Ceremonial honours and moving speeches: Viadrina honours its graduates at Graduation Day 2025

Henriette Ruback gave the graduation speech in the Audimax, Viadrina's largest lecture hall, as the visibly proud Dean Prof. Dr Karl L. Keiber explained at the beginning of the ceremony. The graduate of the International Business Administration master's programme had written her final thesis on the topic: "Companies as political actors: employees' expectations of political positioning in the context of political CSR". She emphasised the great things about studying, such as friendships, exciting discussions and projects, semesters abroad and strategies for getting the best food in the canteen. However, she admitted that there were also other moments: "We doubted. But we kept at it. We read, wrote, discussed - sometimes with a plan and, to be honest, often without. And we learnt to believe in ourselves and to keep going, even when things got tough. These tough moments showed us how to fight, how to persevere and how good success feels when you've really worked for it." After all, this is a very important life experience that you can gain thanks to a degree programme. Henriette Ruback currently works as a student assistant in the International Office. She particularly enjoys the international aspect and working with the students.

Two graduates took to the podium to address their former fellow students at the Faculty of Law ceremony, at which the State Secretary of Justice and Digitalisation of the Federal State of Brandenburg, Ernst Bürger, and the President of the Joint Examination Office of the Federal States of Berlin and Brandenburg, Dr Anja Teschner, gave welcoming speeches. Chiara Ungerer and Tom Heilmann passed their First State Exams at the top of their year. They are both working as research assistants and are currently doing their doctorates. In their joint speech, they thanked everyone who had accompanied them along the way, looked back on what they had achieved and also took a look into the future. All the core legal areas of the law degree programme, including European law, a "foreign-language Law course" and soft skills were mentioned. "As a result, the requirements of the standard under review are met, so the legal conclusion can only be: Yes, we have indeed made it this far," was Tom Heilmann's conclusion. Chiara Ungerer took the floor: "Not indifferent, but determined to stand up for our constitution; to be modest in our demands and performance, to be aware of the limitations of our professional and methodological knowledge: That's what makes us good lawyers."

Annemarie Kelpe received a certificate for the best final thesis 2024/2025, which she wrote on the topic of "Teachers before the Denazification Commission Frankfurt (Oder) 1947/48. Self-designs between the Nazi past and the present in the Soviet Occupation Zone". She completed the Master in Culture and History of Central and Eastern Europe and works for the Altes Gasometer e. V. in Zwickau, in the project "DenkMal! Todesmarsch Mülsen – Eibenstock 1945". There, she is working on addressing and coming to terms with this part of local Nazi history together with civil society and young people.
In her speech at the celebration of the Faculty of Social and Cultural Sciences, she spoke about the special place of study on the German-Polish border, her favourite places in Frankfurt (Oder), her involvement with "Students for Climate Justice" and also about the confrontations with right-wing extremists. "Frankfurt is a city where things are boiling, where there are Nazis and Monday demonstrators - but also people who work with passion and perseverance for an open urban society based on solidarity, for a city where everyone has a place," she said. The Viadrina is a central anchor for her: "It creates spaces in which discussions are possible. It promotes engagement, facilitates dialogue and remains a reliable place, even when headwinds arise." At the end, Annemarie Kelpe added: "If you want to, you can help shape, argue and contribute in this city and at the Viadrina."

This was Graduation Day 2025:

Picture gallery of the Faculty of Business Administration and Economics

Picture gallery of the Faculty of Law

Picture gallery of the Faculty of Social and Cultural Sciences

Picture gallery from the joint reception

Photos:
Andreas Labens (Economics)
Witold Cholewa (Law)
René Matschkowiak (Cultural Studies)
Heide Fest (champagne reception)

Agnieszka Lindner