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Graduation Ceremonies Archive
The Graduation Ceremonies acknowledge the efforts and performances of the students. They are the perfect occasion to part from Professors and fellow students.
Graduation of the European Lawyer Class of 2020 in Berlin – Promotion Jürgen Habermas
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The graduates of the 2021 class "Jürgen Habermas" together with Professors of the European Law School Network. |
In 2020 more than 30 students graduated across the partner universities of the European Law School network. To honour their achievement, the graduation ceremony was held in person at the Centre Francais in Berlin on the 16th of July. In his opening remarks, Professor Stefan Grundmann, president of the European Law School network, underlined the importance of in-person interactions at universities and of societal discourse more generally. The concept of discourse is also behind the name of this year’s class: Jürgen Habermas. To further reflect on this concept, the opening speech was followed by a lively panel discussion on "Universities and Discourse within the Pandemic”. The panel was chaired by Professor Matthias Ruffert from Humboldt-University and included Professor Thierry Bonneau from Paris, Professor Elina Moustaira from Athens, as well as graduates Philipp Uebis and Benedikt Voss (London). The discussion highlighted the challenges to teachers and students by online formats but also turned to potential upsides to the newly found flexibility. Afterwards, a laudatio was held by Professor Matthias Ruffert and Miriam Schuler gave a passionate student speech. The graduates were then presented with their certificates before moving to the outside terrace for a festive reception with their guests and the professors. |
The graduates of the 2021 class "Jürgen Habermas". |
Programme of the 2021 Graduation Ceremony
Graduation of the European Lawyer Class of 2017 in Berlin - Promotion Anne Frank
The graduation ceremony of the class of 2017 was celebrated together with the 10 years jubilee of the European Law School on the 8th of December 2017. Some 250 guests took part in the ceremony in Berlins Bode-Museum. The ceremony was followed by a dinner in the Faculty of Theology of the Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, beautifully located next to the Spree. The graduates of the class of 2017, their relatives as well as guests from politics, business and research were greeted by the President of the Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Sabine Kunst as well as by the Dean of the Faculty of Law, Martin Eifert. The Ambassador of France to the Federal Republic of Germany, H.E. Anne-Marie Descôtes, and Sir Francis Geoffrey Jacobs, former Advocate General at the ECJ and Professor of Law at King's College London, both emphasized the particularity and necessity of a european education for Lawyers in their respective speeches. 
A highlight was the ceremonial adress by the former President of the German Parliament, Norbert Lammert. He reflected upon the european effort of integration, underlining problems and challenges and encouraging the newly graduated European Lawyers to actively contribute to the future of the European Union.
European Lawyer Graduation Class of 2016 in Rome on February 8, 2017 - Promotion Caterina da Siena*
The University of Rome - La Sapienza has organized a wonderful ceremony on behalf of the graduating class of 2016 in the beautiful "Sala delle Laurea" of the Law Faculty in Rome. After institutional greetings by the vice-president of the university, the heads of departments and the dean of faculty as well as a short greeting by the scientific representative of the European Law School at La Sapienza, Professor Guido Alpa was called upon for a Lectio Magistralis on “Definitions and Conceptions of contracts” in which he reflected on the different notions of contract in History and the different European Countries. After greetings of the representatives of the partner-universities Professor Stefan Grundmann, president of the European Law School network, resolved the suspense of who was to be the graduating class's namesake: The European Layer Class of 2016 is the "Promotion Caterina da Siena" - named after a person who stands for a diversity and also a unity of Europe, patron saint of Italy as well as Europe. Finally, the certificates of "Juriste Européen" were conferred to the new graduates and the ceremonial afternoon ended with a small gathering and reception.
Graduating Class of 2015 – Promotion Georg Friedrich Händel at King’s College London
The class of 2015 has been awarded the title of "Juriste Européen" in a prestigious ceremony organised by the King's European Law School on January 19, 2016.
Traditionally, the "promotion" is named after a famous historical figure: for the 6th promotion the network's president Prof. Dr. Dr. Stefan Grundmann chose the famous German-British composer Georg Friedrich Händel. Almost like our graduates, Händel was a European traveller - having lived, studied and worked in Germany and Italy, he spent the second half of his life in London.
The event was opened by King's Professor John Phillips who introduced the keynote speaker Professor Sir Francis Jacobs. Following were speakers from all partners and also three students - Filippo Caliento, Edoardo Celeste, and Lauren Lederle - who reflected about their experiences over the five years of the programme. Following the graduation, a reception was held at Somerset House East Wing, home of The Dickson Poon School of Law.
Graduating Class of 2014 – Promotion Hannah Arendt at the Humboldt-Universität Berlin
On 13 February 2015, the graduation of the now fifth ELS graduating class was combined with the opening ceremony of the “Unity and Difference in the European Legal Space” doctoral college. The keynote lecture was given by the French Ambassador in Germany. The Vice-President for Research of the Humboldt Universität and the Dean of the Law Faculty gave welcoming addresses. Students and alumni of the ELS provided the accompanying musical programme – for which, we offer them our sincere thanks!
Graduating Class of 2013 – Promotion Heinrich Heine at the Université Paris II Panthéon-Assas
In December 2013, the fourth ELS graduating class was awarded the “European Lawyer” diploma in Paris. The namesake of this graduating class is the German writer Heinrich Heine, whom Marcel Reich-Ranicki already celebrated as world-poet and European in his “Der Fall Heinrich Heine”.
Following warm words of welcome from the President of the Université Panthéon-Assas, Prof. Guillaume Leyte, Prof. 
Armel Le Divellec opened the ceremony with a lecture on “Universités et Juristes Européens à travers l'histoire“.
Prof. Dr. Dr. Grundmann then sketched a portrait of the poet Heine between Germany and France, followed by talks by Charlotte Reichow and Camille Adao, two ELS alumni. During the subsequent convivial dinner, current and former students of the European Law School had the opportunity, on the invitation of the alumni association, to meet again and exchange views.
Graduating Class of 2012 – Promotion Aristotle at the Humboldt-Universität Berlin
The graduation of the third ELS graduating class took place in Berlin. The official part was gotten underway in the Senate Hall with a keynote address by Prof. Dr. Dieter Grimm, former judge on the German Constitutional Court. The celebrations then continued by way of a ball in the Empress’s former ballroom. Professors and programme administrators, as well as students and alumni, were all invited.
Graduating Class of 2011 – Promotion Marie Curie at the Université Paris II Panthéon-Assas
In 2011, the graduation of the second ELS graduating class took place in the former home of the president of the Université Panthéon Assas. In addition to the graduates from Paris and Berlin and their family members, students of the programme who were in Paris at the time were also present, as were the programme administrators from each of the universities. The former president of the Université Panthéon Assas, Mme Dutheil de la Rochère, who was one of the co-initiators of the programme, gave the keynote address.
Graduating Class of 2010 – Promotion Michelangelo at the Humboldt-Universität Berlin
On 3/12/2010, the opening ceremony and first graduation ceremony of the European Law School took place at the Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, at which the title of “European lawyer” was awarded for the first time in the presence of the programme sponsors. In the morning, a scholarly symposium was held on the topic “Legal Thinking in Europe?”; in the afternoon, the graduation ceremony, as well as the awarding of an honorary degree to Prof. Dr. H.H. Weiler, took centre stage.