Review of the Graduation Ceremony in June 2026

2026-06-18

With nearly 110 graduates, their families, friends, and other faculty members in attendance, the joy, excitement, and anticipation in Lecture Hall 2 were practically palpable. As wind and rain pounded against the lecture hall windows, the evening began with guitar music and a heartfelt speech by Dean Prof. Dr. Paul Drews.

So the timing was perfect when Prof. Dr. Michael Gielnik began his speech to the graduates with a brief mindfulness exercise: Take a deep breath, enjoy the moment, and find peace – knowing, “I’m done.” – While the graduates visibly relaxed, Prof. Dr. Gielnik quickly acknowledged, however, that this feeling of having “finished” was deceptive. Instead of viewing graduation as the end point, he advised fostering a healthy culture of learning from mistakes, continuing to ask questions, remaining adaptable, retaining a childlike sense of wonder, constantly trying new things, and maintaining a passion for one’s own interests. He recalled Leuphana’s philosophy of interdisciplinary thinking and concluded his speech with a call to action:

Don’t be done. Keep learning.

Amjad Dafis, who received his Bachelor of Science degree in Business Information Systems that day, then spoke on behalf of the graduates. Through his words, the audience gained insight into the cycle of student life from a student’s perspective: The journey began with expectations, hopes, and uncertainties; as it progressed, students gained not only academic knowledge but also very concrete everyday experiences; and it ends – maybe not always exactly as one had imagined, but ultimately successfully – and once again with expectations, hopes, and uncertainties about the path ahead; yet now equipped with the courage to shape their own futures, a willingness to take on responsibility, and greater composure.

Education is more than what we have learned. It is what empowers us to forge our own path and open up new paths for others.

- Amjad Dafis

The graduates were visibly delighted by the presence of their professors, who – introduced by Dean Prof. Dr. Paul Drews and Associate Dean Prof. Dr. Laura Venz – presented the bachelor’s and master’s degrees as well as the doctoral diplomas: Prof. Dr. Elke Schüßler personally congratulated the bachelor’s graduates in International Business Administration & Entrepreneurship and Business Administration. Prof. Dr. Peter Niemeyer presented the diplomas for Business Information Systems, while Prof. Dr. Paolo Mercorelli presented the diplomas for the Bachelor of Engineering. Graduates of the Master’s program in Management & Entrepreneurship received congratulations from two of their professors – Prof. Dr. Steffen Farny and Vice President Prof. Dr. Markus Reihlen presented the diplomas. Next, Prof. Dr. Benjamin Klusemann presented the Master’s diplomas for Management & Engineering, while Prof. Dr. Henning Schröder presented diplomas to the graduates of the Management & Sustainable Accounting and Finance program. For Management & Data Science, Prof. Dr. Ulf Brefeld offered his congratulations and presented the diplomas. Last but not least, Prof. Dr. Laura Venz congratulated the doctoral candidates in attendance and presented them with their diplomas.

Instead of flowers, this year’s graduates once again received a sustainable gift in the form of a certificate for ten oak trees, which will be planted as part of the Bergwaldprojekt initiative in Hamburg in the fall of 2026.

The festivities concluded with welcoming remarks and expressions of gratitude from the “BEM – Business, Economics & Management” student council and the engineering student council “[w]ings,” as well as closing remarks from the dean.

The festive atmosphere was enlivened by music from Lüneburg-based artist Joschka Pariente, who had the entire lecture hall singing along to the song “Unwritten” (Natasha Bedingfield). It was a special moment that will be remembered for years to come.

We would like to take this opportunity to once again wish all graduates the very best for their future endeavors and hope they will stay in touch with the School of Management and Technology even after graduation.