On April 18, the Media University (MU) in Cologne held two formal ceremonies to honor graduates from eight different bachelor’s and master’s degree programs. Nearly sixty graduates celebrated their degrees at the event.
Whether they earned a bachelor’s or master’s degree, all alumni—that is, graduates of the university—were honored individually under the motto “We love to celebrate!” The MU graduation ceremony in Cologne features both black gowns and the traditional hat-tossing. After alumni from the Bachelor’s program in Journalism and Corporate Communication and the Master’s programs in Public Relations and Digital Marketing as well as Digital Journalism were honored in the morning, the afternoon was dedicated to the departments of Design, Psychology, and Business. Graduates from the bachelor’s programs in Digital Marketing and E-Commerce, Media and Event Management, Media & Business Psychology, Graphic Design and Visual Communication, as well as Game Design and Interactive Media, were celebrated.
Prof. Dr. Eva Eick (Director of Academic Affairs, Cologne Campus) and Prof. Dr. Matthias Kurp (Vice President) led the program, which began with a humorous explanation of the origins of the tradition of wearing academic gowns. A little later, in interviews with their professors, the alumni reflected on their time at MU, shared stories about exciting new careers, and smiled as they recalled amusing incidents from their college days. Each thesis was briefly presented individually. Guests at the ceremony were treated to an impressive range of creative research achievements: for example, students developed and evaluated educational materials or media campaigns, researched content and storytelling on TV and social media channels, or examined the impact of artificial intelligence on media and society.
Lisa-Marie Meyer (B.A. in Journalism and Corporate Communications), Isabel Krämer (M.A. in Public Relations and Digital Marketing), Kira Kerkhoff (B.Sc. in Media and Business Psychology), Vincent von Berg (B.A. Digital Marketing and E-Commerce), as well as Anna-Pauline Flunkert and Furkan Bingöl (both B.A. Game Design and Interactive Media). Among the graduating MU students was Eleni Manaridou, who received special recognition for her work as chair of the Cologne General Student Council (AStA). In his acceptance speech, her successor, Felix Röttgers, particularly highlighted her great creativity, her consistently prudent approach, and her dedicated commitment. At the champagne reception that followed the official program, alumni and faculty toasted one another with a touch of nostalgia before finally tossing their black caps into the blue Cologne sky—as a symbol and signal of joy over their academic achievements, the completion of their studies, and the beginning of a new chapter in their lives.
