526 Master’s degrees awarded

On 2 April 2016, 526 graduates were awarded the degree of a Master of Arts (M.A. HSG) at the University of St.Gallen. In his address, President Thomas Bieger focused on the transformation of management. In Management 4.0, it was not the skills of a lone hero that were in demand but the ability to deal with decentralised systems.

2 April 2016. On the occasion of the Masters' Graduation Day, a total of 526 graduates were handed their degree certificates in the following programmes:

38 in Business Innovation,
51 in Marketing, Service and Communication Management,
135 in Accounting and Finance,
25 in Strategy and International Management,
72 in Business Management,
11 in Management, Organization Studies and Cultural Theory,
78 in Banking and Finance,
17 in Economics,
17 in Quantitative Economics and Finance,
34 in International Affairs and Governance,
20 in Law,
19 in Law and Economics,
9 in International Law.

Four skill levels for Management 4.0
The growing impact of technology did not only affect industry but all processes of business, said President Thomas Bieger in his address. He divided the various skills that graduates would have to possess into four levels: "I would call the ability to assess technological change and its repercussions on one's own company as Level 1." Technical developments did not only concern enterprises but also the modus operandi. This required hard skills, such as statistics and big data analysis, as well as soft skills – Bieger's Level 2. He described coping with the increasing influence of politics as Level 3. "Today, the success of many industries no longer merely depends on their own achievements and innovations. Rather, profit perspectives are determined by government regulations."

Level 4: leadership through trust

How can people lead complex international organisations in such an environment? According to Thomas Bieger, this requires the abilities of Level 4: the ability to deal with decentralised entrepreneurial systems was a main success factor. This required leadership through trust and teams rather than simply planning monitoring systems. The development and cultivation of networks in this context could also be pursued with HSG Alumni. Thus HSG Alumni President Urs Landolf welcomed the new graduates: "As President Thomas Bieger mentioned before, make use of the opportunities provided by our alumni network and cultivate an exchange with alumni and alumnæ – regardless of where you end up, for our chapters meet all over the world."

Attractive social programme

The musical backdrop to the ceremony was provided by Malcolm Green. Guests were able to go on a guided tour of the HSG's art works, and graduates were able to have their photographs taken with or without a gown, before and after the official ceremony. By way of a souvenir, the HSG Shop sold "Class of 2016" T-shirts. Refreshments were provided by the ad[hoc] coffee bar and the bratwurst sausage stand of the St.Gallen Addiction Assistance Foundation. In the evening, HSG Alumni staged the traditional Graduation party in St.Gallen.