It was a day of joy and celebration when 87 students graduated from AU Herning on 3 February.

2012.02.03

Before the graduates received their diplomas and thus their key to the future, various speakers at the graduation ceremony gave them a few good pieces of advice on the way.  

”Our focus here at AU Herning is and will always be on our customers, i.e. our students and the surrounding society – a society in which you will or already take an active part. The world is facing major challenges – we must all contribute a bit more. One of the ways you can contribute is by receiving an education or a continuing education, thus improving your surroundings concurrently with improving your own conditions”, said Centre Director Michael Evan Goodsite in his speech to the graduates. He continued:

”AU Herning has strived to provide you with a strong basis from one of the top 100 universities in the world – a basis that you can develop further. Taking the success of our former students into account, I am confident that you will continue to contribute positively to society”.

At the same time, Centre Director Michael Evan Goodsite encouraged the graduates to remember to help built Central Denmark Region and the origin of the graduates – an origin which has indeed supported their studies at AU Herning.

Future challenges: Demography, climate and virtualisation

The keynote speaker was Professor Poul Holm, Head of Department at Trinity College Dublin and former rector at Roskilde University. Poul Holm outlined three megatrends which will influence the graduates’ working life, namely demography, climate and virtualisation.

The demography will be of greater importance in the future because society will be characterised by the financial burden of senior citizens and because the percentage of Europeans as a whole will decrease compared to other countries’ rapid population growth. Additionally, the future will be characterised by climate changes and the increased virtualisation.

”And what will we then live on in the future?”, asked Poul Holm. According to him, a good suggestion is to find the solutions to the challenges of the changing demography, increasing climate changes and increased virtualisation. At the same time, however, Poul Holm also stressed that he is looking optimistic toward the future, and although we are in the middle of a crisis, everyone is needed in the future labour market.

More research at AU Herning strengthens graduates

Despite the financial crisis, Centre Director Michael Evan Goodsite was optimistic on behalf of the graduates:

”A lot has happened at AU Herning recently, both in terms of you as graduates, now ready to conquer the business world, but also in terms of the place itself. We have a new centre director, a new building and not least, AU Herning has become more research-based which is to ensure that we can offer the best study programmes”.

After the formal part of the graduation, which in addition to speeches also included musical entertainment, AU Herning hosted a reception where the graduates were celebrated informally together with family and friends. In total, 87 students graduated from their study programme at AU Herning on Friday 3 February 2012. 

Prize winners

At the end of the formal part of the graduation ceremony, a number of selected graduates received prizes:

Winter graduate of the year (prize sponsored by Siemens):	Kristoffer Lindequist Kjær
Best final project at the study programme Global Management and Manufacturing (prize sponsored by KYOCERA UNIMERCO):	Ole Niklas Steffen
Best final project at the study programme Electronic Design Engineer (prize sponsored by KK Electronic):	Danni Vestergård Hansen
Best final project at the study programme Diplom i ledelse (prize sponsored by Ledernes Hovedorganisation):	Lise Østermark Larsen
Best final project at the study programme MSc in Marketing and Business Innovation (prize sponsored by KYOCERA UNIMERCO):	Oleksandr Gerasymovych and Joseph Nana Kwame Opoku Dwumfour
Best final project at the study programme MSc in Engineering in Technology Based Business Development (prize sponsored by Herning Håndværker- og Industriforening):	Bettina Foged Sørensen
Special prize for headmaster (prize sponsored by Mediehuset Herning Folkeblad):	Ole Christian Overgaard