“There is so much to do - you could work for two,” exclaimed Hanover's mayor Thomas Hermann in his welcoming address to the graduates. In view of the numerous infrastructure projects in Germany, the career prospects in the construction industry are indeed excellent.
In her lecture “Civil engineers and the energy transition”, keynote speaker Dr. Anne Bechtel showed what such a career path can look like. After graduating in civil engineering from Leibniz Universität Hannover, she completed her dissertation at the Institute of Steel Construction in 2016 and started her career in the wind energy sector: As Global Head of Engineering & System Integration and Vice President of the project developer Skyborn Renewables, Anne Bechtel is significantly involved in offshore wind farm projects worldwide. Using the example of the largest wind farm in Taiwan, she presented the technical challenges in an area with frequent earthquakes and strong currents and showed the graduates where they can directly apply their knowledge in areas such as surveying, geotechnics, hydraulic engineering or steel construction in such a project.
Dean Prof. Dr.-Ing. Christian Heipke congratulated the graduates in his welcoming address - and also thanked their families for their support. With their degree, the graduates remained connected to Leibniz University Hannover for the rest of their lives and thus went out into the world as ambassadors of their university, said Heipke. The Faculty also shows its bond with its alumni by honoring those who earned their diploma, doctorate or habilitation at the Faculty 25 and 50 years ago at the graduation ceremony.
The Victor Rizkallah Foundation, the Leibniz Universitätsgesellschaft, the Förderergesellschaft für Geodäsie und Geoinformatik, the Stiftung der Bauindustrie Niedersachsen-Bremen and the Ingenieurkammer Niedersachsen awarded a total of 26 prizes to the graduates of the class of 2024 for special academic achievements or special commitment to the student body.
Following the graduation ceremony, the Student Council Civil and Environmental Engineering hosted the popular Winter Ball.
The next graduation ceremony is scheduled to take place in January 2026 for the graduating classes of 2025, 2000 and 1975.
