Last Friday, the Faculty of Social Work celebrated the successful graduation of 101 Bachelor of Social Work students and 9 Master ofPreventive Social Workstudents in a festive ceremony. The event was opened with a warm welcome from our Dean, Prof Dr Sandra Verena Müller, who not only welcomed the graduates and their families, but also numerous guests and colleagues.
In her opening speech, Prof. Dr Müller drew a line from the beginnings of digitalisation to the current challenges and opportunities presented by artificial intelligence in social work. She called on the graduates to understand the new technologies as powerful tools, but to always scrutinise them critically and help shape them responsibly. Her central message was an appeal to place human empathy and ethical responsibility at the centre. AI could support social work, but never replace people. The future lies in the intelligent combination of technological innovation and professional human behaviour.
As the keynote speaker, Bernd Retzki, Head of Schools, Youth and Social Affairs for the district of Wolfenbüttel, gave the graduates a practical and encouraging insight into the diverse professional fields. He debunked common clichés about working at the youth welfare office and painted a picture of a supportive and promising authority that is always on the lookout for committed specialists. Retzki emphasised the close and valuable cooperation between Ostfalia and the district and called on the new specialists to actively promote important attitudes such as inclusion and the strengthening of social cohesion in society.
The two speeches were followed by the highlight of the event: the ceremonial presentation of the certificates. The atmospheric musical setting was created by Géza Gál, leader of the TU Big Band Braunschweig, who enriched the event as usual with his skills on the trumpet, didgeridoo and piano. The cosy part of the celebration continued with the traditional champagne reception. A special highlight here was the photo box, which was enthusiastically used by the graduates and their guests to capture this special day.
We would like to congratulate all graduates on their successful graduation and wish them all the best and every success in their future careers and personal lives.
