GRÓ GEST Graduates Its Largest-Ever Cohort

26 young professionals from 16 different countries have graduated from GRÓ GEST

GRÓ GEST celebrated the graduation of its 17th cohort of young gender equality professionals on Tuesday 20 May 2025. This year the graduates represented professionals from countries across Africa, South Asia, Eastern Europe, the MENA region, and the Balkans. Notably, the cohort included, for the first time, three fellows from Ukraine. The cohort is made up of passionate gender equality practitioners from a multitude of diverse backgrounds within government, activism, media, art, academia and more.

The 2025 cohort arrived in Iceland in January and have worked diligently through five months of academic and cultural challenges, finally arriving at graduation in the bright Icelandic Spring. Throughout the semester, the fellows have completed six interdisciplinary modules: Theories and Concepts in Gender Studies; Project Development Tools; Gender, Violence and Security; Gender, Labour and Migration; Gender, Environment and Climate Change; and the Final Assignment. Many international and Icelandic scholars have contributed to the programme.

It is the 17th graduation of GEST, and the sixth graduation of GEST as a part of GRÓ Centre for Capacity Development, Sustainability and Societal Change. With this year’s cohort of 26 graduating fellows, the total number of GEST alumni is now 267, adding to an ever-expanding alumni network. This year, five cohort members are recipients of joint Erasmus+ and GRÓ GEST fellowships and the three Ukrainian fellows received special grants from the Icelandic government. The remaining 18  received full regular GRÓ GEST fellowships.
 

Graduation ceremony

The graduation ceremony took place at the University of Iceland on Tuesday 20 May and was attended by GEST fellows, supervisors, staff, and distinguished guests. Dr. Irma Erlingsdóttir, Director of GRÓ GEST formally opened the ceremony and delivered the welcome address, followed by Ólöf Garðarsdóttir, the Dean of the School of Humanities, and Þorbjörg Sigríður Gunnlaugsdóttir, Minister of Justice of Iceland. Operations Manager Guðrún Eysteinsdóttir, GRÓ GEST Director Dr. Irma Erlingsdóttir, and Nína Björk Jónsdóttir, Director General of GRÓ Centre, distributed the diplomas and trophies from the University of Iceland and the GRÓ Centre.

The fellows’ address was delivered by Christian Samuel Katwesigye from Uganda, in which he recounted some of the many joys and challenges of participating in the GEST programme. He also emphasized the symbiosis of the social and communal experience that is the GEST programme, and how it influences fellows’ long-term ability to affect change. He said: “We leave this place not just with diplomas, but with a renewed sense of purpose. Some of us will return to ministries, others to grassroots organisations, universities, or media outlets. But all of us carry new tools: critical questions, solidarity, and perhaps most important—compassion. Compassion not as pity, but as the radical act of refusing to look away.”

 

The Vigdís Finnbogadóttir Award

The Vigdís Finnbogadóttir award was presented for the best final assignments in two distinct categories by GEST academic coordinator Dr. Thomas Brorsen Smidt and GEST research specialist Dr. Giti Chandra. The first category is for applied projects or project documents, in which the fellow addresses and provides practical recommendations for an issue in relation to gender equality in their home country. The second category is for research or research proposals, which aim at contributing to the existing academic literature on a particular topic relating to gender equality or outlining a proposal for a future PhD project.

To be considered for the Vigdís Finnbogadóttir award, it applies that the work must address gender issues that are of concern in the author’s home country. It must show evidence of sophisticated gender analysis with appropriate academic references, and it shall be well-structured and written. The fellows produced several final assignments that all demonstrated critical thinking, creativity, and excellence. In fact, no less than 10 final assignments received a grade of 9 or higher.

In the category of applied projects, Reyaan Senadhipathi Nadesarajah’s project TransAct Sri Lanka: Promoting Civic, Political and Social Participation of Transgender Advocates in Sri Lanka was chosen for the Award. The project will establish inclusive platforms to amplify the civic and political participation of Tamil-speaking transgender people, alongside community mobilisation and advocacy initiatives. It is a project that will challenge epistemic injustice, reduce marginalisation, and promote systemic change.

In the category of research and research proposals, Entenela Ndrevataj’s project Masculinity, Race, and Border Politics: Investigating the Italy-Albania Migration Agreement through a Qualitative Lens was chosen. Through a sophisticated gender and racial analysis, the research interrogates the ideological foundations of European migration policies, providing insight into how state practices are shaped by nationalism and whiteness. Entenela, a student in the European Regional Master’s Programme in Democracy and Human Rights at the University of Sarajevo, is one of the five Erasmus+ students at GRÓ GEST in 2025. She is also the first Albanian national to participate in the GRÓ GEST programme.

 

The GRÓ GEST team congratulates the fellows and thanks its partners

The GEST team congratulates the 2025 fellows and wishes them safe travels home. The GEST team is thankful to the fellows for their persistence and positivity towards travelling long distances to Iceland, and for participating actively in the programme, sharing their knowledge and expertise among their fellows and teachers. The GEST team would also like to thank its main partners, the University of Iceland and the GRÓ Centre for a fruitful collaboration. Furthermore, the GEST team thanks the Student Services and the International Office of the University of Iceland/Erasmus+ for their support and facilitation.

Kristinn Ingvarsson´s photos from the graduation ceremony can be found below.