The ceremony opened with welcoming remarks from Bob Martens, Vice Dean of the Academy for Continuing Education at TU Wien, and Emil Brix, Director of the Diplomatic Academy/Vienna School of International Studies, who emphasized: “You’ve chosen the best track of studies—what is truly relevant, topics that even the EU is talking about.” He encouraged the graduates with a quote from former Austrian Vice Chancellor Erhard Busek: “We do not need think-tanks, we need DO-tanks!”—inspiring them to put their academic know-how into action.

Academic Program Directors Hans Puxbaum (TU Wien) and Holger Hestermeyer (Diplomatic Academy of Vienna/ Vienna School of International Studies) led the official graduation proceedings. Puxbaum explicitly congratulated the 'environmental ambassadors'.

A heartfelt speech by valedictorians Marietta Krismer and Olga Yurkevich crowned the celebration: “We have been through moments of doubt and moments of triumph in this truly unique cohort. Today is not only about a degree or a title—it is about the friendships we’ve formed and the strong community we’ve built. What’s next? The future is ours!"

We congratulate all graduates and look forward to seeing where their journeys will lead!

Interested in becoming a sustainability facilitator as well? Applications for the Fall 2025 intake are still open! https://application.da-vienna.ac.at/, opens an external URL in a new window