2026 Graduation Ceremony for the Social Pedagogy Program at the University of Siegen
The graduation ceremony for the Siegen Social Pedagogy program took place in a wonderful atmosphere. Graduates, family members, and faculty celebrated the completions of the Bachelor’s program in Social Work and the Master’s program in Education and Social Work in the university’s main lecture hall.
2026 Graduation Ceremony for the Social Pedagogy Program at the University of Siegen
Bachelor's Program in Social Work and Master's Program in Education and Social Work
For more than 25 years, the social work programs at the University of Siegen have upheld the wonderful tradition of formally bidding farewell to their graduates at an annual ceremony. With a concise opening address, Prof. Dr. Magdalena Eckes, Dean of School II, opened this year’s graduation ceremony on July 8, 2026.
Fifty-five graduates of the Bachelor’s program in Social Work and the Master’s program in Education and Social Work attended the event in the Audimax along with their families, as did numerous faculty members from both programs.
Prof. Dr. Benedikt Hopmann, Chair of the Social Work Program Coordination, served as the emcee for the evening. Traditionally, the graduation ceremony for the Social Work programs includes a commencement address, which was delivered this year by Prof. Dr. Bettina Ritter.
The Social Work graduation ceremony is organized in collaboration with the Social Work Student Council. Therefore, Melina Wülfrath and Tuana Akdemir, as representatives of the Student Council, made sure to properly honor and bid farewell to their fellow students. As in previous years, Kevin Rudek provided musical accompaniment on the guitar.
The highlight of the event was undoubtedly the presentation of diplomas to the graduates by Prof. Dr. Tobias Fröschle, vice-chair of the examination committee. The graduates came forward in groups to receive their diplomas and congratulations amid the applause of everyone present. Following this, the Institute of Social Pedagogy’s award for outstanding theses —two awards for bachelor’s theses and one award for a master’s thesis—was presented for the first time this year by the institute’s spokesperson, Prof. Dr. Albrecht Rohrmann. Melina Wülfrath, with a thesis on “Documenting, Deciding, Acting—Social Control in Residential Youth Welfare,” and Pia Marie Tillmann, with a thesis on “Women-Specific Support in the Context of Sexualized Violence—On the Necessity of Feminist Perspectives in Social Work,” each received the prize for bachelor’s theses, endowed with €300. Aylin Yilmazer received the €400 prize for a master’s thesis on the topic “Social Work and Migration Over Time: An Empirical Analysis Using the Example of Family Reunification.”
The evening concluded in the beautifully decorated lobby of the Audimax, where the organizing team had provided champagne, non-alcoholic beverages, fruit, and snacks.
