On September 3rd, the Law School celebrated the achievements of the graduating MLB Class of 2024 with a wonderful ceremony in the Helmut Schmidt Auditorium. It was a well-deserved celebration of the hard work and dedication of the class after a year of intensive classes, group work, presentations and the writing of a master thesis.
30 students from 15 countries crossed the stage to receive their diplomas, signifying that they are now Masters of Law and Business.
The ceremony, hosted by MLB Dean Professor Christopher Bisping and Mr. Benedikt Landgrebe, Deputy CEO of Bucerius Law School, was opened with a series of speeches from Professor Dr. Michael Grünberger, President of Bucerius Law School, Professor Manual J. Hartung, Chairman of the Board of Directors for the Zeit Stiftung Bucerius and Dr. Laura Jansen of the Bucerius Alumni Verein eV.
This year’s inspiring keynote speech was given by Ana Rosa Ruiz Gunter, an MLB graduate of the class of 2017, who reflected on her time in the MLB Program and encouraged the new graduates to make use of the Bucerius family and reach out to the alumni network. Addressing the new class, she encouraged them to get involved as much as they can in the extracurricular activities the Law School has to offer and to make the most of their 12 months of the MLB. Professor Bisping’s heartfelt speech highlighted the importance of friendship, diversity and respect within the Program and beyond.
The ceremony was live streamed for the many families and friends worldwide who couldn´t attend the ceremony in person.
The ceremony however was not only about looking to the future but also about celebrating the accomplishments of the present. Several awards were presented recognizing both students and faculty for their hard work throughout the year.
The coveted Best Teacher Awards were given to Dr. Nils Krause for his course International Mergers and Acquisitions and to Prof. Dr. Stephan Wagner for his course in Logistics and Supply Chain Management.
Among the students, the prestigious DAAD Prize 2024 for outstanding academic performance and social engagement was awarded to Mr. George J. Nalappat from India and for her very timely work on ‘Human Rights Due Diligence in the Framework of Transnational and National Labour Law’ Ms. Pia Schröder from Germany was awarded the MLB Alumni Prize for the Best Thesis which is generously supported by MLB Graduate Dr. Axel Moeller and the Bucerius Alumni Verein.
In between the formal proceedings, the audience were treated to a wonderful musical interlude performed by Salvador Carvalho, very inspiring and emotional speeches from the student representatives Anna Fonseca and Kricia Coelho and a video made by the graduating class highlighting the best moments of their time in Hamburg and at Bucerius.
As the ceremony drew to a close, the spotlight moved to the new MLB class of 43 students from 21 countries who were warmly welcomed and formally enrolled in the MLB Program’s Class of 2025.
Graduates, new students, family and friends continued the celebrations with a reception on the campus under the beautiful evening sun.
MLB Team
