Among those offering their congratulations were Ina Brandes, Minister of Culture and Science for the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, Professor Martin Sternberg, Chairman of the Board of the NRW Doctoral College, Professor Bernd Kriegesmann, Chairman of the State Rectors' Conference (LRK) of the HAW in NRW, Professor Andreas Wytzisk-Arens, President of Bochum University of Applied Sciences, Dr. Eva-Maria Grommes, graduate of the doctoral college, research group leader at the Cologne Innovation and Transfer Lab (CITL) at TH Köln and science communicator, and renowned science journalist Dr. Jan-Martin Wiarda.
After a ceremonial welcome by Professor Andreas Wytzisk-Arens, President of Bochum University of Applied Sciences, the Chairman of the Doctoral College, Professor Martin Sternberg, welcomed those present. He praised the graduates of the Doctoral School NRW and thanked them for their trust in the still young doctoral program: "Today, we honor the outstanding results of our doctoral students and thank them for the trust they have placed in us to successfully guide them through the doctoral process at the Doctoral School NRW. We congratulate them warmly on passing their examinations. May they shape the future with courage, curiosity, and perseverance, build bridges, strengthen networks, and provide sustainable impetus for the North Rhine-Westphalia region. We wish them all the best for their professional future!"
Minister of Science Ina Brandes: "The great strength of our universities of applied sciences is the practical, academic training they provide to students. The Promotionskolleg NRW ties in perfectly with this and enables excellent scientific work that is closely linked to practical application. I am delighted that in future we will also be able to support research colleges with teams of particularly research-strong professors and doctoral candidates. In this way, we are creating optimal conditions for completing doctoral studies quickly and successfully. This will benefit North Rhine-Westphalia as a center of science and business, because it will enable us to put research findings into practical application more quickly."
Outstanding results
The focus then shifted to honoring the graduates. Science journalist Dr. Jan-Martin Wiarda congratulated the PK NRW doctoral graduates not only on their personal success. He also placed their results/s in the context of science policy and expressed his admiration for the courage and confidence of the doctoral students who bring the PK NRW project to life.
Dr. Eva-Maria Grommes, research group leader at TH Köln and science communicator, looked back on her doctoral studies in an entertaining science slam. She described the special results/s and challenges of this time in a very creative and vivid way, which not only inspired the PK NRW graduates.
The doctoral projects were also presented and the doctoral graduates were honored personally. The dissertation topics ranged from the benefits of machine learning for security of supply, to the design of new socio-technical interaction models in public spaces, to assistance systems in nursing care.
The work of Vanessa Mai, the first graduate of the PK NRW, was highlighted. For her doctoral studies on relationship building in AI-based human-machine coaching, she was awarded the prize of the German Institute for Higher Education Development and the Association of University Teachers (hlb) for the best HAW doctoral study of 2025.
A total of eleven PK NRW graduates were honored. They were delighted with the recognition and expressed their gratitude for the extensive professional and personal support they received throughout all phases of their doctoral studies. The Doctoral School NRW not only gave them access to networks and opportunities to transfer their research results to the business or public sector, but also prepared them for future career paths.
Closing remarks and joint conclusion
Professor Kriegesmann, LRK Chairman of the HAW in NRW, found the right words to conclude the event. He praised the cooperation between the HAW, PK NRW, and politicians in implementing doctoral studies at HAWs in NRW: "The work of the PK NRW shows that it is worth courageously breaking new ground. This will allow the potential of the HAWs to be exploited even better while maintaining high quality – with positive effects for science, the economy, and society."
A total of around 160 guests attended the event, which was hosted by Dr. Natascha Strenger, spokesperson for the PK NRW. It was a day full of joy, memories, and anticipation for the future.
About the PK NRW
The Promotionskolleg NRW is a scientific institution comprising 20 universities of applied sciences in North Rhine-Westphalia. It was founded in 2020 with the university policy mandate of strengthening and expanding cooperative doctorates and creating the conditions for doctoral studies at universities of applied sciences. (TH) OWL University of Applied Sciences and Arts is proud to be part of this network.
In 2022, the state of North Rhine-Westphalia granted the Doctoral School NRW the independent right to award doctorates. As an inter-university scientific institution of the 20 supporting universities, the Doctoral School NRW conducts independent doctoral procedures and awards doctoral degrees.