The ceremony kicked off with speeches by the university’s President, Professor Karl H. Mühling, and the Vice-President of Academic and Student Affairs, Professor Mirjam Hey, who welcomed the graduates of the university’s core disciplines: wine and beverages, food products, horticulture, and landscape architecture.
In his speech, Prof. Mühling congratulated them on their achievements and emphasized the importance of interconnected scientific thinking. “Anyone who studies plants, food, or landscapes quickly learns that sustainable solutions require a comprehensive understanding of the systems. In Geisenheim, you’ve been introduced to this way of interconnected thinking. I hope you’ll maintain this scientific perspective and match it with creativity and a sense of responsibility, because that’s exactly what we’ll need in the future.”
Prof. Mirjam Hey recognized the graduates' successful completion of their studies as a special milestone: “Your graduation marks the end of an important chapter in your lives, but also the beginning of a new era. Whether in viticulture, the wine industry, food safety, landscape architecture, or horticulture: You’ve acquired specialized knowledge, practical experience, and the ability to handle even new and challenging situations with confidence. For your future, we hope you’ll trust your talents and find joy in your next steps. We wish you all the best as you move forward on your path and hope that you’ll stay in touch.”
Dipl.-Ing. Robert Lönarz, President of the Geisenheim Alumni Association, likewise congratulated the graduates and invited them to stay in touch and join the alumni network, which acts as a platform for personal and professional exchange.
The graduates themselves also actively contributed to the ceremony by sharing personal anecdotes. In short speeches, they recollected their time at university and thanked faculty and staff members.
The highlight of the ceremony was the presentation of the certificates by the heads of the degree programs. Traditionally, board members of the alumni association joined the graduates on stage to present them with a rose. New members of the association also received a university pin to welcome them to the network.
Presentation of Doctoral Certificates
As part of the ceremony, Prof. Annette Reineke, Vice-President of Research, awarded three researchers with their doctoral certificates:
Dr. Julia Bächtle for her dissertation entitled “Das Potenzial von Lebendbauweisen für den Witterungsschutz auf extensiv genutzten Weiden
Dr. Marius Drechsler: “From supply chain and planning problem analysis to decision support: Development of a model formulation for the optimization of production and procurement planning in horticultural value chains“.
Dr. Michael Kramer: “Disruptive technologies in supply chain networks: implications on cooperation and coordination in digital ecosystems of the wine industry”.
The official ceremony concluded with the traditional tossing of the graduation caps (see photo), followed by a sparkling wine reception.
Hochschule Geisenheim University warmly congratulates all graduates and wishes them every success in the future.
Note on the total number of graduates:
The total number of graduates can still increase until the end of the semester on September 30, 2026.
