After 18 months of intensive study, the eight graduates of the 2019/2020 MBA class were delighted to have successfully completed their Master of Business Administration (MBA). Due to the circumstances of the COVID-19 virus, the second stay of the students as part of the cooperative and international MBA program at the University of West Florida (UWF) in Florida had to be canceled in summer 2020 and the graduation ceremony could not be as planned in the USA. Nonetheless to celebrate the successful graduation, a virtual graduation ceremony was organized in cooperation with the University of West Florida (UWF) in autumn 2020.
The event took place in Edesheim Palace, where all graduates gathered with their partners and those responsible for the cooperative and international MBA course of the Transatlantic Institute of the Ludwigshafen University of Business and Society (LUBS).There was a live broadcast between the representatives of the University of West Florida (UWF) in the USA and the participants in Edesheim Palace. In addition, friends and relatives could tune in live to take part in the celebration.
The graduation ceremony was initiated by Melissa Brode, MBA Director and Deputy Dean. Thereupon the dean of the College of Business, Prof. Dr. Richard Fountain, welcomed the graduates with their friends and family as well the members of Ludwigshafen University of Business and Society, Prof. Dr. Gerhard Raab, Kathrin Paul and Nathalie Leroy. He also introduced the other participants in the ceremony, Prof. Dr. Kuiyuan Li, Dean of the UWF Graduate School and Prof. Dr. Tim O’Keefe, former dean of the Graduate School and co-founder of the international and cooperative MBA program.
Following this, guest speaker Prof. Dr. Tim O’Keefe gave his impressive speech in which he congratulated the participants and addressed the special circumstances of the past year. Melissa Brode thanked Prof. Dr. Tim O’Keefe and handed over to Jennifer Volland and Thomas Hammer, who gave the graduate speech for their class. Among other things, they discussed the time they had spent at the beginning of their studies at the University of West Florida (UWF) in Pensacola and showed understanding that the second stay in the USA could not take place. In their lively speeches, they reported on an eventful and enriching period of study.
In his emotional speech, Prof. Dr. Gerhard Raab, paired with his congratulations, commented on the outstanding results of the year and emphasized their team spirit. He also thanked the UWF for almost 20 years of partnership, successful and trusting cooperation and for the friendly relationship between the UWF's College of Business and the LUBS' Transatlantic Institute. Thereupon Prof. Dr. Gerhard Raab personally welcomed every participant who came out individually with his or her partner and was congratulated. The traditional way of putting on the graduate scarf was taken over by the partner. The dean, Prof. Dr. Kuiyuan Li, officially confirmed the receipt of the MBA title and welcomed the graduates to the circle of alumni. Melissa Brode ended the virtual celebration and thanked everyone involved in the program of the Transatlantic Institute and the College of Business and, last but not least, the faculty and teachers of the UWF as well as friends and family members of the participants.
Afer the virtual graduation ceremony, there was a change from the event hall to the ballroom in Edesheim Palace. As part of the joint celebratory meal the certificates were given by Prof. Dr. Gerhard Raab . Thus, the graduation ceremony in combination of a virtual ceremony and a physical celebration was a successful event.
We congratulate our graduates and we warmly welcome them to our MBA alumni network! The next start of the cooperative and international MBA program of the Transatlantic Institute in cooperation with the College of Business is in January 2021. Applications are possible until the end of September 2021. If you are interested, please contact Ms. Kathrin Paul directly (kathrin.paul@hwg-lu.de, 0621-5203-440).
