Flying Caps, Emotional Moments and a Good-Bye Which Is Not Supposed To Be One

Around 200 students were awarded personally their graduation certificates in the St. Petrichurch of Chemnitz – about 900 guests accepted the invitation to the ceremony

Radiant faces, tears of happiness, babble of voices and the Theatre Place of Chemnitz full of people with caps and gowns or in festive look. On November 3, 2018, Chemnitz University of Technology said goodbye to around 200 graduates, six PhD and one habilitated personally towards a new phase of life. They successfully completed their studies, their PhD-studies respective their habilitation at Chemnitz University of Technology. In total, around 1.000 men and women completed their studies at Chemnitz in summer term 2018 as well as 63 PhD-students and two postdocs.

In the presence of the friends, partners and families of the graduates, the President of Chemnitz University of Technology, Prof. Dr. Gerd Strohmeier, congratulated each of them personally on-site and handed over the graduation certificate. All in all about 900 guests attended. Due to the great popularity and demand of this event, the graduation ceremony happens two times a year.

Individual address of the President

“Today at the end of the long way of studies, PhD-studies and habilitation, your efforts will be rewarded – today you will be crowned”, the President of Chemnitz University of Technology, Prof. Dr. Gerd Strohmeier said at the beginning of his welcome address and he expressed his pride on the performances achieved. He also was very proud of the more than 200 international students who completed their studies at Chemnitz University of Technology. The share of international students at Chemnitz University of Technology is about 25 percent, which makes it the most internationalized university in Saxony and being ranked third among the public universities in Germany. 

In his address, the President also mentioned the recent incidents at Chemnitz and emphasized how important it is to face them and to clearly express for what you stand and for what you not stand. Each major event of the university – as the Graduation Ceremony – signifies a demonstration against racism, xenophobia and violence and at the same time a demonstration for democracy, cosmopolitism and tolerance.

The President also gave some personal hints and wishes to the graduates. They should stand still for a moment, look back and be proud. “But do not become arrogant on doing that!”, the President said who vividly underpinned his warning by a characteristic experience he made during a business trip. He encouraged the graduates to look forward and to pursue their objectives in an energetic and persistent manner. “Become ambassadors of our university! I wish you health, happiness, pleasure and success for your future!” the President concluded.

Ambassadors for Chemnitz as a cosmopolitan and hospitable city

In the following, Sven Schulze, Mayor of the City of Chemnitz, held also a welcome address to the graduates. He congratulated them for their successful completion of their degree and remembered the days of his own completion of studies at Chemnitz University of Technology 20 years ago: “At that time, I was handed our my certificate in the Examination Office, the Graduation Ceremony today is a significantly more suitable frame for saying goodbye.” Schulze emphasized by a number of examples that Chemnitz University of Technology is playing a leading role within the city and how important it is, also with the support of the university, to spread the image of Chemnitz as a cosmopolitan and hospitable city around the globe. He encouraged the graduates: “Become ambassadors for Chemnitz! Stay at Chemnitz for a few years or even forever! Many companies need best heads and innovative ideas.”

Learned a lot and found the man for life

Emotions aroused the speech of the graduate Santibel Devassy at the end: “I am very happy to stand here and to share my success with you”, the young woman quoted. The native Indian had completed her Bachelor degree in informatics in her home country and subsequently came to Chemnitz University of Technology for studying within the Master degree program Automotive Software Engineering. She stated that she had learned a lot from her professors and praised a lot the conditions for studies and living at Chemnitz. She underlined especially the opportunity to do internships and final papers in companies. For her personally it was the most important profit that she had met her husband during her studies at Chemnitz. Today, Santibel Devassy works as software engineer at the Allianz Germany AG in Munich but she would also continue to stay in close contact with her university.

Welcome to “Alumni TU Chemnitz”

Graduates as well as PhD and Postdocs are provided the opportunity keep faith with their university – whether by continued studies, by making use of further training offers of the TUCed but also by becoming member of the Society of Friends of Chemnitz University of Technology or by registering in the Alumni-Portal of the university. In this database, already several thousands of alumni have registered and make use of it as source of information about the university. Furthermore, a lot of them join the Xing-Group “Alumni TU Chemnitz” or follow the university on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter resp. the new Facebook Alumni Group of the university.

The word “alumni” by-the-way derives from Latin language and is the plural of “alumnus” resp. “alumna” which means such as “pupil”. To “Alumni TU Chemnitz” belong all adherents of the university who were active as students or staff members. This livelong network provides its members with the opportunity to get the latest news from Chemnitz University of Technology as well as to maintain existing contacts and to establish new ones. One of the highlights are the International Alumni Meetings. The next one will happen in May 2019.

(Author: Mario Steinebach, Translation Dr. Wolfgang Lambrecht)

Mario Steinebach
08.11.2018

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