The Summer Semester and the academic year of teaching have drawn to a close at the Institute for Law and Finance. The Class of 2021 has completed a challenging yet successful 10 months in Frankfurt studying for their LL.M. Finance or LL.M. International Finance degrees. The graduating class of 51 students from 27 countries across both programs were able to gather in-person in the Festsaal of Campus Westend to enjoy their graduation . Under strict covid hygiene regulations factoring in physical distancing, disinfection stations and testing, the ILF was delighted to welcome the Vice-President of Goethe University, the Dean of the Law Faculty, students and faculty members to celebrate the Class of 2021!
Prof. Dr. Andreas Cahn, ILF Executive Director, opened the graduation ceremony by welcoming our participants to the ceremony. The Graduation Ceremony was the first live event hosted by the ILF on campus since February 2020. During this time, the ILF had conducted lectures both in presence and online however no other meetings, conferences or events have taken place on campus. Prof. Cahn remarked how the students faced a challenging year, but all have persevered to make the best of the situation and seize the opportunities during their time in Frankfurt.
Prof. Dr. Klaus Günther, Dean of the Law Faculty, Goethe University Frankfurt am Main, was in attendance at the graduation ceremony. During his opening remarks, he was delighted to be able to celebrate our students in a live setting. Prof. Günther also made a note of the diversity and internationality of the LL.M. programs. Most other students of law from Goethe University are typically from Germany, however the two programs at the ILF bring together students from all backgrounds for a year of study, something truly unique and special.
Commencement speaker, Prof. Dr. Bernhard Brüne, Vice-President, Goethe University, gave a speech which recognised the work of our students. All of the now ILF graduates chose to study abroad during a pandemic, a decision that was not easy to make. Yet in the audience Dr. Brüne saw curious and capable individuals who had proven their abilities not only in the classroom but also in their day to day lives, forming new friendships and bonds during their time at the ILF.
The LL.M. Finance Class President, Ms. Sylvie Heck Cadier, from Brazil, and the LL.M. International Finance Class President, Ms. Jiayun Wang, from China, gave speeches which noted the difficulties and the success during their year of study. Both Presidents reminisced that even though the pandemic limited the time spent interacting or networking, moving all events online, students from both programs had organised their own small events to get to know their cohort during the year. Their efforts have made the Class of 2021 lifelong friends.
Our Class Vice-Presidents, Mr. Duan Chen from China and Mr. Jorge Mejia Caicedo from Colombia honored four lecturers, two from the winter semester and two from the summer semester, with the Lecturer of the Year 2021 Awards, nominated by each group of students. Our Class VPs expressed their gratitude on behalf of their classmates, thanking each lecturer for their dedication over the term. In particular, both Vice-Presidents remarked on how when teaching in presence or online, the lectures gave their very best each session to ensure that every moment in the classroom was productive and valuable.
Winter Semester:
LL.M. Finance: Dr. Carsten Angersbach
LL.M. International Finance: Prof. Dr. Reinhard H. Schmidt
Summer Semester:
LL.M. Finance: Dr. Markus Burianski
LL.M. International Finance: Dr. Rüdiger Litten
Finally, each student of the Class of 2021 received their commemorative certificate and was personally congratulated by Prof. Dr. Günther during the certificates award ceremony.
At the end of the ceremony, all students and guests were invited to the dinner held at the Main Nizza, in the heart of Frankfurt located on the river Main. At dinner, our guests enjoyed a 15-minute video made by Dr. Rolf Friedewald, ILF Managing Director, recapping the events of the year with many humorous and special touches throughout.
Celebrations continued late into the evening and we are delighted our students were able to participate safely in this presence event.
Congratulations to the Class of 2021!
