Peace is not something to be taken for granted

But let’s start from the beginning: Nour Al-Rifai is from Homs, Syria, where she began her bachelor’s degree in architecture in 2008. In 2011, during her third of five years of study, the Syrian Civil War broke out and the situation changed abruptly: “When I was studying in Syria, there was often a real tank right outside our front door. We weren’t even allowed to go outside. The university was closed for months. I studied while bombs were falling outside. I feared for my life,” Nour Al-Rifai recalls of that time. In 2013, she graduated while pregnant with her first child. The family decided to leave Syria and initially fled to Lebanon.

Ms. Al-Rifai lived in Lebanon with her son and her parents for three years, while her husband worked in Germany to obtain his medical license and secure a position as a pharmacist.

During her time in Lebanon, Ms. Al-Rifai had already decided that she wanted to pursue further training in construction management. To that end, she earned a certificate as an Associate Project Manager in Lebanon and gained her first professional experience. And she began learning German.

Gaining professional experience and learning German remain her focus even after her long-awaited move to Germany. At the same time, she becomes pregnant for the second time.

In 2018, she discovers the part-time master’s program in Construction Law and Construction Management at Leuphana Professional School, but with two young children, she initially sets the idea aside. But her mother urges her: “Never forget who you are, and never forget your dreams.” When her mother is diagnosed with cancer, she makes her daughter promise to finally pursue the master’s degree. After her mother’s death, Nour Al-Rifai keeps that promise—for her mother, for herself, and also to set an example for her children.

Her studies begin in 2022. Things get off to a good start, and she feels right at home—until her first lecture on construction law, when, faced with a barrage of legal provisions, she briefly wonders if she’s in the right class. An intense and exhausting period follows, involving a lot of commuting between Uelzen, where her family lives, her job in Hamburg, and her studies in Lüneburg. Her daughter is four years old at this point and is very attached to her. She misses soccer games and ballet lessons—it takes a lot of understanding from everyone involved. Her biggest supporter is her husband, who has her back and continually encourages her. Nour Al-Rifai graduates in 2026 and celebrates at the commencement ceremony with her family in attendance.

Nour Al-Rifai stands at the lectern—visibly nervous, yet smiling as always—and speaks not about herself or her success, but about peace: “Here, people often take peace for granted. You study, you graduate, you celebrate. But I want to tell the people out there: Peace is a tremendous gift. It is by no means something to be taken for granted.” Why does she choose these words at this moment? Because the history of her homeland has taught her that it’s important to raise one’s voice for peace and humanity. “I never want my children to look at me one day and ask, ‘Mom, why did you stay silent back then?’” she explains.

For Nour Al-Rifai, the master’s degree is more than just a degree; it’s a victory of hope and life over fear. “I can’t control what’s happening around me, but I can take responsibility for my actions and do my best. And who knows, maybe my smile will make the other person’s day just a little bit better,” she says during our conversation—and flashes a radiant, hopeful smile.

We thank Ms. Al-Rifai for this very personal insight, once again extend our heartfelt congratulations on her master’s degree, and wish her all the best for the future.