Double Joy at RWTH: Celebrating the Doctoral Anniversary Milestone

For RWTH Rector Professor Ulrich Rüdiger, this year’s doctoral anniversary offered two reasons to celebrate: With 27 gold and 140 silver doctoral anniversaries, never before have so many former doctoral students accepted the Rector’s invitation – even from the Philippines, Brazil, Thailand and the USA. Since 2004, those who received their doctorate certificates 25 and 50 years ago have been invited to RWTH every year and honored. For the first time, the upper tiers of the auditorium of the RWTH main building were occupied with the respective accompanying persons and formed a worthy backdrop for this anniversary event.

For Professor Rüdiger it was a little different than in previous years: this year he was honored as a silver jubilarian himself. His doctoral supervisor, Professor Gernot Güntherodt, insisted on personally handing over the renewal certificate and congratulating him.

“Tonight is certainly an opportunity to reflect on many years. While we are here in the auditorium, I remember exactly where I sat on the side there in the first semester,” said Rüdiger. The RWTH Rector took the opportunity to introduce the guests to today’s university and show their perspectives: “Some things have stayed the same, but a lot has also changed. Tradition and modernity, both shape the RWTH, and both are important for shaping the future.”

The memories of studying and doctoral times, the reunion with fellow students and doctoral supervisors, but also getting to know new personalities and developments at the university – the doctorate anniversary once again offered many emotional and formative impressions: “Emotions, special moments, that’s what we want with this event “,” emphasized Professor Bernd Markert, Rector’s representative for alumni at RWTH, who, together with the Rector, led the evening in entertaining discussions with those celebrating their anniversary.