2018 Academic Commencement Ceremony

For many, it was a special day. On November 24, 2018, a festive ceremony was held to honor the achievements of the more than 800 graduates who successfully completed their studies between October 2017 and October 2018. More than 300 of them had come to the Electoral Palace in Mainz with their families and friends and were thrilled by the special atmosphere. Prof. Dr. Gerhard Muth was equally impressed by the ceremony. “Actually, I was told that my speech could last no more than five minutes, but given the occasion, I find that very difficult,” said the president of Mainz University of Applied Sciences as he began his speech in the palace, which was packed with over 800 people. The dean of the School of Business, Prof. Dr. Anett Mehler-Bicher, was also visibly proud of the graduates from her school and took the opportunity to deliver her speech in an innovative way using a digital voice assistant. The speeches were rounded out by Lina Osebold, Chair of the General Student Committee (AStA), and Jeremias Clausing, President of the Student Parliament, who also paid due tribute to the achievements of their fellow students. Before the honors ceremony, however, there was a small highlight for many students. As part of the graduation ceremony, the Kurt Dörr Prize—worth 500 euros—is awarded each year for exceptional commitment to the department. When Claudia Huberti, Chair of Alumnity e.V., announced Barbara Pichler as the winner, thunderous applause erupted among the guests. For 18 years, Barbara has been managing the office and looking after the members of the AStA and StuPa. In addition to day-to-day operations, she runs the exam exchange, organizes alumni reunions, and serves as the primary point of contact for students at the AStA office. Of course, the focus on this day was on the graduates, whose achievements were recognized on stage by the respective program directors. In addition to the well-known bachelor’s programs such as Business Administration and Business Law, programs with specializations in taxation, international business, and digital business were also honored. The event’s moderator, Prof. Dr. Jens Reinhardt—as the proud director of the Business Informatics program—also took the stage to congratulate his successful graduates. In addition, Prof. Dr. Sven Fischbach presented an award for outstanding academic achievement. In total, over 30 students with a cumulative grade point average of 1.5 or higher were honored. The six top graduates of the department also received a small gift, which was presented by Barbara Bug-Naumann, Sales Manager at Mainzer Volksbank. At the closing champagne reception, one could see faces that were uniformly content, yet also a bit wistful. For many graduates, the commencement ceremony also marks the beginning of a new chapter in life and a farewell to Mainz University of Applied Sciences. Special thanks for this fitting farewell go to the many volunteers from the Department of Economics as well as to the event’s organizing team. Thanks also go to the emcee, Prof. Dr. Jens Reinhardt, and the professors’ band, Change Agents.