Heritage graduates from 31 countries say goodbye to BTU

On November 9 and 10, 2023, BTU Cottbus-Senftenberg bid farewell to its graduates of the Heritage Master's degree programs World Heritage Studies and Heritage Conservation and Site Management. 56 graduates from 31 countries successfully completed their Master's degree with a focus on cultural and natural heritage in winter 2022/23 and summer 2023. Over the past 24 years of the World Heritage Studies study programme's existence, 430 students from 80 countries have successfully completed their studies. In addition, a further 101 students from 33 countries have completed the "Heritage Conservation and Site Management" study programme over a period of nine years.

The graduates were first honored and celebrated at a graduation ceremony on November 9, 2023. The President of BTU Prof. Dr. Gesine Grande acknowledged the contribution of the international heritage study programmes to the cultural diversity of BTU and referred to the influence of BTU World Heritage alumni in the national and international shaping of World Heritage strategies, in particular due to the strong international alumni network that is maintained far beyond the periods of study in Cottbus. The Dean of Faculty 6, Prof. Dr. Bernhard Weyrauch highlighted the special role of graduates as ambassadors of BTU and through their preservation of global heritage as ambassadors for peace, cultural diversity and mutual appreciation. In her speech, Friederike Hansell from the World Heritage Coordination Office of the Federal Foreign Office focused on her own studies at BTU and the influences that BTU graduates bring to the international discourses of UNESCO and other international organizations. She emphasized that the BTU continues to offer the most globally renowned university education on UNESCO World Heritage, which is now known and sought after in specialist circles worldwide. She also encouraged students and graduates to get actively involved in international exchange on UNESCO World Heritage at an early stage, even during their studies.

On November 10, 2023, the first Heritage GradConnect conference also took place on the main campus of BTU Cottbus-Senftenberg. At this conference, graduates presented the results of their Master's theses to a wider audience of experts. Afterwards, alumni of the BTU Heritage Master's programs reported on their current professional practice and reflected on which aspects of their studies have particularly prepared them for their professional tasks.