Homecoming 2026 celebrates 25 years of alumni excellence at Constructor University

It was a full circle moment for more than 85 alumni from around the world who returned to the Constructor University campus from September 18-20 for the annual Homecoming Weekend, celebrating the community they helped build over the past 25 years and exploring what the next 25 years may bring. Networking events, the 2026 Alumni Awards, a friendly football match, gala dinner, and special panel discussion on the university's future were among the festivities at this year's Homecoming, which coincided with the university’s larger 25th anniversary program and Open Campus Day to offer a full weekend of reconnection, reflection and celebration under the theme "25 years of Excellence."

Alumni traveled to campus from Germany, the Netherlands, Romania, the United Kingdom, Chile, Canada and the United States. Together with current students, faculty, staff and members of the wider community, they took part in events that celebrated Constructor University’s history while looking ahead to its future. “Homecoming reminded me that the soul of a university never dies,” said Dorin Clisu (Bsc 2016). “It may disperse and transform over time, but it continues through the people, relationships and experiences that alumni carry with them.”

Friday kicked off with an open lecture series and traditional German "Kaffee und Kuchen" in the day, followed by the networking event "Wisdom Across the Eras" in the evening, where the annual Alumni Awards were presented to this year's recipients: Cornel Amariei received the Innovator Award, Ali Alam was given the Rising Star Award, and Joanna Bagniewska received the Community Impact Award, recognizing their achievements in assistive technology, entrepreneurship, and science communication respectively.

A centerpiece of Saturday's daytime activities was “From Pioneers to Possibilities: 25 Years and Beyond,” a future-facing panel discussion that examined how the university’s founding principles, academic development, and international community will help shape its next chapter. The conversation was moderated by Constructor University alum and Board of Governors member Judith Michaels (BA 2005) and brought perspectives together from across the Constructor ecosystem, including university leadership (President Professor Sir Konstantin Novoselov), faculty (Professor Dr. Klaudia Brix), alumni (Abdu Mudesir, BSc 2004, MS 2007, PhD 2009), technology transfer (Constructor Autonomous Team Principal Ilya Shimchik), and external perspective (Professor Mete Atatüre, University of Cambridge). Constructor Group Founder and Chief Constructor Dr. Serg Bell delivered a keynote address to open the session before turning to the panel for a spirited and thought-provoking discussion.

Other Saturday activities included a dedication ceremony for the updated and reopened Alumni brick path, as well as a friendly alumni-vs.-staff football match won by the alumni. Since this year's Homecoming coincided with Open Campus Day held that same day, participants were able to take advantage of the full program of activities that included laboratory and campus tours, interactive exhibits, science lectures, a family activity zone, 25th anniversary gala and fireworks display at the end of the night.

The Homecoming Gala Dinner on Saturday evening was a highlight of the weekend, honoring this year's recipients of the Alumni Scholarship and raising nearly €10,000 towards the Alumni Scholarship Fund. Guests donated by participating in a raffle and silent auction for the chance to take home a variety of prized items, including:

• Artwork and photography from alumni, students, and President Novoselov
• Signed books and Werder Bremen sports memorabilia
• A bottle of wine from Serg Bell's winery
• A "University Surprise Bag" with various items from the history of the university

In a light-hearted yet historic moment for beloved on-campus bar The Other Side (TOS), alumni and guests gathered there for the afterparty were joined by University President Professor Sir Konstantin Novoselov, officially marking the first time a Nobel laureate has ever crossed its threshold!

As Homecoming drew to a close, the weekend offered a vivid reminder that Constructor University’s community extends well beyond its campus, spanning countries and cultures across the globe. “It’s always a huge mosaic, and this one was especially beautiful,” said Sophie Gerlach (PhD 2009). “Every person, memory and connection added something different to the picture.”

For the alumni in attendance, this year's Homecoming offered an opportunity to reconnect with the people and experiences that made their time at the university meaningful. “Homecoming gave us permission to be a little more joyful and carefree again,” said Raju Gurung (BSc 2014). “The campus was the setting, but the people we met here — and the relationships we built with them — are what made the experience truly special.”