15/06/2026
As part of this year's Commencement ceremony, Bard College Berlin granted for the first time an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters to Vincent McGee, Director of the Andrew Gagarin Trust, in recognition of his lifelong work in human rights.
McGee played an instrumental role in the establishment of the Andrew Gagarin Center for Civil Society and Human Rights at Smolny College. When Bard College was declared an “undesirable institution” in Russia, McGee’s support ensured continuity, allowing Smolny Beyond Borders to flourish and provide critical educational opportunities across borders.
In his acceptance address, McGee noted the importance of defending against attacks on academic freedom and freedom of speech around the world, including in the United States and Germany. He reflected on his experience as a young man who was prosecuted and imprisoned for 11 months by the Nixon administration for conscientiously objecting to the Vietnam War, and told the Class of 2026, “Bard has given you the opportunity and skills to think, to analyze situations in your fields and across art, music, science, and literature. You have a basis of thinking which is, to some extent, unique… You have this gift, and now you and your peers are our hope and our future.”
📷Photo: Sofiia Halushka & Yelyzaveta Shelest
