Commencement Ceremony

Commencement Will Take Place on Saturday, May 23, 2026 at the Imperial Hofburg Palace

This opportunity will allow graduates of the class of 2026 to walk across the stage of the Hofburg, have their graduation portraits taken, and commemorate the moment with a toast with their loved ones, peers and faculty.

Vienna Commencement

Commencement Speaker: Maziar Mike Doustdar

Maziar Mike Doustdar

WVPU is thrilled to welcome alumnus Mike Doustdar as our 2026 commencement speaker. Doustdar graduated in 1994 with a BA in International Business and serves as President and Chief Executive Officer of Novo Nordisk.

He joined Novo Nordisk in 1992 as an office clerk in Vienna, Austria. From 1993 through 2007 he took up various positions in finance, IT, logistics, operations and marketing, within various parts of Novo Nordisk’s emerging markets before he was appointed general manager of Novo Nordisk Near East in 2007.

In 2010, Doustdar was promoted to vice president of Business Area Near East and in 2012 he relocated to Malaysia to head the Business Area Oceania South East Asia. In 2013 he was promoted to senior vice president of Novo Nordisk’s International Operations, and in April 2015 Doustdar was promoted to executive vice president, continuing his responsibility for Novo Nordisk’s International Operations. The geographical responsibility of International Responsibilities was expanded throughout Doustdar’s tenure as executive vice president and by 2025 included all global commercial units, excluding the U.S.

In August 2025, Doustdar was appointed president and chief executive officer.

Last Year's Commencement Ceremony Highlights

Transcript

Eligibility to Participate in Commencement

Students eligible to participate in the commencement ceremony are all students who completed all their degree program requirements in the 2025-2026 academic year (August to May). In addition, students expecting to finish all requirements by the end of the 2026 summer term, and have six (6) or less credit hours left to complete are eligible. Please contact your respective department coordinator, if you have any questions or doubts. The contact information for all department coordinators can be found in the contacts section below.

Final Steps For the Ceremony

Information will be emailed in Spring 2026 to eligible students about how to register.

All payments are via bank transfer. Please ensure a timely process of your payment. The deadline is April 2026.

Bank details:

Account holder: Webster Vienna Private University

Bank name: Erste Bank AG

IBAN: AT47 2011 1310 0310 1197

BIC: GIBAATWW

Payment reference:

your name or student ID + graduation payment

Pick up your cap and gown on campus during the alumni cocktail night which will be held on campus on May 21, 2026.

Alumni Cocktail Night and Gown Pickup

The Webster Vienna Alumni Association is hosting an Alumni Cocktail Night, held at Palais Wenkheim on May 21 at 6 p.m. Pick up your graduation caps and gowns, mingle with your fellow graduates and meet Webster Vienna alumni.

The evening will include handmade cocktails, food and music.

You may give permission to someone to pick up your regalia on your behalf. Permission must be emailed to graduation@webster.ac.at.

Please ensure that your email indicates (Regalia Pick Up/LastName/StudentID) in the subject line, and in the body of the email include the full legal name of the individual picking up the regalia on your behalf, and your email signature, which should be your full legal name and student ID number.

The Day of the Ceremony

Timeline

On the day of the ceremony (Saturday, May 23, 2026) all students are required to arrive no later than 9 a.m. This allows time for gowns to be properly fitted. We also have both a ceremony rehearsal and professional portraits taken before the start of the ceremony.

Doors open for guests at 1:30 p.m., and the ceremony starts at 2 p.m.

A champagne reception will follow the ceremony and last until 4:45 p.m.

Accessibility

Please notify the graduation team of any disabilities or special requirements and we will ensure the appropriate accommodations.

Directions

The entrance to Hofburg Palace is at Heldenplatz. It can be easily reached via metro U3 (station “Herrengasse”), or by trams 1, 2, D, 71 and U2Z (station “Burgring”). Please note that there is no parking available directly at Hofburg, but you can find the nearest parking garage at MQ, Museumsplatz 1, 1070 Wien.

Dress Code

Attire is business casual for Commencement.

Please wear comfortable shoes or bring a second pair of shoes. It will be a busy day with several activities and being comfortable is important. There will be a break when you can change your shoes.

We ask that you arrive at the Imperial Hofburg Palace fully dressed in your regalia or have it prepared on a hanger. We will have a coat check area where you can leave your belongings, however, there is not a dressing room for steaming your regalia, applying makeup or styling hair.

People at graduation

Photography

Guests at Graduation

Professional photographer Gabriele Paar will be on site to take pictures of the event, including individual portraits. If you choose to buy photos, please note that portraits are taken before the ceremony begins, both just after you are in your regalia and during the rehearsal ceremony when you are on stage.

One week after the graduation ceremony, students will be able to choose and order their photos from a password-protected online shop. The photos will be sent to each student's home address after online payment.

Students will have the option to choose between the following photography packages:

Group Photos — 35 euros: two prints 15 cm x 22 cm.
Digital Package — 70 euros: including two group photos, two individual portraits, one portrait on stage with diploma and the photo documentary from the event. All photos are edited professionally and can be downloaded from a password protected online gallery.
Print and Digital Package — 95 euros: including two group photos, two individual portraits, one portrait on stage with diploma and the photo documentary from the event. All photos are edited professionally and can be downloaded from a password protected online gallery. Plus five prints in 15 cm x 22 cm will be sent to the selected postal address.
Family Photos — 40 euros: five digital photos, professionally edited and ready to print. Note: only a few spots available for 2026 family photos. Reserve early!

Costs for postage: 4.50 euros Austria; 9.50 euros EU; 16 euros worldwide. You can also pick up your photos at WVPU's Front Desk at no extra cost.

Please Note: Payment is due prior to event

Deadline payment for your photo package will be announced on time. Students who do not submit their photo payment on time will not be able to have their portrait photos taken at the event.

Photographer: Gabriele Paar (office@gabrielepaar.net)