Surprise speech by a proud father at the graduation ceremony: "Over the years, we have become ZU-ers ourselves"

His appearance was not on the program and very few people knew his name. What would he say? "We were always involved in what was happening at ZU," explained the father of a ZU graduate, who had spontaneously asked to be allowed to say a few words from the perspective of a proud parent at the gala dinner in the Dornier Museum. "That's how we became ZU students ourselves over the years," he added.

For four years, he enthused, he was allowed to study again. The desire for intellectual exchange and the joy of discovering new things spread to the whole family: "It was fantastic!" And all of his daughter's fellow students have long since become part of the family. He wanted to say all of this once, as a spontaneous parent council, so to speak. And he concluded his spontaneous speech by asking all parents to stand up and give a round of applause for supporting their daughters' and sons' studies at ZU.

These words were heartfelt for the university employees present. Because they reflect the claim that the Zeppelin University community is a community of its own, perhaps even a family of its own. People know each other at ZU, people appreciate each other at ZU. And what happens on the two ZU campuses is passed on to the students' circles of friends and acquaintances.

The two former students Lucia Fuchs and Charlotte Schmid had similar words to say. They completed their studies in 2023 and have founded a company in Munich: Habitus GmbH. "We're not here because of the city," said Lucia Fuchs, "but because of the people. ZU is not just a university, it's a home."

And it is still one of the best moments to meet people long after graduation and realize that they also studied at ZU. But a home only lasts if you look after it. And so the two alumni invited all recent graduates to get involved in the ZU alumni network.

Fuchs and Schmid spontaneously jumped in, by the way. Did they know this was going to happen? No. Were they prepared? No. But isn't that exactly what it's all about? Just jumping in at the deep end and doing instead of talking? "There's no such thing as perfect timing," said Charlotte Schmid, "you make the timing perfect yourself."

Of course, a graduation ceremony is only a graduation ceremony if graduates are allowed to say something. Master's graduate Daniel Grosfeld pointed out how different the realities of people's lives are today. He realized this when he talked to his mother about the range of functions of ChatGPT. "It no longer has anything to do with the reality of my life," she said at the time. That's when he realized how different the worlds we live in today can be.

He therefore wished his fellow graduates not to lose touch with the realities that all people share. Above all, he wished: "Don't be an asshole, because the world has enough of them".

Theresa Koch, a Bachelor's student, took the opportunity to dispel the romantic glorification of what is called a "beginning". Now that they all have their degrees in their pockets, the graduates are also facing a beginning. "There is magic in every beginning," said Hermann Hesse. But that is only true in retrospect. "Because beginnings don't feel like magic," said Koch. Anyone facing something is worried, excited, often overwhelmed and it always takes effort.

The real magic lies in the fact that you realize afterwards that you have managed it all. And the associated benefits for the individual: "The confidence that it will be good and that it can be good". Koch wished all the graduates this confidence for the future.

The Gips-Schüle Student Research Awards also went to:

1. Laura Grohmann for "Anti-Semitism in the left-wing political spectrum: An analysis in the context of the Middle East conflict up to its most recent escalation"
2. Theresa Koch for "Time to break your legs - A feminist analysis of space, language and female shame"
3. Lara Mixdorf for "When strategy becomes transformation: A plea for long-term strategic transformation processes in companies"

The prizes were awarded by Dr. Stefan Hofmann, Chairman of the Gips-Schüle Foundation, which also donated the prizes. One prize is endowed with 300 euros.

The Best Thesis Awards supported by Vindelici Advisors went to:

1. Paulina Bulligan for "The Politics of Regulating Agrochemicals"
2. Laura Grohmann for "Between Past and Present: Construction and Political Instrumentalization of Victimization Narratives in the Context of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict"
3. Emma Grube for "Family offices in the current economic climate: An analysis of the main asset classes and investment strategies for long-term asset protection"
4. Tom Andohr for "Retrospective and comparative analysis and addition of previous research from the Humboldproject with the topic of analyzing and creating a model of global household food waste in 2018"

The prizes were awarded by Juliana Simon and Tom Höweler from the consulting firm Vindelici Advisors, which also donated the prizes.

Professor Jan Söffner, holder of the Chair of Cultural Theory and Analysis, was asked by the graduates to give the graduation speech at the gala dinner for the second year running. Söffner asked the graduates to always listen to their inner voice and not to rely too much on the power of artificial intelligence. Leadership today demands different things than what AI is too often used for these days.

Even Elon Musk, who uses AI to check authorities for efficiency, must expect that what he does can be done much better by an AI. "In the end, Musk himself could be replaced by an AI," said Söffner. Nevertheless, the power of algorithms should not be met with hubris, but rather their mastery should be seen as a task.

In his speech at the last graduation ceremony, ZU President Professor Klaus Mühlhahn encouraged the graduates not to lose sight of the human element. In today's world, in which the ability to listen respectfully is being lost, it is more important than ever to build bridges and seek out what unites us. "Understanding the needs and fears of others is essential," said Mühlhahn. And graduates should always remember science as a form of radical truth-seeking.

The graduates were presented with their certificates at a ceremony in the Graf-von-Soden-Forum on the ZF campus in the morning.