‘A springboard into the future’ – graduation ceremony 2024

‘You have all certainly grown beyond yourselves and learned a lot in many ways,’ said AStA spokespersons Hannah Spittler, Emil Jüchter, Denise Genzow and Theo Lohse, congratulating the graduates on their degrees. ’Above all, you have probably learned a lot about yourselves, about communication and collaboration, about independence and community, and about knowing and not knowing. But learning does not take place in a vacuum. You have all faced different challenges during your studies.’

Leander Bansmann and Larissa Schikarski, student representatives, gave touching speeches. ‘Our time studying here at Leuphana has certainly helped us grow and has had a lasting impact on us. Today I stand here, full of gratitude for the wonderful people I have met and for the time I have spent here. Now is the time for us all to give ourselves a pat on the back and be proud of ourselves,’ said Leander Bansmann, who was visibly moved. Larissa Schikarski appealed: ’In a world that often tends to divide, it is up to us to build bridges and walk on them. A difficult task. But that is our contribution: to make a positive difference as shapers of this society – to stand up for our convictions with courage! I look forward to what we will achieve together. Let us approach the future with joy and confidence, courage and determination.’

In his speech, President Sascha Spoun emphasised the importance of focused attention: ‘Do you remember how children can become absorbed in something, and how you often did it yourself: you would immerse yourself completely in your fantasy worlds when playing and romping with other children, or in the stories you listened to with excitement when they were read aloud. Or you would be fascinated by everyday things, like the construction site on your doorstep. Everything around you was ignored and you were completely absorbed by one thing. This natural focusing is so difficult for all of us today because our lives are increasingly fragmented: an email here, a push message there, a meeting here, an obligation there. To immerse yourself in something – that doesn't mean to go under, to run out of air, to ‘drown’. Rather, it means to surrender to fascination and curiosity and, in the second step, to serve the cause.’ He encouraged the graduates: ‘Use what your studies and immersion in them have given you for the journey. Observe and question, get involved, yes, boldly interfere, and don't stop, but keep looking for answers. You have the best qualifications for it! I wish you all the best for your future endeavours.’

The President of the Lower Saxony Academy, Prof. Dr. Daniel Göske, inspired the audience with a keynote speech under the motto ‘semper discere’ – ‘always learning’. He called on the audience never to stop expanding their knowledge and emphasised the role of interdisciplinarity: ‘I am a student, even today.’

‘Democracy is a precious idea, but one that must always be rethought and defended,‘ commented the college's vice president, Jelena Bäumler, on current political events. “My wish for you, after the appropriate and extensive celebrations today, is that in these special times you will step out of this place, this so-called ”Leuphana bubble’, and take the impressions you have gained here with you out there. Perhaps you can help the bubble become part of the outside world if you don't get discouraged. 

In her congratulatory speech for the master's graduates, Simone Abels, Vice President for the Graduate School, emphasised the relevance of perseverance in the learning process, especially in difficult phases. ‘I hope that we at the Graduate School have given you the necessary skills and experience to prepare you for the challenges ahead. In any case, I can assure you that it is in you – have faith!’ The five winners of the Leuphana Dissertation Prize have shown what top-class individual achievements can be when it comes to overcoming challenges. Together with their supervisors, they were honoured for the outstanding achievements of their research at the five Leuphana faculties. Vice President Abels: ‘The fact that you approached your dissertation with such depth of detail and expertise is truly commendable. You are the ones here at Leuphana who are helping to advance our research, and we are very proud of that.’

‘I think it's good that you don't just get the certificate sent home or in person and then leave the university, but that there is a graduation ceremony,’ says Ali Simsek, who has just completed his bachelor's degree in psychology and political science. ‘This gives you a very special setting in which to say goodbye to your friends and fellow students, and it feels right. I'm already enrolled in a master's programme and feel quite well prepared for what's coming next.’

Dr Michaela Wieandt, the head of the college, adds: ‘Today, there was a lot of talk about learning and devoting yourself to a topic. You learnt a lot during your bachelor's degree – including how to dedicate yourself to one (or more) topic, and you can be very proud of the fact that you have managed this and are now holding your degree certificate in your hands. For the new phase of learning in your lives, whether in a master's programme or in your professional life, I wish you all the best and hope you take your next steps with courage, curiosity and hope.’

‘That's the nice thing about an evening like this: that you realise once again what you've achieved and that you've worked hard to get this hat and certificate in your hands. It's just a very nice moment for all of us,’ says Lukas Probst, a graduate of the Master's in Sustainability Science. His fellow Master's student Jonas agrees: ‘I look back very positively on my time at Leuphana, so I'm a big Leuphana fan: the campus, the people, it has a family feel. There's a special vibe here. I'm very happy with my choice of studies here in Lüneburg.’

The crowning finale of the festive day was the graduate ball in the evening, at which 1,200 guests celebrated the graduates' graduation with dancing and music.