The speech of Mr. Hasan Topaloğlu, the President of SEDEF Foundation, at the 11th Graduation Ceremony.

Distinguished Ambassadors, Mayors, Chairperson of the Board of Trustees, Rectors, Faculty Members, Honored Guests, Dear Parents, Respected Members of the Media, and our beloved Students who have successfully completed a long marathon and graduated,

I greet each and every one of you with respect, affection, and sincerity.

Welcome to our 11th graduation ceremony.

We offer our endless gratitude to Almighty Allah for granting us the opportunity to witness the 11th graduating class of the International University of Sarajevo (IUS), the first institution established by the Sarajevo Education Development Foundation (SEDEF), which was founded in 2001 by a group of devoted visionaries.

As the SEDEF Foundation, with our institutions including KiDiUS Kindergarten, Isa-beg Ishaković Primary School, and MAARIF College, we pray to Almighty Allah that our university will continue to raise young people who are knowledgeable, skilled, and virtuous, and who will serve humanity for generations to come.

I congratulate our 275 students who successfully completed their studies and graduated this year. I believe that our students, who came from various corners of the world and shared the same classrooms here, will contribute to the development of their countries and the building of bridges of brotherhood between nations, just as they formed friendships during their education here.

I wish our graduates the best in their future lives. May what they have learned here from their professors help them navigate life more easily and open the doors to bright opportunities. With their graduation, we will not forget them. We will always follow their paths and be proud of their success. IUS will always be one of their strongest references.

I extend my heartfelt appreciation to our professors and assistants who, with patience and dedication, prepared our students for life. I also thank the parents and families who, despite being away from their children, showed great determination to support their education. I hope they will always be proud and happy with their children’s achievements.

As SEDEF Foundation, in our efforts to bring new momentum to education in Bosnia through our schools from kindergarten to doctorate level, I would like to thank the Mayor of Ilidža, Mr. Senaid Memić, for his constant support.

And I would like to especially thank our Ambassador, Mr. Haldun Koç, and all representatives of our country in Bosnia and Herzegovina, who have always stood by us, making us feel their presence 24/7, even while we are thousands of kilometers away from our homeland. We are grateful that you are with us.

In closing, I hope this graduation ceremony brings nothing but goodness, and I wish for our graduates that today remains one of the most challenging days in their lives — because their future is bright and full of promise.

Thank you all, stay safe, and may Allah protect you.