80 graduates experienced a moving afternoon with numerous speeches and awards together with their families and friends. The event was musically accompanied by Prof. Dr. Thomas Pitz, who provided the musical entertainment on the grand piano with his own compositions. In his speech, Dean Prof. Dr. Ralf Klapdor thanked the graduates: "The Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences and the Faculty of Society and Economics are proud of you!" As a representative of the Presidium, Prof. Dr. Tatiana Zimenkova, Vice President for International Affairs and Diversity, addressed a word of welcome to the graduates and everyone present.
This year, for the ninth time, Katjes Fassin GmbH & Co. KG awarded the Katjes Prize, which is endowed with 1,000 euros. All very well rated theses from the Faculty of Society and Economics from the past year can be nominated. The winners are selected jointly by the university and the company. The selection of the best work is based on the criteria: practical relevance of the topic, innovativeness of the solution, feasibility of the results and scientific claim. This year, the Katjes Prize was awarded to Mr. Christian Overkämping from the bachelor's program "International Taxation and Law" with the topic "A Comparison of Japanese and German Corporate Tax Law".
The faculty then honored its best bachelor’s and master’s graduates:
Ms. Antonia Franke from the bachelor's program "International Business and Management" and Ms.Cam Chi Pham from the master's program "Economics and Finance".
Lisa Waberg, coordinator of the Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences' alumni network, also congratulated all graduates on their academic degrees. She encouraged everyone present to take part in a small alumni quiz and thus informed them about the tasks and offers of the alumni network in a playful way.
Finally, the final certificates were awarded before, following the award ceremony, the freshly minted graduates had time to have interesting conversations with their families and the professors at the celebratory champagne reception
