One of Edinburgh’s oldest pubs, Shakespeare’s on Lothian Road, temporarily rebranded this week as ‘The Napier Graduate’ in honour of the university’s class of ’23.
As over 2500 students made their way to the Usher Hall in Edinburgh to attend their graduation ceremony, they encountered the pub decked out in red and white Napier livery, having changed everything from its outdoor signs to its beermats in tribute to the new graduates.
July 2023 marks Edinburgh Napier University’s biggest graduation celebration to date with six ceremonies spread over three full days, awarding the graduates of all five of the University’s Schools.
This is not the first time Edinburgh Napier has made a special effort to celebrate its graduates. In 2021, the University held a city takeover, which saw the name of graduates displayed across 18 billboards, 100 bus stops, an Edinburgh Tram, and a taxi.
Principal and Vice Chancellor, Professor Andrea Nolan, said: “Graduations in the Usher Hall are the highlight of the year for me and Shakespeare’s has been synonymous with celebrations after our ceremonies for as long as I can remember.
“To support recognition of the achievements of our class of ’23, we are dedicating a special place for them to celebrate with family and friends. The warm and welcoming staff at the newly named The Napier Graduate are the perfect hosts to help raise a toast to our new graduates as they embark on their next chapter after university.”
General Manager of Shakespeare’s, Izzy Polson, said: “We love welcoming the new graduates to the pub each year. It’s always such a fun and celebratory time so we were delighted to be rebranded as The Napier Graduate to make this year even more special. As one of Edinburgh’s oldest pubs, Shakespeare’s was built at the same time as many of the theatres of the area, so you never know, I could be serving the next Shakespeare!”
