Seventy graduates were honoured for their academic achievements in Accounting and Finance, Business Management, Computer Science, Logistics and Supply Chain Management and Software Engineering. They were accompanied by their families and friends from more than 50 countries.
Rt. Hon. Alistair Burt, Pro-Chancellor of Lancaster University (UK), former British Cabinet Minister and MP, highlighted the outstanding achievements of the graduates: ‘Today we are celebrating your success. Your graduation is a testament to your resilience and determination and to the support of your tutors, families and friends.’
Addressing the graduates, the Dean of Lancaster University Leipzig, Prof Dr Constantin Blome, said: ‘You will be ambassadors for Lancaster University Leipzig and the city of Leipzig around the world. We are proud of you and of what you have achieved.’
Dr Gabriele Goldfuß, Head of the International Office of the City of Leipzig, referred to the historic moment that a British university, based in Leipzig, was holding its graduation ceremony at St Nicholas, almost exactly 35 years after East Germany’s Peaceful Revolution for which the church has been a focal point.
The ceremony was framed by organist Markus Kaufmann with works by Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy and Johann Sebastian Bach.
At the end of the ceremony, the graduates’ hats flew into the air in keeping with tradition. At the subsequent reception on campus, not only the academic success of the graduates was celebrated, but also the rapidly growing community of Lancaster University Leipzig as such. Chancellor Dr Elisabeth Grindel-Denby said: ‘It was a great pleasure for all of us to see the graduates and their families from all over the world celebrating this moment together. Many graduates came to Leipzig to start their studies during the 2020 COVID-19 lockdown, at a time when the city still had a very different atmosphere. I admire the perseverance of this group of young people and wish them all the best for the future.’
