Commencement Ceremony

Commencement will place on Saturday, May 18, 2024 at the Imperial Hofburg Palace.

This opportunity will allow graduates of the class of 2024 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.

Nenad Pacek, Commencement Speaker

Nenad Pacek is a former Executive Vice President of the Economist Group and the Economist Intelligence Unit where he spent almost two decades. Within the Group, he also ran the corporate advisory division for emerging markets.

During the last decade, Nenad is founder and president of Global Success Advisors and EMEA Business Group, corporate services that work (via subscription packages and one-off consultations) with global and regional EMEA management teams of over 500 multinational corporations, helping them understand global and regional geopolitical, economic and business issues that will impact corporations in the future.

Nenad is the author of three books on emerging markets’ business and economic issues, one book on the global economy and the new book on the rise of China and Chinese multinationals. He was also one of the contributors to the book The Future of Money.

He lives near Vienna with his wife and three daughters, one of whom (Nina) has just earned a bachelor’s degree from Webster University Vienna. Nenad loves sports and uses some of this free time for basketball, tennis, golf, swimming and skiing. Nenad is a proud Webster University Vienna alumni and one of the first Webster Vienna students coming from Central Eastern Europe.

Eligibility

Students eligible to participate in the commencement ceremony are all students who completed all their degree program requirements in the 2023-2024 academic year (August to May). In addition, students expecting to finish all requirements by the end of the 2024 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

Registration for 2024 commencement is open! Information has been emailed 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 15, 2024.

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 at Gowns and Bubbles on Wednesday, May 15, 2024.

Gowns and Bubbles

Gowns and Bubbles is an event for graduating students, where they receive their gowns, pick up their guest tickets, and enjoy a light snack and some bubbly beverages with their friends and colleagues. This year’s Gowns and Bubbles event will take place in WVPU’s atrium on May 15, 2024. 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 (May 18, 2024), all students are required to arrive no later than 9:00. Doors open for guests at 13:30, and the ceremony starts at 14:00. A champagne reception will follow the ceremony and last until 16:45.

Accessibility

Please notify the graduation team of any disabilities or special requirements so we can 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

The Commencement Ceremony is a premiere moment as you prepare for the next chapter of your life. To ease your decision on the outfit for your big day, please keep the following in mind:

Dress code: Business casual. 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, we will not offer a dressing room for steaming your regalia, applying makeup, or styling hair.

Photography

Guests at Graduation

Professional photographer Gabriele Paar will be on site to take pictures of the event, including professional portraits. 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 15x22cm.
Digital Package 65 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 15x22 cm will be sent to the selected postal address.
Ambient shots, family and friends portraits or extra portraits: digital 10 euros, print 7 euros, print + digital 15 euros per photo.

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)