On September 2023, the dean, Prof. Ivo F. Sbalzarini, was able to present the Golden Diploma of the TUD Dresden University of Technology to eleven computer science graduates for the first time. 

University education in the relatively young scientific field of computer science began in Germany in 1969 at four universities. Together with Saarbrücken, Munich and Karlsruhe, Dresden is one of the locations where the first university computer science courses were established. In 1973, the first computer science graduates received their degrees. Among them are the eleven graduates of the then Section 8, Information Processing, Seminar Group 5, who were presented with a golden diploma on September 12 to mark the 50th anniversary of their graduation from the Faculty of Computer Science at the TU Dresden.

Together with their partners, the jubilarians were given an insight into the current study profiles and research projects at the faculty by Dr. Iris Braun. There were particularly many questions about the range of courses offered at the faculty, which covers a very broad spectrum of computer science with Bachelor's, Master's and Diploma degrees, English-language courses and many specializations.

Afterwards, the group visited two laboratories of the faculty, representing the many research fields of the six institutes. At the Chair of Human-Computer Interaction, the participants were given an insight into the research of map representations for people with blindness and visual impairment. Various requirements for tactile maps were explained and both printed tactile maps and digital audio-tactile solutions were presented. Especially the presentation of the Tactonome for audio-tactile exploration of a map of Europe as well as the prototypical implementation of a barrier-free information point for orientation in buildings met with the approval of all attendees and led to a discussion about current open questions and possible solutions in the given research context.

For the second lab visit at the Chair of Computer Graphics and Visualization the so-called Powerwall was shown. The large-format projection screen allows stereoscopic (3D) vision by means of simple glasses with polarization filters. A second demo visualized the flow of water through a weir with a turbine to generate electricity. Multiple measurements of the flow are displayed simultaneously to examine the passability and safety of the weir for fish. The holographic display, which allows three-dimensional vision without glasses and simultaneously for multiple viewers from different angles, was also very interesting for the alumni.

The final highlight of the visit was then the presentation of the Golden Diplomas by the Dean, Prof. Ivo F. Sbalzarini. "50 years is an eternity, but how quickly these 50 years have passed since the defense of our thesis and the awarding of the title 'Diplomingenieur für Informationsverarbeitung' in 1973. The fact that we were allowed to receive the Golden Diploma of the TU Dresden for the first time in the history of information processing / computer science on September 12 touched us very much," explains graduate Günter Niewiadomski. "We, the honorees, thank you very much for the guided tour through the Andreas-Pfitzmann-Bau organized by the Faculty of Computer Science and for the presentations of the scientific tasks and goals of the students and staff shown during this in the faculty during a tour."

Also for the Dean, Prof. Sbalzarini, this first awarding of Golden Diplomas at our Faculty was a memorable moment: "I am very happy to be able to award today the first Computer Science graduates of our University. They are among the pioneers who have advanced computer science in Germany and made further developments possible and carried them out into the world. For that, and also for coming in person so many times today, I thank you very much."