne Europe, during which many students from UBE member schools took part in.

At 4pm, 300 guests were invited to the Salle Multiplex at the Université Bourgogne Europe to attend President Vincent Thomas’s New Year’s ceremony and the official launch of the Université Bourgogne Europe.

A musical ceremony

First, guests were welcomed by the sound of guitars played by 8 students from the École Supérieure de Musique de Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, who had come to perform Georg Friedrich Haendel’s ‘Concerto grosso, opus 4 N°6’. This was followed by a choreography by UBE students and members of SUAPS Bourgogne.

A word from the president

Vincent THOMAS, president of the UBE, then wished the entire university community and the guests present his very best wishes, and also officially launched of the Université Bourgogne Europe.

‘We are now at the end of the process of building our experimental public institution, ‘Bourgogne Europe Université’. […] Our new name reflects both our strong regional identity and our European ambitions. […] Thank you to the representatives of the research establishments and organisations, thank you for joining us in taking up the common challenge of our strategy, because this enlargement is intended to be more inclusive, to enable each of us to shine more brightly on the national and international stage’.

‘What is evolving is our capacity for collective action.’

After looking back over the two years of reflection that have led to the creation of the Université Bourgogne Europe, the President took the opportunity to review the various projects that have taken place in 2024 and those that will take place in 2025 at the university.

Debates and workshops on the Quality of Life at Work, continued action by the Student Solidarity Commission, modernisation of the campuses as part of the CPER (in particular work on the Santé B4 building, raising the height of the IRCAMAT wing, energy renovation), extension of the ‘La P’tite Fac’ crèche… Our campuses are continuing to modernise and we are continuing to make the investments that are essential to our missions’.

Uniting values

Vincent Thomas emphasised the values that unite the 12 member institutions and reminded the audience that in 2025, a new adventure begins for the Université Bourgogne Europe: ‘With the creation of the Université Bourgogne Europe, a new adventure begins for our university community, enlarged to include eleven partners. […] Anchored in our region but looking to the future, together we embody strong values: equality, freedom, fraternity, solidarity, laicism, openness and tolerance. In a word, humanism’.

The President concluded his speech by quoting Fatima Mernissi: ‘Pessimism is enough to observe the facts; optimism requires creativity’. So, on behalf of the Université Bourgogne Europe, the governance team and myself, I wish you all a very happy and creative 2025.

Click here for the full text (french version only) of the President’s speech.

A time to get together

The second part of the ceremony was followed by a convivial moment over a galette. The Spectre association provided musical entertainment during this time of exchange, offering DJ initiations and a DJ set. The ceremony ended with an exhibition and artistic performance by students from Dijon’s École Nationale Supérieure d’Art et de Design.

The university renews its 2025 wishes and its warm thanks to all those, students, staff and partners who have contributed to the creation and deployment of the Université Bourgogne Europe.