With physical graduation ceremonies being cancelled for the second year in a row, Edinburgh Napier University has launched our ‘city takeover’ to celebrate the success of hundreds of students who missed out on their traditional graduation ceremonies.

The names of the University’s recent graduates will cover billboards, bus stops, a classic Edinburgh taxi and even a tram in tribute to those who were unable to receive their degree at the Usher Hall because of the pandemic.

This summer’s graduation ceremonies and last year’s summer and autumn ceremonies were all cancelled due to Covid-19 related restrictions, disappointing students who had put in years of hard work only to be denied their traditional day of celebration.

However, the University was determined to find alternative ways to salute the achievements of the graduates of 2020 and 2021, who had overcome the most challenging study conditions in living memory to reach their goals.

The city takeover, from July to late August, will see the names of graduates from all six academic Schools displayed across 18 billboards and 100 bus stops, accompanied by messages underlining the University’s pride in them and offering congratulations on their success.

Strategically placed around the capital, graduates can find their name via the ‘Find My Billboard’ feature on the University website by using their student number to pinpoint the site displaying their name. Locations will be linked to academic disciplines: School of Health & Social Care names will be near hospitals, School of Arts & Creative Industries names near arts venues and School of Computing names near tech industry sites.