Festive and optimistic atmosphere in the Friedrich-Ebert-Halle: Last week, 260 graduates of TU Hamburg, along with their families and friends, gathered in Harburg to celebrate the successful completion of their academic journey. The ceremony was moderated by Vera Lindenlaub, Head of Relationship Management at TU Hamburg, and Kristin Schreiber from the Northern Institute of Technology Management (NIT).
In his welcoming address, TU President Prof. Dr.-Ing. Andreas Timm-Giel encouraged the graduates to look to the future with courage and positive ideas despite the many current challenges: "There is only one world – the global world. It needs you. It needs the best researchers and engineers it can get. It needs collaboration – in education, research, and implementation. And it needs a spirit that, even in difficult times, believes that we can shape a future worth living."
How to shape one’s future after graduation with courage and good ideas was illustrated by Dr. Joana Gil, founder and CEO of the startup Lignopure GmbH. The company specializes in sustainable technologies for the use of the plant-based building material lignin. With her example, Gil impressively shows how scientific knowledge can turn into entrepreneurial commitment. In her keynote speech, she encouraged the graduates to approach future setbacks positively: "Learn to love failure. Because it is not a question of if you will fail, but only when. And when it happens, it is up to you, and only you, how you react and even how you feel about it."
Internationally diverse
In total, over 500 students graduated from TU Hamburg in 2025. With 34 percent of graduates having a migration background and 26 percent being women, the degrees reflect the high level of internationality and diversity at TU Hamburg. The alumni come from 34 countries, including Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Iraq, Nigeria, Syria, and Vietnam. They cover nearly 50 degree programs, with mechanical engineering, computational informatics, and mechatronics being particularly well represented.
Moritz Elsaßer, the representative of the graduates who completed his master’s degree in energy engineering this year, looked back humorously on the years spent at TU Hamburg in his speech. He was met with sustained applause. To the rhetorical question "I finally have my degree, what do I do now?" Elsaßer replied dryly: "The TU is generally not responsible for that question. Ask yourself what is particularly important to you: a climate-neutral future, the defense of our country, a new Porsche? Rest assured, your degree from TU Hamburg will open many doors for you, but the choice is yours to make now."
This was followed by the first of two musical performances by graduates of the Hamburg University of Music and Drama: Anna Olivia Amaya Farias and Fabian Sturm on cello, and Dana Sturm on piano, captured the simultaneously festive and bittersweet mood of the afternoon with their interpretations of Vivaldi and Shostakovich.
The highlight of the evening was the ceremonial handing over of diplomas. Each graduate was called by name to the stage, where Prof. Dr. Andreas Liese, Chairman of the Alumni Association and Head of the Institute of Technical Biocatalysis, presented the certificates. Additionally, all newly minted alumni received a yearly mug from the “Alumni and Supporters of TUHH” association and had the opportunity to have their photo taken on stage. In the concluding moment, all graduates threw their hats into the air – a symbolic moment full of optimistic spirit.
TU Hamburg wishes its new alumni all the best and much energy for their new chapter in life!
