Graduation ceremony 2019
200 guests from the wine industry, politics and the university bid farewell to the graduates of the Wine Campus Neustadt on Friday at the Herrenhof in Mußbach. Dr. Volker Wissing, Rhineland-Palatinate Minister of Viticulture, presented the certificates.
41 graduates from the Viticulture and Enology and MBA Wine, Sustainablility and Sales programs received their certificates on Friday. Prof. Dr. Peter Mudra, President of the Ludwigshafen University of Business and Society, Dr. Günter Hoos, Director of the Rural Area Service Center (DLR) Rhenish Palatinate and Prof. Dr. Dominik Durner, Director of the Wine Campus Neustadt, congratulated the eighth year of the Wine Campus on their successful graduation. The Mayor of Neustadt, Marc Weigel, and the President of the Palatinate Winegrowers' Association, Reinhold Hörner, addressed the graduates.
In his address, Minister of Economic Affairs Dr. Volker Wissing highlighted the Wine Campus Neustadt's commitment to the digitalization of viticulture. He also said that he personally wanted to "do everything possible to get the Franco-German Master's degree course in Viticulture and Enology planned for the 2020/2021 winter semester off the ground."
Prof. Dr. Dominik Durner was delighted with the ministry's promised support. "These are very positive signals and we look forward to starting the program with our French friends next year," said Prof. Durner.
The English-language, part-time MBA Wine, Sustainablility and Sales program was launched at the Wine Campus three years ago. The second year of this Master's program received their degrees on this day. Annemarie Hillenbrand received the prize for the best MBA degree.
Five Bachelor graduates were honored for outstanding academic achievements: Isabell Spieß received the award for best graduate, Fabio Fehrenbach for best graduate in the Viticulture and Enology degree program, In addition, Marie-Luise Pfersich was awarded for the best Bachelor's thesis in Viticulture, Marc Weber for the best Bachelor's thesis in Enology and Philipp Merk for the best Bachelor's thesis in Business Administration/Marketing.
On behalf of Meininger Verlag, the Palatinate Wine Queen Anna-Marie Löffler presented a check for scholarships at the Wine Campus in the amount of 10,000 euros to the Wine Campus Neustadt student representatives. This is intended to support students with children, stays abroad and excursions during their studies. Another generous donation for Germany scholarships was presented by Klaus Huter, Deputy Chairman of the Karl-Josef-Wagner Foundation in Wachenheim. A further scholarship of 1,000 euros, donated by the Soroptimist Club Frankenthal, was awarded to student Michelle Adelseck.
Following the official ceremony, guests of honor, professors, staff, alumni and graduates celebrated into the night in the Kelterhaus of the St. John State Winery in Neustadt.
Award winners:
Best graduate:
Isabell Spieß - awarded by Vinissima - Frauen und Wein e.V. with a membership and a voucher worth 450 euros.
Best graduate:
Fabio Fehrenbach - awarded a prize of 500 euros by the Association of Graduates in Viticulture Neustadt.
Best graduate MBA
Annemarie Hillenbrand - awarded by VR Bank Südpfalz e.G. with a prize of 500 euros.
Best Bachelor's thesis in viticulture:
Marie-Luise Pfersich - awarded a prize of 500 euros by Braun Maschinenbau.
Investigations into the effectiveness of two different heating cable systems for late frost control in viticulture
Best Bachelor's thesis in Enology:
Marc Weber - awarded a prize of 500 euros by the Scharfenberger company.
On the odor threshold value of So2 in wine and the analytical determination of molecular So2
Best Bachelor's thesis in Business Administration/Marketing:
Philipp Merk - awarded a magnum bottle of Sauternes by the LAFFORT company.
Comparison of entrepreneurship and employment in the winegrowing industry based on a case study
The Wine Campus Neustadt is a scientific institution of the Ludwigshafen (leading), Bingen and Kaiserslautern Universities of Applied Sciences, which, in cooperation with the Rural Area Service Center (DLR) Rhenish Palatinate and more than 500 cooperating companies, offers the dual study program Viticulture and Enology as well as the continuing education Master's program "MBA Wine, Sustainability & Sales".