HSG awards 486 master degrees

3 October 2015. On Master Graduation Day, 486 graduates were awarded degrees in the following programs:

• 25 in Business Innovation
• 46 in Marketing, Services and Communication Management
• 121 in Accounting and Finance
• 72 in Banking and Finance
• 13 in Strategy and International Management
• 56 in Business Management
• 11 in Management, Organization Studies and Cultural Theory
• 16 in Economics
• 22 in Quantitative Economics and Finance
• 54 in International Affairs and Governance
• 4 in International Law
• 19 in Law
• 27 in Law and Economics

Little time for leisure

“Time and again, our graduates’ parents tell me how much their children work in their new jobs, how much time they spend on the road, how little time is left for leisure activities”, Bieger said, as he officially started Graduation Day. He said that this actually is a paradox: today’s economy is characterized by historically and uniquely high productivity. But due to technology, there are large variances in the productivity. Therefore, professionals feel pressure to work a lot to be among the best – and then work a lot because they earn a lot. The motto “The winner takes all” – or at least “the most” – pertains to those professionals who are among the best in their fields, just as it does to artists and athletes.

Work hard – live smart

Bieger said leisure time also declines due to new life models: more commuting and the trend towards dual careers. Free time is used for “compulsory tasks”, such as visits to administrative agencies and paying bills. Bieger encouraged graduates to “believe in what you are doing”, adding that, in his experience, work gets out of balance only when it is overlaid by negative emotional stress. One cannot reconcile everything. So Bieger advised graduates to “work hard, live smart.”

Four prizes awarded

Before the degrees were awarded, HSG Alumni President Urs Landolf welcomed the graduates and encouraged them to participate in the alumni association. Four graduates were honored for the quality of the master’s theses. Simone Beckers received the Paul Alther Award for the best master thesis in law and political science. Luca Laloli received the award for the best thesis on Latin-American topics, and Asbjørn Klein was honored for the best one in economics. Marek Gorny accepted the Steinacher Award for the best master thesis in business administration. Beckers and Gorny were graduated in the spring. The prizes are awarded annually in the fall.

Attractive supporting program

Before and after the official celebration, graduates were able to participate in an art tour at HSG and have their photographs taken with or without academic gowns. The HSG Shop offered “Class of 2015” shirts as mementos. The ad[hoc} coffee bar and a sausage stand operated by Stiftung Suchthilfe St.Gallen provided sustenance. HSG Alumni invited everyone to its traditional graduation party in St.Gallen on Saturday evening.