The Graduation Ceremony honored the 32 graduates of the Master of Arts in Finance and was hosted by Goethe Business School’s Managing Director Dr. Christian Jansen.
During his welcome address, Prof. Guido Friebel PhD, the Academic Dean of the Faculty of Economics and Business Administration at Goethe University, brought to the audience’s attention the increasing importance of part-time master study programs offered to young professionals.
In the key note speech which followed, University President Prof. Dr. Birgitta Wolff expressed her great admiration and pride of the graduates’ achievements, and encouraged the graduates to strive to practice ‘science for society’, at the very heart of Goethe University’s principles.
After the key note speech, Alexander Mitscherlich, on behalf of all graduating students, presented the Excellence in Teaching Award to Prof. Dr. Holger Kraft, who taught the program module “Capital Markets and Asset Pricing”. Prof. Dr. Holger Kraft received the Award as the graduates considered him ‘outstanding at explaining difficult theories in an uncomplicated way and making sure that nobody was left behind.
Graduate Stefan Passet also addressed the crowd of students, faculty, family members and friends, by saying that ‘the lessons taught to us by our faculty have empowered us to decide for ourselves to venture the different unknown paths ahead’.
At the following ceremony, Master in Finance Academic Director Prof. Dr. Uwe Walz, awarded the distinction of Goethe Scholar to the 3 students who graduated in the top 10% of their class. He also announced the names of the top 20% of the graduating class who have been nominated for membership in the International Honor Society Beta Gamma Sigma, based on their academic performance.
Dr. Christian Jansen then invited Frank Westhoff, Member of the Board of Managing Directors of DZ Bank AG, to stage. In his role as Member of the Executive Board of the Frankfurt Institute for Risk Management and Regulation (FIRM), Mr. Westhoff presented FIRM financial awards to 5 graduating students with academic excellence in the study of the Risk Management module and in the Master Thesis research project.
On presenting the Master of Arts in Finance degree as the highlight of the ceremony, Prof. Dr. Uwe Walz was praiseful of the way that ‘our graduating students have found successful strategies to balance this intense program with its readings, assignments and exams with their professional and personal lives.’
Concluding the ceremony, Dr. Christian Jansen invited the students to take part in the ‘turn the tassel from the left to the right’ ceremony, officially marking their transition from candidate to graduate. He encouraged the graduates to take pride in their achievements and enjoy the graduation celebrations with family and friends!