Update from the Chancellor – Lessons from the Women Who Defied Gravity and Doubt

End of May, my beloved mother passed away.

There are no simple words to capture what such a moment means — for a son, or for the many whose lives she touched.

My mother was, in every sense of the word, a force.

Not just a loving parent and friend, but a teacher, a trailblazer, and an aviator who quite literally lifted others up into the sky.

She spent her professional life as a pilot instructor, specializing in training former military fighter pilots — all of them men — to transition to civilian flying.

Her expertise, confidence, and discipline earned the respect of even the most seasoned airmen, many of whom had to learn, sometimes reluctantly, that their final certification depended on the approval of a woman in the cockpit.

But this strength — this absolute refusal to let gender define ability — didn’t begin with her.

It was inherited.

My grandmother ran our family’s automotive company for over 40 years, taking over at the end of the Second World War when many of the men in the family were either dead or imprisoned.

In a time when women were expected to run a household, not a company of 300 employees, she built the business into a post-war success story.

In our family archive, there is a letter from one of her suppliers — written, quite directly, to tell her that “a woman cannot run a company.”

One week after receiving it, she closed a business deal that secured the company’s future for the next decade.

That was her answer.

In both of these women — my mother and my grandmother — I see not only the spirit of our family, but the very qualities that define what we strive for at New European College: courage, resilience, leadership, and integrity in the face of doubt.

They were not alone.

Women like Amelia Earhart defied gravity and convention — becoming a symbol not just of aviation, but of freedom.

And here in Germany, countless women during the Wirtschaftswunder years rebuilt companies, launched new businesses, and supported entire industries — often without recognition, but never without impact.

This update is written in their memory, and in their honor.

To all the young women: whether you dream of running a company, piloting a jet, designing a building, or founding a startup — do it.

Be strong. Be confident. Be relentless in pursuit of your vision.

And when the doubters appear — and they will — remember:
Sometimes the best answer is to close the deal that secures the next 10 years.

With strength and with gratitude,
Sascha Liebhardt