"Dear graduates, I would like to congratulate you most warmly on completing your studies! TUM has given you the best prerequisites for the road ahead. For many of you, it is a farewell to your studies, i.e. a very important step in life. However, it is not a farewell to the university, because you remain part of the TUM family. You can always return to your alma mater. We want to stay in touch with you and find out what has become of you" - with these words, Prof. Dr. Juliane Winkelmann, Senior Vice President International Alliances and Alumni at the Technical University of Munich (TUM), welcomed the graduates of the Department of Sport and Health Sciences (SG).
On Thursday, February 2, 2023, in BayWa Lecture Hall 1 of the TUM Campus in the Olympiapark, the Department SG celebrated the Absolvia. 18 PhD students, 173 admission theses, 74 master's theses and 277 bachelor's theses were completed in 2022.
"We may dismiss you today with a proud conscience. Sport is the glue that holds society together. And health is the indispensable basis for everything in this life. Unfortunately, we often realize this far too late, especially when health is lost," said Prof. Dr. Matthias Richter, the Vice Dean of the Department, in his welcoming speech. In addition, Prof. Dr. Filip Mess, Dean of Studies of the Department, added: "You have been given a variety of fields with the successful completion of your studies. We have given you something to offer as part of your studies here at TUM. But we have also demanded a lot from you and challenged you within the framework of your studies. But you have also sought out your own challenges and topics. Now it's a matter of using these competencies."
Diversity Award & Dr. Gertrude Krombholz Award
As part of Absolvia, the Department awarded the Diversity Award, which is worth 500 euros each. Eight works were proposed. The jury awarded the award to Anna Schmid for her master's thesis and Linda Jäger and Sushobna Jayal for their bachelor's theses. The award is given for outstanding theses related to diversity.
The Dr. Gertrude Krombholz Award was awarded for the 25th time. It honors the best scientific papers in the field of sports and health sciences that combine theory and practice in an outstanding way. A total of 16 papers were submitted. The jury consisting of the founder Dr. Gertrude Krombholz as well as Prof. Dr. Ansgar Schwirtz, Prof. Dr. Joachim Hermsdörfer and Prof. Dr. Martin Lames selected Syed Anayatullah (Master's thesis) as well as Anna Elisabeth Boemmel, Chiara Braun and Julia Wurdack (each Bachelor's thesis). The award winners also received 500 euros each.
On the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the Dr. Gertrude Krombholz Award, the namesake was honored for her special commitment and surprised with a video message from the first award winner Luis Stitzinger. "We are celebrating the silver anniversary of the Dr. Gertrude Krombholz Award, a silver wedding anniversary, so to speak! The work that was first honored at that time was a written term paper from 1997, which could be written the same way again today. In this respect, nothing has been lost in the topicality of the topics at our Department," said Prof. Schwirtz.
Dr. Krombholz, who will turn 90 this year, was pleased with the recognition: "Thank you very much for the honor. When I think back - 65 years ago I was in your place, dear graduates! But back then there was no graduation ceremony. Back then, you waited six weeks for a blue letter from the Ministry of Education - and you either passed or failed. Now you are the successors and I wish you a career similar to the one I was able to follow. I wish you an eventful life!"
Afterwards, Prof. Hermsdörfer honored and said goodbye to the 18 PhD students of the Department.
The show act made clear that sport and health sciences means practice as well as theory. Samuel Weller from Munich is one of the best soccer freestylers in Germany and has already performed for the DFB and UEFA during the EURO 2020. He showed the guests of the Absolvia his impressive tricks with the ball in an entertaining performance.
In addition, the Department said goodbye to four long-time employees: Antonia Bey, Larissa Stocker, Felix Grätz and Nils Nagl. After the ceremonial dismissal of the graduates, the event ended with a champagne reception in the gymnastics and dance hall of the TUM Campus in the Olympic Park.
Contact:
Dean's Office Department of Sport and Health Sciences
Georg-Brauchle Ring 60/62
80992 München
phone: 089 289 24601
e-mail: dekanat.sg(at)tum.de
Text: Romy Schwaiger
Photos: Bastian Daneyko