The HSZG at heart
At the disenrolment ceremony held on October 7 at the Görlitz Campus, four graduating classes were honored.
It’s done! Four graduating classes were honored at once—some after a long wait due to the pandemic—at the formal disenrolment (from university) ceremony on October 7 in Görlitz.
Rector Alexander Kratzsch had invited guests to the same festival tent on the Görlitz campus that had been used just one week earlier for the enrolment ceremony. Now, the tent was bursting at the seams twice over, with a total of around 1,200 guests.
To accommodate everyone, the ceremony was held in two sessions: first, the graduating classes of 2019 through 2021 were honored, followed by the class of 2022/23, out of the approximately 500 graduates who had traveled to the event. Both ceremonies provided a fitting setting for the graduates to solemnly bring this important chapter of their academic lives to a close together with their loved ones.
Charmingly hosted by Franziska Stölzel (a graduate and social scientist specializing in change and transformation processes), the musical accompaniment for the program was provided by the Hübner-Schönfelder duo on cello and electric piano, as well as student Lea Heymann with her enchanting vocals.
In the first session, Rector Prof. Dr.-Ing. Alexander Kratzsch offered heartfelt words in his graduation speech to the graduates, who had to adapt to changed study conditions during the COVID-19 pandemic and forge new paths together with the university faculty. He was particularly pleased that so many had accepted the invitation to Görlitz to be officially sent off into professional life by their university one last time.
He emphasized that the “University for Future” process, which began as early as 2020, is taking the university’s further development into its own hands just as the graduates are currently taking charge of their professional futures. Reuniting and learning from one another is always worthwhile for optimal mutual progress. If only for the tree planted each year in the Zittau Student Park in honor of each graduating class.
“Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences is particularly proud of its graduates. They are the ones who have come to appreciate the advantages of a small university and have benefited from its close-knit academic atmosphere. They carry HSZG in their hearts and share it with the world.”
”In his keynote address , Prof. Dr. Günther Hasinger, director of the German Center for Astrophysics (DZA), drew several rounds of applause as he recounted his impressive career. Among other things, his career took him to the cover of the youth magazine BRAVO as a member of the 1970s band Saffran, to the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics in Garching as director, as Director of Research at the European Space Agency (ESA), and finally as Founding Director of the German Center for Astrophysics (DZA) in Görlitz.
Whether it’s progressive-lens glasses, ceramic cooktops, or components of cell phones and navigation devices, Prof. Hasinger used vivid examples to illustrate the immense innovative power inherent in the high-tech field of astrophysics. With great enthusiasm, he provided information about the potential for the region and showed the graduates that the path to the stars can sometimes take unexpected turns.
Then the moment had arrived. The graduates were ceremoniously called to the stage by the Rector and their respective faculty representatives, grouped by faculty and graduating class, and officially bid farewell. With their graduation caps on their heads and their farewell gifts in hand, many unforgettable group photos were taken.
The subsequent presentation of the 2022 and 2023 awards from the Friends of Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences honored the graduates who distinguished themselves through outstanding academic achievements during their studies and in their final dissertation. The 2023 award recipient, Alexandra Lucia Klein, delivered the graduate speech during the second segment, before host Franziska Stölzel concluded by inviting everyone to enjoy the accompanying program on the Görlitz campus and, in the evening, the graduation party at Club L2 in Görlitz.
Starting at 10:00 a.m., the university had hosted a communal campus breakfast , which was warmly received by the guests. In the Görlitz student canteen, graduates were able to chat with their former professors and faculty members at special faculty networking tables and learn about master’s programs and career opportunities at HSZG or about the networking activities of the association HiLusatia! . At the KIA booth , a small farewell gift awaited the graduates of the dual study program, and the Saxony Film Academy was on site and presented its wide range of courses.
At the Campus Shop booth , visitors could pick up one last souvenir from the university before heading to the graduation party. At 6:00 p.m., the doors of the L2 Club in Görlitz opened. With champagne, juice, and a fantastic atmosphere, the graduates and guests celebrated to DJ sets and live music by the Balkaneros well into the night.
Photos: Marcel Schröder
Text: Cornelia Rothe
1st floor