Campus - 05.10.2026 - 08:00
The Bachelor’s Graduation Day took place on Friday, October 2, 2026, at the Olma Hall. The graduates received their diplomas in the following fields of study:
Master’s Graduation Day took place on Saturday, October 3, 2026. Diplomas were awarded in the following fields of study:
With their Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees, students are bringing formative phases of their lives to a close. A time when a great deal has happened: “Growth rarely comes from a single, defining moment. It is the result of many small steps that are barely visible at first,” said President Manuel Ammann at the start of his address. Every case study and every challenge the students overcame brought them a step closer to their goal. The Bachelor’s degree is the tangible result of these efforts.
At HSG, students are trained to become responsible, entrepreneurial professionals for the economy and society. “Our mission is to ensure that knowledge creates impact. Insights only realize their full value when they find their way into practice – into new products, better processes, or innovative business models,” said Manuel Ammann.
In recent years, the number of students at HSG has risen sharply. This demonstrates the University’s appeal. However, the goal is not to increase student numbers, but to raise the level of competence among graduates. “We don’t want to grow in breadth, but in depth,” said Ammann. Qualitative growth could therefore also mean consciously setting limits, establishing priorities, and allocating resources in a targeted manner: for even better teaching, excellent research, and high-quality services, the President explained.
Growth occurs when people are willing to invest time, ideas, and capital in new endeavours, according to Ammann. Growth also means continually taking on new challenges. Sustainable growth requires not only effort but also sufficient periods of rest and reflection, the President pointed out.
HSG Alumni Association President Mathieu Jaus also addressed the theme of “steps” in his commencement speech. At the Bachelor’s graduation ceremony, he posed the following question to the graduates: “How many steps do you climb on the way from the St.Gallen train station to the ad-hoc?” It takes 456 steps to reach the top. HSG alumnus Nicolas Senn, the dulcimer musician, counted this number one morning on his way to the University and composed a song based on it: “Morgestimmig 456.”
Numbers stick in your memory, Mathieu Jaus continued. The HSG alumni community, for example, now comprises over 45,000 members. Of these, 10,000 participate in alumni events every year. “That makes us one of the most significant alumni associations in Europe! Imagine how many exciting stories, interesting people, and experiences are part of this network,” said Mathieu Jaus. The network spans the globe: from London to New York to Singapore, Ho Chi Minh City, and cities throughout Switzerland. The alumni president therefore told the Bachelor’s graduates: “Once HSG – always HSG,” no matter where life takes them.
At the Master’s graduation ceremony, HSG Alumni President Mathieu Jaus focused on what remains of the HSG experience beyond one’s degree course, degree, or (academic) programme: “What is the secret of the HSG family? What actually stays with you from St.Gallen after graduation?” In personal conversations, he had often heard the term “HSG Spirit.” A term that describes the dedicated, responsible community at and around HSG. After all, values and attitudes aren’t imparted solely in the lecture room but are forged between people.
Wherever graduates may go after HSG: HSG Alumni brings HSG alumni together time and again. “The alumni clubs around the world are like small extensions of the campus: they are places where you can make connections, get advice, share and validate experiences, or simply laugh with like-minded people about the best stories from your college days. And all of this without any barriers to entry,” Mathieu Jaus concluded his speech.
Images: Lautenschlager GmbH / Leo Boesinger
Main image: Master’s graduation ceremony in the Olma Hall
