With a ceremonial welcome, Prof. Thomas P. Burg, Dean of the Department of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology, opened the winter semester 2025/26 graduation ceremony. The remarkable turnout underscored the significance of the occasion: more graduates than ever before had gathered with their guests to celebrate this special milestone — a strong sign of the department’s dynamism.

In his welcoming address, Prof. Dr. Heribert Warzecha, Vice President for Academic Affairs and Diversity, highlighted the university’s special role in Darmstadt. With around 24,500 students, the university significantly shapes the cityscape. Referring to an article in the Wirtschaftswoche, he described it as the “heart, brain and circulatory system” of the city. He emphasised that a degree provides far more than academic excellence — it shapes personalities that are democratic, critical and creative. Sound judgement, teamwork and innovative capacity are essential skills for shaping a responsible future.

In his keynote address, Dean Burg reflected on the graduates’ long educational journey. What often seems surprisingly short in hindsight is in fact part of a much broader personal and academic development. Referring to the department’s nearly 140-year tradition, he thanked the graduates for their trust in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology.

Philip Krämer from the ENTEGA NATURpur Institute also congratulated the graduates on the successful completion of their studies. He highlighted the importance of individual achievement, scientific excellence and innovation for society and the economy.

A particular highlight of the ceremony was the presentation of the Best Student Awards, sponsored by the ENTEGA NATURpur Institute. Anton Bausch (B.Sc.) was honoured as the best bachelor’s graduate. Helena Damaris Mehler (M.Sc.) and Jonathan Strobl (M.Sc.) received honours for their outstanding master’s degrees. In their speeches, the master’s graduates expressed their gratitude for the support of their lecturers, fellow students and families.

During the presentation of the Friedrich-Dessauer Foundation Awards of VDE Rhein-Main e.V., Prof. Dr.-Ing. Jutta Hanson was officially appointed as a VDE liaison lecturer. She was recognised for her many years of commitment to energy technology and the energy transition, as well as for fostering collaboration between academia, industry and emerging talent. In her address, she emphasised the social responsibility of engineers to actively contribute their expertise to key societal debates — particularly concerning energy supply.

The Friedrich-Dessauer Foundation Awards 2026 were presented to Jule Pfau and Anton Bausch for their outstanding bachelor’s theses. In addition, an award from the Goethe University Frankfurt for excellent degrees in Biomedical Engineering was presented to Luna Stockmann. The Biomedical Engineering programme is an RMU cooperative degree programme between Goethe University Frankfurt and the Department of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology at the Technical University of Darmstadt.

The emotional finale was the recognition of all graduates of the department. One by one, they were invited onto the stage and honoured while the titles of their theses were announced. The traditional handshake photo with the Dean was, of course, part of the celebration.

The ceremony concluded with a champagne reception in a festive atmosphere — a fitting close to an important chapter of life and a celebratory send-off into new professional and personal challenges.