30 May 2013

Harvard Business School Celebrates 103rd Commencement

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BOSTON—Harvard Business School (HBS) held its 103rd Commencement exercises this afternoon. Following a pomp-and-circumstance-filled, all-University celebration in Harvard’s Tercentenary Theatre this morning, nine hundred and one students received their MBA degrees in front of the School’s iconic Baker Library/Bloomberg Center, while seven were awarded doctorates in business administration (DBA) and eight graduated with PhD degrees offered jointly and in collaboration with the Harvard Faculty of Arts and Sciences (Health Policy, Business Economics and Organizational Behavior).

The top five percent of the MBA Class of 2013 graduated with high distinction as Baker Scholars (named after the School's initial benefactor, George Fisher Baker). Out of the 47 Baker Scholars, thirty-eight percent were women, the highest number in the history of the School. Seventy-three earned their diplomas with distinction.

In his remarks to the graduates, Dean Nitin Nohria spoke about the importance of adapting to change and creating value in the world.

"To be adaptable, you must be open to feedback and criticism. You must consider the views of others. You must be willing to embrace uncertainty, and to enter risky situations where you’re not exactly sure of the outcome," said Nohria. "You must be inventive, and attentive to finding new opportunities to create value in the world. I hope we’ve helped you develop these qualities during your two years with us, and I urge you to continue to develop them in the years ahead."

Contacts

Cullen Schmitt
cschmitt+hbs.edu
617-495-6155

About Harvard Business School

Founded in 1908 as part of Harvard University, Harvard Business School is located on a 40-acre campus in Boston. Its faculty of more than 250 offers full-time programs leading to the MBA and PhD degrees, as well as more than 175 Executive Education programs, and Harvard Business School Online, the School’s digital learning platform. For more than a century, faculty have drawn on their research, their experience in working with organizations worldwide, and their passion for teaching, to educate leaders who make a difference in the world. The School and its curriculum attract the boldest thinkers and the most collaborative learners who will go on to shape the practice of business and entrepreneurship around the globe.