17 September 2018. At the Doctors’ Graduation Ceremony, President Thomas Bieger awarded 66 degree certificates:

• 37 in Economic Sciences,
• eight in Social Sciences,
• eight in Law,
• one in Political Science,
• ten degrees of a Doctor of Philosophy in Economics and Finance, and
• two degree of a Doctor of Philosophy in Finance.

New research thanks to changes in context
"If you want your research results to have an impact, they have to be relevant – that is, they must be understandable, valid and useful in their individual context," President Thomas Bieger reminded the new doctors. This was why in contrast to their colleagues in the natural sciences, researchers in the social sciences answered similar questions time and again because the context kept changing. Thus research in social sciences had to generate insights in the form of orientational and practical knowledge.

By way of an example of orientational knowledge, Thomas Bieger mentioned the concept of fair wages. New technologies and production methods are changing the conditions under which results are achieved and wages are earned, as well as perception in society. Thus research into the issue of "fair wages" was required again and again. Research in the social sciences also discovered insights in the shape of practical knowledge, on whose basis institutions such as direct democracy or regulatory authorities were established. These institutions had to be continually legitimised. "This is why research is required which reassesses old questions in a changed context over and over again."

The new doctors were also welcomed by HSG alumna Dr. Nina Roehrs, Founder and Director of the Roehrs & Boetsch gallery in Zurich. The musical background to the ceremony was provided by Caroline Scheitlin and Manuel Hengartner.