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Campus - 28.03.2014 - 00:00 

445 Master’s degrees awarded

On 4 October 2014, 445 graduates were awarded the degree of a Master of Arts (M.A. HSG) at the University of St.Gallen. President Thomas Bieger provided the graduates with tips as to how they could also achieve a great leap forward in small steps.
Source: HSG Newsroom

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4 October 2014. On the occasion of the Masters' Graduation Day, a total of 445 graduates received their degree certificates:

  • 31 in Business Innovation,
  • 45 in Marketing, Service and Communication Management,
  • 87 in Accounting and Finance,
  • 96 in Banking and Finance,
  • 26 in Strategy and International Management,
  • 35 in Business Management,
  • 6 in Management, Organization Studies and Cultural Theory,
  • 27 in Economics,
  • 9 in Quantitative Economics and Finance,
  • 34 in International Affairs and Governance,
  • 1 in International Law
  • 21 in Law,
  • 27 in Law and Economics.

Small steps or a "big bang"

"And now you're looking forward to making a great leap forward, to steering a project into a completely new direction or perhaps even to setting up a company," said Bieger in his ceremonial address about the graduates' future plans. But with a great leap forward, you put all your eggs into one basket, which is why the graduates would be facing a fundamental question: would they want to proceed gently and in small steps, or would they want a "big bang"? To facilitate this decision, Bieger provided some tips.

The determining factor for the decision about the course of action was not only the urgency, the question concerning alternatives, the prospects of success and the complexity of it all, but also its context. There were times in which great leaps forward were in higher demand, and there were periods in which gradual strategies were more appropriate. As a second point, Bieger referred to a deliberate decision and its ongoing scrutiny.

"Do it wisely and consider the end"

"Show respect when more experienced executives treat a situation differently from you," said Bieger. A policy of small steps, in particular, often required much more perseverance and less immediate recognition. Also, people often paid too much attention to the great leap itself, which led to Bieger's final tip: "A great leap is always only the means to a new end." The graduates should concentrate on the final state and its stabilisation.

Attractive social programme

Before the degree certificates were handed out, HSG Alumni President Urs Landolf gave a welcoming address to the graduates. He encouraged them to join the alumni organisation. The musical background to the ceremony was provided by the Elias Bernet Trio and by Flurin Maron. The guests could join in a guided tour of the art works at the HSG before or after the official ceremony or be photographed with or without a gown by photographer Hannes Thalmann. By way of a souvenir, the HSG Shop offered "Class of 2014" T-shirts for sale. Refreshments were provided by the ad[hoc] coffee bar and by the bratwurst stand of St.Gallen's Addiction Support Foundation. In the evening, HSG Alumni organised the traditional Graduation Party in St.Gallen.

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