Commencement Ceremony 2022 Highlights
Andreas Treichl, Commencement Speaker for 2023
Andreas Treichl studied economics at the University of Vienna. After achieving his master’s degree, he moved to New York and started a career as a corporate banking officer with Chase Manhattan Bank. Over a time span of 18 years he worked for Chase in New York, Vienna, Brussels and Athens.
In 1994 he joined Erste, a Viennese savings bank, and became its CEO in 1997. In the same year he took the savings bank public and over the course of 10 years turned it into the largest retail bank in Central Europe, growing its client base from 600,000 to over 16 million in Austria, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Croatia and other Western Balkan countries.
In 2003 Andreas founded ERSTE Foundation, which, as the bank’s largest owner, acts as an NGO, utilizing the dividend it receives for social and cultural projects in its region. In 2006 he founded Die Zweite, a savings bank for the poor, and expanded the foundation’s network in the CEE region.
Aside from being active in social banking and financial literacy, the foundation owns one of the most prominent collections of post-communist Central European art, and actively supports a network for artists in Central and Eastern Europe.
Treichl served as CEO of Erste Group until the end of 2019. Since then he has acted as chairman of ERSTE Foundation. He currently serves as president of the European Forum Alpbach, as chair of Die Zweite, vice chair of the Vienna Opera, the CEU’s Board of Trustees, the Foundation for Economic Literacy and other organizations.
Photo by Peter M. Mayr
Eligibility
Students eligible to participate in the commencement ceremony are all students who completed all their degree program requirements in the 2022-2023 academic year (August to May). In addition, students expecting to finish all requirements by the end of the 2023 summer term, and have 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 will open on March 1st, information will be sent to eligible students about how to register.
All the payments are via bank transfer. Please, ensure a timely process of your payment, considering the deadline (Date to be announced).
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
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 the 11th of May, 2023. You may give permission to someone to pick up your regalia on your behalf. Permission must be sent 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, all students are required to arrive at 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.
Students will have the option to choose between the following photography packages:
- Group Photos 35€ - 2 prints 15x22cm.
- Digital Package 65€ - including 2 group photos, 2 individual portraits, 1 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€ - including 2 group photos, 2 individual portraits, 1 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 5 Prints in 15x22cm will be sent to the selected postal address.
- Ambient Shots, Family and Friends Portraits or extra Portraits: digital 10€, print 7€, print + digital 15€ per photo.
Costs for postage: 4,50€ Austria, 9,50€ EU, 16€ 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)
Contact Information
Alexandra Pekackova, MA
Karim Elatraby, Msc
Alexandra Pekackova, MA
Karim Elatraby, Msc
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