FernUni Hagen celebrates successful graduates at the homecoming event!

FernUni Hagen celebrates successful graduates at the homecoming event!

The FernUniversität Hagen's homecoming event took place on September 9, 2025, in which almost 40 graduates took part. The event attracted alumni from various regions who took the opportunity to visit the campus and explore the Hagen Open Air Museum. Particularly noteworthy is the arrival of Umed Bokiev from Malaysia. He teaches German there and visited the campus in Hagen for the first time.

The alumni not only celebrated their return, but also their successes. Among the participants was Martina Ricken-Coßmann from Wetter, who regularly takes part in Homecoming and is proud of her graduation. The youngest guest at the event was eight-month-old Aaron Jonathan, son of Stefan Zydeck, a computer science student.

A celebration of memories and connections

Rector Prof. Stefan Stürmer welcomed the graduates with warm words and emphasized their role as ambassadors for the FernUniversität. Kirsten Pinkvoss encouraged everyone present to stay in touch with the FernUni and to get involved in various networks. A special highlight of the celebration was the awarding of 50 scholarships, which were launched on the occasion of the FernUniversität's 50th birthday.

Also in May of this year, 70 graduates celebrated their graduation. They came from the faculties of cultural and social sciences and psychology. Beatrix Martin traveled 700 kilometers from Lake Constance to celebrate her master's degree in European history. For her, the distance learning center in Bregenz was the starting point of her journey.

Manuela Wienhauer, a graduate from this year, reflected on her path to a master's degree in eEducation. She emphasized how important it was to expand digital skills during the corona pandemic. She even continued her studies while traveling around the world, which she found enriching.

Community and perspectives

The alumni celebration not only offered space for individual successes, but also for emotional moments. During the awards, musician Joy Bach impressed those present with her musical contributions. Rector Prof. Dr. Stefan Sturmer described the FernUniversität as a “university of opportunity”, which underlines the vision of the university.

The head of the education department, Martina Soddemann, also highlighted the cooperation between the city of Hagen and the FernUniversität. There is a desire for graduates to gain a foothold in Hagen companies. Kübra Mukaddes Firat, a graduate of the bachelor's degree in psychology, praised the flexibility of distance learning, which allowed her to pursue her academic and professional goals.

The FernUniversität offers its graduates numerous opportunities for further training and networking via the alumni platform. Graduates can register there to receive current information, invitations and job offers. The university is also actively represented on social networks such as Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn to promote and support exchange with alumni.