11.10.2024: Opening of the New Academic Year 2024

This year's opening of the academic year took place on October 11, 2024. The new cohorts of the MA degree programs in War and Conflict Studies and in International War Studies were welcomed. At the same time, the Chair of War Studies honored the graduates of the past year, who had again devoted themselves to a wide range of Master's dissertation topics and achieved very pleasing results. At the center of this year's celebrations were once again the prizes awarded by the Chair: The two most outstanding students in the MA International War Studies, the Australian Étienne Darcas and the Finn Maisa Mattila, each received a scholarship from the Association of Friends of the Chair of War Studies worth EUR 7,000. This scholarship will help finance their second year of study in Dublin. The Chair's annual Prize for best graduate in War Studies was awarded this year to Johannes R. Fischbach, who wrote his excellent Master's dissertation on a naval history topic in the MA War and Conflict Studies. This prize consists of an honorary ring and a prize money of EUR 500, both of which are donated by the Friends of the Chair. Mr. Fischbach's speech was self-deprecating and thought-provoking, and was intended to motivate the first-year students to give their best at the University of Potsdam. The evening came to a fitting end on the terrace of House 9: As in previous years, in the glorious sunset with pretzels and champagne, with a view of the Neues Palais.