Chances in times of crisis: Certificate award ceremony for WFI and MIDS graduates
Seeing crises as opportunities and actively shaping the future: this theme was a common thread running through the speeches at the ceremony. Reinhold Vollbracht, President of the Deutsche Bundesbank, summed it up in his speech entitled “Confidence in difficult times – insights from a central banker”: “We are living in times that can rightly be described as difficult – uncertainty is the new normal.” But that is precisely why courage and clarity are needed: “Challenges are never the end, but the beginning of creation.” He appealed to the graduates: “Keep your curiosity alive – we need responsible and intelligent people who can help shape change.”
The Dean of the Faculty, Prof. Dr. Thomas Mählmann, also picked up on these thoughts. He reminded the audience that economic fluctuations always have two sides: “Crisis does not mean negative per se. It also means opportunity. Market fluctuations involve more risk, but also more opportunities to gain.” During their studies, the students had acquired the skills to “recognize these opportunities and respond positively to change.”
Prof. Dr. Götz Pfander, spokesperson for MIDS, also emphasized that the future must be approached with courage in order to be successful: he had the privilege of seeing off the first graduates of the Bachelor's class from the still young institute. He praised the students as “true pioneers – without older students to ask for advice.” Referring to the close connection between MIDS and WFI, he said with a wink: “We have found a big brother in WFI and are learning much more from you than you know.”
Prof. Dr. Jens Hogreve, Vice President for Research, also picked up on the KU's spirit of community. He reminded the audience that the University is much more than a place of learning. “Prosperity only grows with income up to a certain point. What is crucial is the feeling of being able to make a difference and of being supported – and it is precisely this feeling that you should have experienced here at the University.” Graduates are a central part of the KU community, he said.
This appreciation was also reflected in the farewell speeches given by the best students of the year: Johanna Lehner was honored for the best Bachelor's degree, Isabell Schöpfel for the best Master's degree—both received an award from the city of Ingolstadt and were given the opportunity to give the student closing speech. Lehner summed up: “I quickly settled in well at WFI. My motivation was and is to make my own personal contribution and not to stand by idly in the face of problems.” Schöpfel added: “Graduating from university is the beginning of a new chapter. No matter where we end up, we will take the experiences we have had at WFI with us.”
Other outstanding achievements were also recognized: Prof. Dr. Georg Rosenfeld presented the award for the best thesis to Dr. Philipp Krug on behalf of the Ignaz Kögler Excellence Foundation. Justus Kaufmann received the award for the best MBA degree.
