‘Degree from Mittweida University of Applied Sciences’ listed 670 times on CVs

Exactly 670 students, including 169 international students, successfully completed their studies at Mittweida University of Applied Sciences (HSMW) in the 2024/25 winter semester. Around 200 had registered for the Graduation Ceremony (Feierliche Exmatrikulation) on the afternoon of 23 May at the Evangelical City Church. Full of excitement, they took their seats in the chancel, whilst opposite them, lecturers, guests of honour and over 600 family members and friends filled the pews in the nave and the galleries. They were all there to see the graduates off as they embarked on their careers or further studies.

In the packed church, the student chaplain, Nina-Maria Mixtacki, welcomed the congregation gathered for the ceremony: she encouraged the graduates to follow the example of Queen Esther from the Old Testament, who stood up for her people: “Walk your path with confidence and contribute yourselves, your knowledge, your attitude and your values … I hope that the question of responsibility will not become a burden to you, but rather an invitation … Perhaps that is precisely why you have found yourselves in your current positions – for a time like this.”

In his keynote speech, the former Saxon Minister for Regional Affairs, Thomas Schmidt, spoke knowledgeably in praise of Mittweida University of Applied Sciences: it is “a model of best practice in forging close links with industry, the service sector, the skilled trades and, last but not least, local authorities. Germany and Europe face the major challenge of finally transforming knowledge more effectively into added value. Mittweida University of Applied Sciences serves as a prime example of how excellence is not confined to the major cities and elite institutions, but is also to be found across the board, in the heart of Saxony”.

Maximilian Schulze, the Managing Director of the Students’ Council, bid farewell to his now former fellow students with the following words: “I hope you’ll remain part of this university family. After all, there are opportunities to pass on knowledge in every faculty. Many projects would simply not be possible without the support of our alumni – whether through former students who sponsor HSMW projects through their companies, or through the university’s Friends’ Association, whose donations and membership fees make them possible in the first place.”

Amidst the bittersweet emotions of leaving university, Vice-Chancellor Volker Tolkmitt also emphasised the importance of maintaining lasting connections: “We want to be different; we want to be a university family. And that is exactly what we are. You are now leaving this university family, but – just like in a real family – you are always welcome back! Indeed, we would urge you not just to remember us, but to come back from time to time. We invite you to return as alumni or as a partner with your company, as lecturers or as researchers.”

The emotional highlight of every HSMW Graduation Ceremony (Feierliche Exmatrikulation) is the ‘send-off’ by former lecturers. The sense of community within the Mittweida University family is very clearly evident here too.

The procession did not head straight out into the world just yet, but first made its way through the town to Technikumplatz, where the black graduation caps, which had only just been put on, flew up into the blue sky.

An example of the excellence and practical relevance of the HSMW, as praised by Thomas Schmidt, was provided by the Faculty Engineering Sciences’ awarding of the Carl Springe Prize to one of its graduates: In his outstanding final-year dissertation, entitled ‘Development and Implementation of a Local Load Management System: Integration of eCar Charging Points and Energy Storage Systems’, Fabian Jugel addressed a key aspect of improving the charging infrastructure for electric mobility. This marked the completion of his Degree Apprenticeship/Dual Study Program in Electrical Engineering – Automation, during which he obtained not only a Bachelor of Engineering but also an IHK qualification as an industrial mechanic from his training partner, Siemens.