The first graduation captured on a photo is believed to have been taken at Harvard University in 1852, and for over 150 years, graduation memories have been captured the same way—through traditional photography and videography, requiring weeks of manual editing and delivery. Today's graduates live in a digital age where instant, shareable content is the norm.

The University of Sydney has teamed up with Sydney startup Gradcut™ to add a new layer to graduation ceremonies, creating what they call "Instant Gratification Videos" for over 23,000 students across 150+ ceremonies from May last year.

Gradcut's platform captures the university's graduation livestream and transforms it into individual, branded stage-crossing video clips for each graduate. These videos are delivered within one hour of the ceremony in three formats—horizontal, square, and vertical for social media reels—allowing graduates to share their moment instantly.

“Graduation is a once-in-a-lifetime milestone,” said Anastasha Renaud, Co-Founder and CEO of Gradcut. “As a parent of two university students, I know how much that moment means. Our goal with Gradcut is to ensure every graduate and their family can instantly relive and share it — without waiting weeks for an edited video.”

Since the launch at USYD, the software has generated more than 140,000 personalised video clips, with graduates eagerly sharing their achievements across TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook.

Making graduation work for the Instagram generation

This technology helps universities to connect with students who expect instant results while enhancing student life, strengthening the community, and extending the outreach. With over 60,000 enrolled students and 20,000 graduates annually, USYD needed a solution that could scale without breaking the budget.

Christine Fairchild, Graduations Manager at the University of Sydney, will present the results alongside the Gradcut co-founders at EduTECH 2025 on June 12, sharing how the change has boosted student engagement without adding administrative work.

The software works by plugging into existing streaming setups, meaning universities can add this service without changing their established graduation processes without major infrastructure investments—a key consideration for budget-conscious educational institutions. Each clip maintains the university's branding and delivers professional-quality content automatically.

“Collaborating with Anastasha and Martin has been an absolute privilege. This innovative solution provides graduates with high-quality, digital versions of their stage-crossing within an hour of the ceremony, ready to share on social media or with loved ones. Gradcut truly captures the joy and pride of graduation day in a way that’s instant, convenient, and perfect for the digital age,” says Christine.

EduTECH showcase highlights practical innovation

The presentation at EduTECH 2025, Australia's largest education technology event, will explore how media technology can strengthen campus connections while expanding institutional reach.
The session will cover practical lessons on balancing data privacy with automation, utilising graduation content to enhance institutional reputation, and creating meaningful digital experiences for today's socially connected students.

The University of Sydney, founded in 1850 and ranked 18th globally, provides a solid case study for how traditional institutions can adapt to modern student expectations without losing their established character.

The session titled "Technologies that Build Communities - The case study of increasing engagement, enhancing student life, and boosting global outreach" will be held on June 12 at 11:00 AM at ICC Sydney, at the EDUtech Expo - Australia’s largest conference and exhibition for educators.



Learn More: https://edugrowth.org.au/innovation-stage-edutech-2025/

Register for Free: Visit EDUtech 2025 Website