Graduation ceremony recognising the achievements of doctoral graduates and alumni

Graduation ceremony recognising the achievements of doctoral graduates and alumni

Graduates throwing caps at the award ceremony for doctoral graduates and alumni 2018

Bild: Giulia Iannicelli

Finally completing a doctoral degree after devoting years of work to it is a very special occasion, and calls for a celebration.

Since 2018, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) has celebrated the achievements of doctoral graduates with an awards ceremony and has honoured the achievements of all alumni who obtained a doctoral degree from FAU 15, 25, or 50 years ago. Unfortunately, the coronavirus pandemic means that we cannot celebrate the ceremonies as usual in 2020 and 2021.

However, we would still like to celebrate your achievements with you. We would like to honour the academic achievements of the doctoral graduates of 2020 and 2021 during an online graduation ceremony.

For alumni celebrating the anniversary of completing their doctoral degree, FAU has come up with a special television broadcast: ‘Wir sind #FAU – Innovation leben’ (We are #FAU – Bringing innovation to life), which is of course open not only to all alumni celebrating a special anniversary but also to all other doctoral graduates, students, alumni, members of staff and friends of FAU.

Did you complete your doctoral degree at FAU in 1970/1971, 1995/1996 or 2005/2006? Please get in touch. We would like to celebrate with you!

Contact

Julia Heiing

A look back at 2019

On 12 October 2019, FAU officially recognised the achievements of its most recent doctoral graduates together with those who completed their doctoral degrees 15 (2004), 25 (1995) and 50 (1969) years ago.

In an official ceremony, the alumni walked onto the stage in the Heinrich-Lades-Halle in their graduation caps and sashes. The new doctoral graduates were then honoured by the Executive Board, watched by family, friends and alumni. Tanja Neumann from the local TV station Franken Fernsehen hosted the ceremony. Afterwards, during the champagne reception, the alumni from both the old and new generations shared anecdotes of their time at FAU and relaxed together after the ceremony.

The evening before, a gala dinner was held to celebrate the alumni’s achievements, and they were presented with a certificate. The guest who graduated longest ago even completed his doctoral degree 65 years ago. All in all, FAU welcomed approximately 240 alumni and 140 doctoral graduates to the ceremony, some of whom travelled from all over the world to attend, for example from USA, Poland, Ireland, France, Switzerland and Austria.

Graduation ceremony recognising the achievements of doctoral graduates and alumni 2019

Pictures from the award ceremony for doctoral candidates and alumni in 2019: