Webster Vienna Celebrates Class of 2025 at Hofburg Palace

On May 17, Webster Vienna Private University (WVPU) conferred degrees upon 80 graduates during a commencement ceremony held at the historic Hofburg Palace.

Faculty, staff, family members and friends gathered with a celebratory air to honor the accomplishments of the 2025 graduating class. This year’s graduates, representing 27 countries, are now the newest members of the Webster University Alumni Association.  

Associate Director Samuel R. Schubert provided welcome remarks, while Alexandra Deubner of Career Services served as this year’s master of ceremony.

"Our greatest achievements often come wrapped in the quiet sacrifices made by those we love and by those who love us fiercely in return ... To everyone here, students, families, friends, faculty and staff, thank you for making our students’ achievements possible," Schubert said to the audience.

"With each encounter and every decision ahead, you hold the power to shape the world around you — not only through ambition, but through the simple act of doing right by others," he added. 

H.E. Ambassador Dr. Arad Benkö, Chief of Cabinet of the Foreign Ministry of Austria, was the 2025 commencement speaker. Dr. Benkö is a distinguished diplomat and scholar with an extensive career in international relations and public service.

In 1998, he launched his career at the Austrian Foreign Ministry, where he held various positions in the Balkans Division and the UN Department. His ambassadorial roles include serving as the Austrian Ambassador to Latvia from 2015 to 2016 and the first Austrian Ambassador to Georgia from 2016 to 2020. From 2020 to 2022, he headed the Vienna Headquarters Department at the FMEIA. Since August 2022, Dr. Benkö has served as the Austrian Ambassador to Ukraine. He was recently appointed Chief of Cabinet at the Austrian Foreign Ministry.

Stefano Cantini and Melanie Smith of the Vienna Chapter of the Webster University Alumni Association presented the Alumni Association Awards. 

The Bronwyn Mitterecker Memorial Alumni Award for voluntary service recognizes significant impact and service of an alumna or alumnus to the betterment of society in line with WVPU’s mission and vision. The award was created in memory and honor of Bronwyn K. Mitterecker, who worked for Webster Vienna Private University for more than a decade serving as Director of Admissions and as Alumni Coordinator. This year’s awardee was Allison Snowden, MA ’10, MBA ’18. 

The Webster Vienna Alumni Association Leadership Award recognizes a student who has exhibited distinguished leadership during their years at Webster and has shared their talents with their department, the student body and surrounding community. This year’s awardee was Mamiza Francisca Chongo Mucanheia. 

A list of faculty awards presented during the ceremony is available in the program booklet.

Undergraduate valedictorian Tobias Michael Gerber and graduate valedictorian Olga Zolotareva provided the student addresses. 

Commencement took place around the time that the Austrian Federal Ministry reaffirmed Webster Vienna’s accreditation. All conditions have been met by the university for continued accreditation through 2028, another signal of WVPU's quality education and stellar operations.

Webster Vienna has been part of the global Webster University Network since 1981, with Austrian accreditation by The Agency for Quality Assurance and Accreditation Austria (AQ Austria) since 2001. In addition, WVPU carries full institutional accreditation from the Higher Learning Commission (HLC), the United States-based accreditation agency. 

“When we say you are the future, we do not say so casually, but rather with the full gravity it entails. If we have fulfilled our role here at Webster, you are well prepared for what lies ahead. As you exit university — an environment of scholarship, debate and stability — you enter the world at a pivotal moment of change and do so with the tools and knowledge to succeed and lead,” the WVPU Executive Board stated in its written program address to attendees.

Commencement week kicked off with the farewell event for 46 members of the 2024-2025 mentoring program and the Student Resource Center’s Student Life Awards. The following night, the Webster Vienna Alumni Association hosted alumni cocktail night, which this year’s graduates attended to pick up their graduation regalia. The celebratory evening included cocktails, food and music.

Photography by Gabriele Paar.