The ceremony began with a warm welcome and personal congratulations from the Dean of the department, Professor Thomas Burg. He acknowledged the students' achievements and emphasized the transition into a new phase of life.

A keynote speech followed by Professor Peter Pelz, Vice President of TU Darmstadt for Digitalization, Sustainability and Infrastructure. He described graduation as a milestone on the path from learning to active contribution. Engineers, he said, are not mere observers but changemakers—especially in the future-defining fields of sustainability, digitalization, and infrastructure. TU Darmstadt, he noted, shapes its students not only academically but personally as well, preparing them to take on the world as responsible innovators.

Jan Helmrich, project manager at ENTEGA Naturpur Institut gGmbH, spoke about current developments in the energy sector. Electrical engineering, he noted, plays a key role across all stages of the energy value chain—from generation to grid management. He particularly emphasized the demand for technical talent, before presenting the Best Student Awards of the summer semester 2025, awarded by ENTEGA Naturpur Institut gGmbH, to Alexandra Pothmann (Bachelor’s degree) and Erich Walter (Master’s degree).

For exceptional academic achievements, the Friends of TU Darmstadt Prize was awarded once again: Moritz Hemsing received the award for the best Bachelor’s thesis on “Sparse Signal Estimation Using Model-Based Deep Learning”, and Theresa Nolte was honored for her Master’s thesis on “Monitoring of Fracture Healing Using Electrical Impedance Tomography”.

For the first time at the department, the Freudenberg Award – Digital Science was presented, recognizing outstanding theses on digitalization at the intersection of basic research and practical application. In his remarks, Professor Pelz highlighted the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration—especially in achieving socially responsible digitalization. The diverse jury, composed of representatives from engineering, computer science, and the humanities, underscored the value of building bridges between disciplines. The department’s medical engineering program, he said, is a prime example of this integration. The awarded projects by Saskia Henschke, Nils Müller, and Helen Bader demonstrated impressively how technology can be shaped to serve people.

A traditional highlight of the event was the ceremonial handover of the graduation documents, during which the Dean personally congratulated each graduate present. Accompanied by enthusiastic applause and proud looks from families and friends, the graduates took to the stage one by one to receive their certificates. The heartfelt atmosphere, warm embraces, and group photos marked a fitting conclusion to the official program—before everyone transitioned to the informal part of the evening with sparkling wine and tasty snacks.