A university thrives on freedom

At his first matriculation ceremony in Jena today (24 October), University President Prof. Dr Andreas Marx welcomed around 3,750 first-semester students to Friedrich Schiller University. He – "also a first semester" – welcomed the younger "first-timers" to the packed Volkshaus in Jena and emphasized the basis of the university and the opportunities it offers in his welcoming speech. "Our University thrives on freedom: freedom of thought, freedom of discourse, freedom of science. Utilize this freedom! Discuss, argue, question everything – including yourself. Especially at the beginning of your studies, you have the opportunity to get involved in different areas, make contacts across disciplinary boundaries and discover new perspectives," said Marx. He invited students to "actively participate and contribute your voice right from the start". "You are now part of a vibrant community characterized by diversity, openness and the search for truth. Be curious, get involved," said the President.

Courage, hope and solidarity

In her keynote speech "Crises, wars, climate", theologian Prof. Dr Sarah Jäger addressed ethical orientation in our time of diverse conflicts. "As individuals, we have to make judgements and take action in these circumstances, and to do so we need ethical orientation knowledge," said the Junior Professor of Systematic Theology/Ethics. This knowledge can enable us to make informed decisions based on our conscience within the freedoms of our democracy. "This requires courage, hope and solidarity. Because hope can inspire us to stand up for change and get involved. At the same time, however, it is clear that we only have limited opportunities to shape things in our respective places and are therefore always dependent on community," emphasized Jäger.

Prof. Dr Karina Weichold, Vice-President for Learning and Teaching, presented ten first-year students with so-called "citizens' letters" as a symbol of their acceptance into the university community. These first-semester students came from each of the university's ten faculties and thus illustrated the diversity of the new students.

Awards for special achievements

The Vice-President then honoured the best graduates of the previous academic year. The exam prizes – endowed with 250 euros each and donated by the Friends and Patrons of the Friedrich Schiller University Jena – were awarded this year to Josephine Hallecker (Faculty of Theology), Helen-Sophie Reimann (Faculty of Law), Felix Ludger Kintrup (Faculty of Economics and Business Administration), Lasse Plöhn (Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences), Maria Schreiber (Faculty of Mathematics and Computer Science), Tobias Morgner (Faculty of Physics and Astronomy), Alexander Jason Koelzer (Faculty of Chemistry and Earth Sciences), and Dr Katharina Janina Sophie Holzmüller (Faculty of Medicine). Michelle Buschbeck secured two prizes – one from the Faculty of Arts and Humanities and one for the best teaching exam.

Another award was presented to the Indian Master's student Sameer Khatri. He received the DAAD prize for international sudents endowed with 1,000 euros from the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD). In addition to his academic achievements, the selection committee was impressed by the 25-year-old's wide-ranging commitment – especially the welcome events organised by Khatri and the support he provides to new students when they start their studies in Jena.

Chestnut tree in memory of the matriculation 2024/25

The festive day for the new students concluded with the tree planting, which, like the welcome ceremony, is an integral part of university tradition in Jena. Together with University President Andreas Marx, the new students planted a chestnut tree (Castanea sativa) in the Griesbachgarten, which was donated by the Friends and Patrons of the University and will commemorate the 2024/25 matriculation.