Out and about with Arqus: The first graduation ceremony of the Master in European Studies took place in Graz

On 29 January 2026, the first graduation ceremony for the Arqus Master’s European Studies took place at the University of Graz. Around 120 guests celebrated the 22 graduates of the joint study programme of the Arqus Alliance, a collaboration between the universities of Granada, Graz, Leipzig and Vilnius. Wenke Steinwart is one of the graduates and also co-founder of the Arqus Women Connect initiative. A look behind the scenes – and at two years full of European experiences and friendships.

The journey to graduation began with a long but charming night train ride to Graz – a route I already knew from my semester abroad, which brought back memories of moving with lots of suitcases and little sleep. Once in Graz, the day started with coffee and the launch event for the Arqus Women Connect project. This is our initiative that offers young female students a platform to network and exchange ideas about starting their careers and career paths. This exchange felt particularly fitting on graduation day: between the graduation ceremony and future plans, there was room for honest conversations about next steps and sharing experiences about the job market.

In the afternoon, we came together in a completely different atmosphere. The graduation ceremony began with a solemn procession – we students dressed festively, the professors, rectors and coordinators in their official robes. The speeches by the partner universities were followed by a presentation of our cohort. And as I sat there and saw the pictures from the past two years, I realised how much our shared travels, new cities and countless moments as a group had brought us together.

European togetherness at the universities and beyond

My personal experience within the Arqus European University Alliance began in Leipzig – a city with many canals, lakes and nearby nature, which quickly became home. With a group of fellow students, we explored flea markets in the west, parks in the south and pubs in the east. In the second semester, fellow students from Vilnius, Graz and Granada joined us. Together we spent a summer between seminars, open-air viewings of the European Football Championship, exam periods and warm summer evenings at Cossi. In the autumn, I moved to Graz myself. Like Leipzig, the city is young and student-oriented, yet very different in its atmosphere. It is a city slightly smaller than Leipzig, surrounded by the Alps, which invites you to enjoy the winter between the Christmas atmosphere of the old town and excursions into the surrounding countryside. From there, we took trips together to Budapest, Ljubljana and Prague, and I also had the opportunity to visit friends from Leipzig in Vilnius. My studies thus became a network of places, friendships and perspectives. In the last semester, we came back together in Leipzig with the experiences we had gained during our semester abroad to complete our master’s thesis and thus our studies.

“Being part of the first cohort of graduates from this still relatively new degree programme still feels special, and the graduation ceremony was a wonderful conclusion to this chapter.”

After two years of master’s studies, I realised once again at the graduation ceremony how wonderful it is to be in a room with new friends from all over Europe. I am grateful for the opportunities that the Arqus network has opened up for me: the diverse academic perspectives I have gained, the opportunity to participate in projects such as Arqus Women Connect, the friendships and the chance to travel to new corners of Europe. 

An article by Wenke Steinwart

*The Master’s programme European Studies, the first joint degree offered by the Arqus Alliance, was launched in 2023/24. It brings together the expertise of the four Arqus universities in Granada, Graz, Leipzig and Vilnius and provides an interdisciplinary perspective on Europe in a global context. The current application period runs until 31 March 2026 – interested students can now apply for the next academic year.