accadis Hochschule Bad Homburg looks back on an exciting weekend, which was characterized by two extraordinary events. On Friday evening, the university bid farewell to almost 100 graduates in the stylish ambiance of the Bad Homburg Kurhaus as part of the 32nd Graduation Ceremony attended by over 400 guests. This was followed on Saturday by the first Homecoming of the Generations, where alumni from the past 30 years reunited.
Highlights of the Graduation Ceremony
One of the highlights was the ceremonial awarding of the Doctor of Philosophy to Dr. Valentin Nickolai and Dr. Christian Sturm. Both completed both their Bachelor's and Master's degrees at accadis Hochschule and went on to complete their doctorates in collaboration with Northumbria University Newcastle. In his dissertation, Dr. Valentin Nickolai investigated the influence of geographical distance on fan engagement in social media, while Dr. Christian Sturm analyzed the influence of mergers and acquisitions on innovation in the German pharmaceutical industry.
One Bachelor's and two Master's graduates achieved the exceptional grade of 1.0 and also scored full marks in their final thesis. Gerda Meinl-Kexel and Prof. Christoph Kexel warmly congratulated them on these extraordinary achievements. To great applause, Cristina Mussenbrock, a member of the Taunus Sparkasse Management Board, ceremoniously presented a cheque to the three best students of the year in recognition of their outstanding achievements.
Another highlight was the farewell to a large group of commercial pilots who had successfully completed the “MBA for Commercial Pilots”, which was launched during the coronavirus pandemic in 2021.
Keynote speech by alumni from 1994 and 2014
“Shaping the next 30, 20 and 10 years” was the title of this year's keynote speech, which this year was delivered by two graduates from 1994 and one from 2014. In 1990, founder Gerda Meinl-Kexel began with the first Bachelor's degree - as a pioneer at the time. Today, almost 10,000 Bachelor's degree programs are on offer in Germany. accadis Hochschule remains true to its motto #onestepahead to this day.
Birgitta Oltersdorf, long-time Microsoft employee and Deputy Chairwoman of the accadis Hochschule Advisory Board, shared a quote from Steve Jobs with the graduates: “Stay hungry, stay foolish”.
Greetings from the world of politics and academic rituals rounded off the ceremony
City Councillor Tobias Ottaviani congratulated the graduates on behalf of Mayor Alexander Hetjes and emphasized the important role accadis plays for the region. The Hessian Minister President Boris Rhein also addressed a few words to the young graduates as part of his virtual address.
The academic rituals, which are rarely seen in Germany, were particularly impressive. The Turning of the Tassel, in which the tassel of the cap is turned from the right to the left side, symbolizes the transition from student life to professional life. The subsequent cap toss, in which the graduates throw their caps into the air together, symbolized the shared joy and pride of a successful graduation. These rituals, which are reminiscent of Anglo-American traditions, have lent accadis Hochschule's Graduation Ceremony a festive and international atmosphere for many years.
Both festivities were accompanied musically by the young, talented pianist Alexander Preiss and the successful vocalist and moderator Marie Winter. With titles such as “Part of your World” and “One Moment in Time”, they provided the audience with goosebumps.