This year again, the Friedrich-Ebert-Halle in Harburg was filled to capacity: Here, 370 students and doctoral candidates of TU Hamburg, together with their families and friends, celebrated their academic graduation. The event was moderated by Vera Lindenlaub, Head of Relationship Management at TUHH, and Kristin Schreiber, former Alumni & Community Manager at the Northern Institute of Technology Management (NIT).
TU President Prof. Dr. Andreas Timm-Giel opened the celebration with a welcoming speech in which he encouraged the graduates to actively and courageously shape the future despite the current challenges. “I would like to leave you with three thoughts. First: Stay curious. Keep learning, ask questions, and remain open to new things. Second: Seek out interactions with people who think differently than you do. Because the great challenges of our time cannot be solved within a single discipline or by one company or country alone. Third: Handle your knowledge responsibly. Technology creates opportunities. Responsibility begins where we decide which of those become reality – and whom they should serve.”
Know Thyself
In the subsequent keynote speech, Dr. Stefan Schwantes, Managing Director Germany of semiconductor manufacturer Nexperia and TUHH alumnus, went back to antiquity. Referring to the three wisdoms carved in stone at the Temple of Apollo in Delphi, he emphasized the third wisdom. “It simply stated: Know thyself. I would even extend this phrase a bit and say: Know yourself and then have the courage to live the life you should live. Unfortunately, many people fail at exactly this important insight. They do not recognize their true strengths, ignore their real passions, and too often they overlook their weaknesses instead of accepting and embracing them.”
This year, the graduates were represented by Saskia Gildehaus, who earned her Master’s degree in Process Engineering at TUHH last year. In her personal address, she reflected on her studies and also debunked some myths: “Maybe some still remember the sentence from the beginning of our studies: ‘Look to the right and to the left – these people will not be sitting next to you by the end.’ Today, I would say, that’s not entirely true. Look around you to the left and to the right. These might actually be the people who made your studies enjoyable. The people with whom you laughed when everything felt overwhelming. The friendships we formed here were often a lifeline. To avoid panic before exams and to know: we will get through this together. Or simply to have someone sitting next to you who also has no idea what’s going on.”
Musical accompaniment for the event was provided by the renowned chamber musicians Fabian and Louis Sturm. They performed Johan Halvorsen’s “Passacaglia” and Astor Piazzolla’s “Libertango” for cello and clarinet.
Master’s Programs in the Majority
For the ceremonial presentation of certificates, the graduates were called to the stage by name, where their respective deans awaited them. In addition to the graduation certificate, they received an alumni mug from the association “Alumni and Supporters of TUHH” as a keepsake. This was followed by the traditional hat toss, symbolically marking the end of the academic journey for many graduates.
In total, around 370 students participated in the graduation ceremony. Eligible to attend were all those who had submitted their final degree to the TUHH Examination Office by March 2026 – amounting to a total of 584 degrees. Master’s programs were particularly well represented with 303 graduates, followed by 213 bachelor’s graduates and 68 doctoral graduates. The proportion of women is approximately 25 percent overall. Especially many graduates came from the bachelor’s programs in Civil and Environmental Engineering and Mechanical Engineering. Among the international master’s programs, Mechanical Engineering and Management, Microelectronics and Microsystems, as well as Mechatronics were strongly represented.
TU Hamburg wishes all newly minted alumni much success and vigor for their future paths!
