H-BRS bids graduates a festive farewell

University President Hartmut Ihne opened the central ceremony and congratulated the graduates on behalf of the university: "Congratulations on this successful achievement!" Graduation is an event that cannot be praised highly enough and must be celebrated. He has now been President of H-BRS for 16 years and every graduation ceremony gives him a feeling of enthusiasm and pride. He is proud of the graduates, the colleagues at the university and also "of our country, which provides us with an education system in a free democracy that is one of the central pillars for securing our own social present and future".

Knowledge is a central prerequisite for a decent life, and access to knowledge is a human right, the President continued. The 17 development goals of the United Nations emphasised this in their fourth goal. "But none of this can be taken for granted," said Ihne. Knowledge is a privilege and is also morally binding. "Even if today is a moment of celebration, we must not forget from tomorrow that we can and must make contributions to keep the world running and make it a better place. This applies in the workplace, it applies in the family, it applies to social coexistence and peace," Ihne told the graduates as they set off on their future journey.

Ihne also appealed to young academics to own up to their mistakes, even if the aim is to do things right. But: "Admit your weaknesses, this will strengthen your strengths," said the President. The best example of appreciating mistakes is science itself - because it recognises the central principle of trial and error. Ihne continued: "Without mistakes, there is no science. No sound knowledge without mistakes. Without sound knowledge, no good decisions." This applies in particular to disruptive developments such as climate change, digitisation, especially artificial intelligence, global migration, poverty and our security. "The world is in the midst of a transformation, an upheaval: politically, socially, economically, ecologically, technologically and digitally. Never before in human history have there been such man-made changes." The most radical push is coming from AI - but it is also making mistakes, said the President. "We all have to put our heads together to manage the transformation well," said Hartmut Ihne, adding with regard to the graduates: "We are counting on you!"

Students present President Ihne with diploma

For Ihne himself, it was also a special celebration. This was the last time he spoke to young academics as university president. He is retiring at the end of the month. Student representatives Klara Ollesch (Asta chairperson), Marie-Louise Kerpa (deputy AStA chairperson) and Christin Heister (AStA finance officer) later took this as an opportunity to present the president with a diploma for a successful presidency on stage. "You were always there when we needed support and motivated us to give our best and always encouraged us to stand up for our concerns and raise our voices," said Ollesch on behalf of the students and thanked you for this. "Stay as visionary and inspiring as we have come to know you."

Keynote speech by Professor Shen Xiaomeng

This year's keynote speech was given by Professor Shen Xiaomeng, Vice-Rector of the United Nations University (UNU) in Europe, Director of the UNU Institute for Environment and Human Security in Bonn and Honorary Professor at Hochschule Bonn-Rhein-Sieg. In her speech, she called on the young academics to be courageous and shape the world in the spirit of sustainability.

Shen recently spoke at the United Nations (UN) Future Summit in New York, where the international community adopted its vision for the future. Shen emphasised that a central aspect of this pact for the future was the interests of young people and future generations. "You are these young people. You play the central role," she encouraged the H-BRS graduates in the Telekom Dome.

But what can each individual do now to ensure that the next generations also have a future? In its 2022 report, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change emphasised that we need to fundamentally change our way of life in order to overcome the climate crisis. "Such a change requires a fundamental rethink and a rapid change of direction," says Shen. We need nothing less than a major transformation - it won't be easy, and for many it will be frightening or even painful. But: "Shaping the future is happening now, and it's happening in our heads. Instead of passively looking for solutions to problems, we can actively start to realise utopias in our world." The ability to imagine a completely different future will determine whether we can overcome global challenges such as climate change and the loss of biodiversity. "We urgently need to design this utopia and work towards it," emphasised Professor Shen Xiaomeng and appealed to the key figures in the hall to lead the way: "Dear graduates, you are the future and you can shape it, with your wild hearts and sharp minds. Each and every one of you is an impact factor that affects the big picture."

Alumni film for the students

The students had their say in the graduate film. Juliane Karneboge and Mara Spitzner from the Department of Natural Sciences investigated the film as if it were a crime thriller. They looked back on their time as students. The duo's search for clues led them to the deans of all departments and finally to the Telekom Dome itself - the last scene was shot on location by film editor Esther Hummel.

Sebastian Schuster, District Administrator of the Rhein-Sieg district, and the Mayor of Bonn, Dr Ursula Sautter, offered words of greeting and congratulated the graduates on behalf of the district and the federal city. "Your ideas and drive are in demand," said Schuster, adding that the world is full of opportunities. Sautter combined her good wishes with an advertisement for a professional future in the city of Bonn. "We need you here."

The brass band "Knallblech" ensured a good atmosphere during the official part of the event, which was moderated by Sybille Schütt. Graphic recorder Eva Ewerhart captured the event in pictures.

Official part of the celebration ends with the hat toss

The official part of the graduation ceremony ended with the image that many will remember from this day: all the graduates present gathered on stage and threw their Bachelor's and Master's hats into the air. Also in the picture are University President Hartmut Ihne, his designated successor Professor Marion Halfmann, deans and professors. To commemorate their time as students, the respective deans, who all gave short speeches during the ceremony, then presented the graduates with a decorative certificate as a symbol of their degree.

Before the ceremony ended with live music from "TheBIGlive", food and drinks, many graduates and their guests pulled out their mobile phones - they invited their fellow students for a symbolic coffee to finance a study workshop for the fundraising campaign that H-BRS launched last year for its Ukrainian partner university in Chernihiv.

Editor's note: Two brief additions on the role of the deans on 24 October 2024