"Knowledge transfer is not a one-way street!"
A total of 31 graduates of the HSZG preparatory program are delighted to receive their diplomas and, with them, the right to study at a German university.
“It is only through education that a person becomes what a person is meant to be!” In keeping with this motto by Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, Ellen Leuschner invited guests on February 2 to this year’s graduation ceremony for the graduates of the HSZG Preparatory School, held in the Bürgersaal of the Zittau City Hall.
The director of the Studienkolleg’s joy was evident as she welcomed everyone and invited those present to look back together on their time at the Studienkolleg: From the entrance exam and the first few weeks, when so much seemed new and unclear, all the way to regular classes and the final examinations. It was a challenging time marked by both major and minor hurdles, but also by many shared activities such as hiking trips, an outing to go ice skating, and, of course, student parties. The fact that hard work pays off alongside the celebrations is now evident in the 31 graduates who are receiving their FSP certificate, and the 16 graduates who are receiving their DSH certificate, thereby gaining the right to study at a German university.
Ute Wunderlich, the second deputy mayor of Zittau and city council member, is also convinced of this. In her welcoming remarks, she emphasized that the preparatory college students, who come from 14 different countries, are welcome here in Zittau and elsewhere in Germany—and will continue to be so. She was particularly pleased that“many of these young people have chosen to study at our HSZG.”
Representing the university administration, Sophia Keil, Vice President for Education and International Affairs, took part in the certificate presentation ceremony. She, too, congratulated the graduates and highlighted their importance to the German higher education landscape. Quoting Nelson Mandela, she summed up what seems more important than ever in today’s world: “Education is the most powerful weapon to change the world!”
“Knowledge transfer is not a one-way street, ” Ellen Leuschner concluded before the ceremonial presentation of the certificates began. She, too, had been able to incorporate quite a few new German words into her vocabulary during their time learning together. The term “vegetarian”—which initially seemed a bit strange but is, according to Duden, actually correct—will enrich her vocabulary in the future.
Then came the big moment: the certificate presentation. A total of 31 graduates (12 female students and 19 male students) received an FSP certificate: 17 graduates were presented with a certificate of completion for the FSP in accordance with the requirements of the Economics specialization course (WW course), followed by 14 graduates who were delighted to receive a certificate of completion for the FSP in accordance with the requirements of the Technology (TI course). In addition, a total of 16 graduates (7 female students and 9 male students) received a DSH certificate at the conclusion of the ceremony.
Mario Linack, chairman of the Friends of the Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences, was also swept up in the good atmosphere during the ceremony, which was enriched by musical performances on the piano by the Leipert family. With the words, “Today is your day!”, he concluded the ceremony and sent the graduates off into a promising future.
Text: Cornelia Rothe
At the Studienkolleg, international applicants from various countries, with different religious and political beliefs and varying levels of prior education, are prepared together for the same goal: admission to the University of Zittau/Görlitz and its partner universities in Saxony.
2nd upper floor