This, year, Austrian Federal Minister Martin Polaschek presented 55 university graduates with recognition awards, including two JKU students, Kim Müller, BSc MSc (Institute of Human Resource Management and Change Management) and DI Thomas Franz Speckhofer (Institute of Analysis). Polaschek remarked: "I would like to congratulate all of the award winners, as well as the institutions where they excelled in their studies. We have been presenting recognition awards in honor of outstanding academic achievement for the past 33 years in an effort to make them publicly visible."

To qualify for the award (accompanied with € 3,000 in prize money), students must have passed their final examinations (i.e. Bachelor's, Master's/Diploma examinations) with distinction, have written an outstanding thesis awarded with the highest possible grade, and not have exceeded the designated period of study by over two semesters.