Certificate presentation and a festive send-off for the candidates

On 27 October 2027, the graduation ceremony for pharmacists – which has long been a cherished tradition in Münster – took place in a festive atmosphere following their successful completion of the second pharmaceutical examination.

In the run-up to the academic ceremony, everyone gathered for the customary group photograph in front of the PharmaCampus. The large lecture theatre was almost full, confirming the trend that has persisted for years: this day in Münster is a very special occasion for pharmacists, celebrated in grand style together with family and friends. Professor Dr Andreas Hensel, Chair of the Examination Board, welcomed all candidates and guests on behalf of the University of Münster and highlighted the strong graduation record of Münster’s pharmacy programme. During his opening address, Hensel also emphasised what actually constitutes an academic degree: not merely factual knowledge, but the critical, independent and self-directed engagement with facts. A university degree does not have to enable pharmacists to know and be able to do everything from their very first day on the job (no degree programme in the world can guarantee this); rather, graduates should be equipped with fundamental knowledge, methodological skills, personal motivation and creativity, enabling them to master day-to-day work in the pharmaceutical sector independently and on the basis of scientific facts – a challenging but rewarding goal.

The welcoming address by the Dean of Studies for the Department of Chemistry and Pharmacy, Prof. Dr Anette Maron, affirmed the efficiency, dynamism and quality of pharmaceutical education in Münster, which have been evident for many years. The Dean of Studies clearly emphasised the importance of the profession of pharmacist, both in the past and in the future.

As part of the keynote lecture ‘Can a healthy diet be measured?’, Professor Dr Hans Ullrich Humpf (Institute of Food Chemistry) demonstrated how, using state-of-the-art coupled analytical techniques, food-specific marker metabolites can be identified and quantified in human urine samples. This is done, on the one hand, to identify potential hazards (e.g. mycotoxins) and, on the other hand, to gain an insight into actual dietary habits.

Dr Hannes Müller, a member of the Executive Board of the Westfalen-Lippe Chamber of Pharmacists, then conveyed the Chamber’s greetings, congratulated all the graduates and highlighted the opportunities that the Chamber – “your Chamber from now on” – will offer the prospective pharmacists.
A highlight of the proceedings was the presentation of an award by the Westfalen-Lippe Pharmacists’ Foundation to Mr Wiegartz for outstanding performance in the second part of the pharmaceutical examination.

In a closing speech, the students – represented by Ms Amelie Wallmeyer and Mr Jan Wiegarz – looked back on their time at university, highlighting not only the challenging aspects of their time together but also the enjoyable moments.

The highlight of the ceremony was, of course, the presentation of the 41 certificates to the graduates by Prof. Hensel.

The festive academic ceremony concluded with a standing reception, before culminating in a long and festive evening at the gala dinner in a fitting atmosphere.

Congratulations to all the successful graduates!

Prof. Dr A. Hensel, University of Münster