And so quickly it is over, a challenging but also uniquely beautiful period of life. At the end of June, 286 graduates, 13 doctoral students and representatives of the TU family gathered in the Friedrich-Ebert-Halle in Harburg to celebrate their studies and, above all, their degrees. A total of around 600 graduates and doctoral students who graduated from TU Hamburg between September 1, 2023 and February 29, 2024 were honored at the ceremony. President Andreas Timm-Giel opened the evening with a welcome address in which he expressed his delight at the TU's recent successes - rising student numbers, progress in the application for a Cluster of Excellence and the new collaboration with the United Nations University. He particularly emphasized the diversity of the student body: "We are proud to be a cosmopolitan university in a cosmopolitan city with increasing international appeal. And we want to stay that way."
This semester's successful graduates come from 28 countries, including Brazil, China, France, India, Cameroon, Canada, Austria, Poland, Spain, Syria and the United Arab Emirates. "It is the diversity of origins, cultures and perspectives that enriches us incredibly and shows how global science can address global problems at a local level," Timm-Giel continued. "In doing so, we are also vehemently opposed to all forms of discrimination and exclusion. The TU is a place of contentious, but always peaceful and respectful coexistence. This is possible in human terms - and technically too, of course."
TU alumnus Christoph Berger also spoke about what is possible. In his speech, he recalled all the little misadventures and hurdles during his studies that ultimately led him and his fellow students to success: Berger is now the CFO of his own successful start-up. "Use your knowledge and skills to bring about positive change," Berger told the graduates.
The year representatives Jan Krügler and Maria König also picked up on this idea in their speech. You often have respect or perhaps even fear of the next big step in life, but as soon as you reach the new roles, you blossom in them, said Krügler. In the same way that as a primary school pupil you admire older high schoolerssixth formers and later university students and then suddenly become one of them. "In the future, too, we will become part of what we still admire today."
"The world has changed a lot during our studies," König said about coronavirus, remote lectures and ChatGPT. "During our studies, we were given the tools to deal with this change and even help shape it. Peacefully and sustainably."
Cellist Anna Olivia Amaya Farias from the Hochschule für Musik und Theater, who played between the speeches, drew great applause. The graduates also especially thanked all their friends, companions and parents who were present.
