Hybrid Enrollment Ceremony for the Fall Term 2020
Record enrollment in times of coronavirus
It is our great pleasure to welcome our new Master’s, MBA, doctoral and exchange students to HHL. We are excited for you to join the HHL family and to continue your educational journey with us. We believe you have made the right decision for your future and we look forward to supporting you along the way.
Enrollment ceremony held at HYPERION hotel in Leipzig
On September 7, 2020, we welcomed our new students in the official enrollment ceremony held at the HYPERION hotel in Leipzig. The international participants were able to join the ceremony thanks to an onset camera team filming the event and streaming it to anyone watching from home. Changing the location from the HHL campus to the spacious hotel in Leipzig’s center, allowed us to comply with the strict safety measures introduced to contain the coronavirus pandemic.
Today we’d like to invite you to relive the ceremony with us and discover the many ways we are adapting to the new reality. As the first university in Saxony to resume classroom instruction we are working in line with state regulations and adopting a hybrid teaching system to allow our students around the world to join all lectures. The enrollment ceremony was the first step in providing a safe space to connect and learn together.
New students welcomed by the Dean Prof. Dr. Stephan Stubner
The ceremony commenced with a musical performance of Csárdá by Vittorio Monti, performed by Edwin Ilg of the renowned Gewandhausorchestra in Leipzig and Uli Singer, a lecturer at the University of Music and Theater in Leipzig.
HHL’s dean Prof. Dr. Stephan Stubner personally welcomed all new students and guests to the start of a new semester that for many will be a new life chapter. In his speech, he reminded the students to always strive for more than a prosperous career and financial benefits. “It is about developing your personality, developing your network”, he emphasized. “I strongly believe that that is what you can take out of your studies at HHL.”
“HHL is a very personal business school. That means, we are small, we are individual. We are focused on premiere learning experiences and that we care for you – and your personal development.”
Record in full-time and part-time Master in Management class
MBA students watching from home were additionally welcomed by Prof. Velamuri, the academic director MBA program. This year’s full-time MBA class is one of the largest years yet, bringing 59 students to HHL. It is also a very international group, spanning 18 nationalities (excluding Germany), therefore providing the perfect opportunity to experience the creative energy born out of different perspectives and mindsets.
“As an international student, I look forward to meeting the internationals from all over the globe and to become part of a diverse community at HHL where we can create a future together and work together as a team.“
We are especially excited to welcome many future female leaders to this year’s MBA class. Each year we strive to make HHL a diverse and welcoming environment for all students wishing to move forward in their career. With this year’s class reaching a 50% female enrollment mark, we are sure to be on the right path moving forward.
Further, HHL has set a new record with 65 full-time students for the Master in Management program. About one-third of the students in this program come from an international background. In spite of the pandemic, HHL has seen a sharp rise across all of its programs. The part-time Master in Management program welcomes 66 new students to its three locations in Leipzig, Cologne and Munich.
National scholarship awarded to HHL students
Each year the National Scholarship is awarded to students with outstanding academic achievements and who show a strong commitment to HHL, as well as social projects. The scholarship is financed by sponsors who match the monthly amount of support funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research.
This year the scholarships were granted to David Muuss (full-time Master in Management) and Dr. Luise Weitzdörfer (part-time MBA) sponsored by Konsum Leipzig eG, Sophia Jose (full-time Master in Management) sponsored by Kayzen and David Luxenhofer (full-time Master in Management) sponsored by IDT Biologika.
DAAD prize 2020 awarded to cellist Louise McKay
The DAAD prize, which is endowed with 1,000 €, is intended to honor an outstanding international student or doctoral candidate who has distinguished himself or herself both through special academic achievements and remarkable social or intercultural commitment.
This year’s prize was awarded to Australian-born Louise McKay, a former professional cellist turned MBA student. In her acceptance speech, she shares her early doubts about her abilities and why the prize proves to her that she had made the right choice.
Louise McKay, winner of the DAAD prize with Australian deputy ambassador Simon Clayton
It was a great pleasure to welcome the Australian deputy ambassador Simon Clayton as a guest speaker at the ceremony. In his speech to the students and guests, he congratulated Louise on her professional achievements and conveyed his warmest wishes to all students and encouraged them to make the most of their experience at HHL.
„When my class enrolled for the MBA, I was quite worried that I’d really have what it takes to turn my life around from being a classical musician into an MBA graduate. This award really means a lot to me and I am grateful for the opportunities it provides.” Louise McKay
Keynote by Head of Technology, Data and Innovation at Deutsche Bank
The keynote speech was held by Bernd Leukert, Head of Technology, Data and Innovation at Deutsche Bank. Focusing on the current economic crisis and its effects on the student’s future, he shared four guidelines to navigate uncertain times as a leader.
- Companies need to react and change to be successful in the future.
- Successful leaders talk to their teams, are visible, stay in dialog, but also convince their team of their direction.
- Ideas that drive companies forward have to make a significant difference, need to provide significant value.
- Be brave. Go into new directions. Be a leader, not a manager.
In light of the current pandemic, companies are pressing for change and new market opportunities. This forces employees to adapt, be flexible and search for innovative solutions that will work long-term. Looking back on the past few months, Mr. Leukert stresses the importance of reacting quickly to change in order to be successful. He urges his listeners to use data and appropriate algorithms to understand the company structure and customer needs. “There is one single element that matters”, he believes, “and that is speed.”
“If people reinvent themselves it does not mean that these people are leaving their past, their characteristics, their talents, their abilities behind. It is the foundation, the basis of shaping the future of new ideas.”
Students sign enrollment book
As the new students and doctoral candidates come to the front to sign the enrollment book, student representative Roman Pastoors takes the stage for a final welcome speech. As a second-year full-time Master in Management student, he has experienced the challenges of group work, the benefits of networking events and the struggle to find the perfect work-life-study balance. However, there is one message that rings true through it all.
“Use your time at HHL as a chance to develop. Take it as a playground – in an academic sense”, he encourages the new students. “See it as a place where you can try things, you can fail, you can learn and then you can also look back at that experience and say that was a valuable experience that I am now proud of.”
We are truly honored that our new students have chosen HHL as their new academic home and are looking forward to supporting them on their educational journey. You have made the right choice.
Hej there! I'm Alexandra and a former Content Marketing Manager at HHL. One of my favorite tasks was interviewing the HHL community and sharing their success stories with you. My goal was to create a digital home for all the experiences and stories found in our community - and hopefully inspire you to join us on one of our campuses in Leipzig, Cologne or Munich.
