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Mission Statement

THE KLU is an independent private university recognized by the state of Hamburg that is dedicated to teaching and research in the fields of logistics, management, and economics.

The mission of THE KLU with its study programs, executive education courses and research is to educate and prepare potential future leaders for being able to master challenges within all industries in their future professional careers. Students experience logistics as a cross over discipline which affects many fields of business practice and theory. Logistics turns out to be a perfect preparation for leadership in complex environments. Thus,THE KLU understands itself as a Business University with a broad spectrum of disciplines that range from Logistics with a special focus on transport management and humanitarian logistics, to information and communication technology, leadership, and entrepreneurship. Training will be based on a sound basis of excellent research that will position THE KLU as an internationally recognized research university with focus on logistics. Research will help companies to cope with the challenges of an increasingly complex and global environment.

THE KLU is a true international university where an international faculty teaches an international student body and publishes its research in English. As a consequence, THE KLU takes its cue from international university standards and practices in everything from course content, teaching methods and ongoing course evaluation to student and staff exchange programs, the remuneration and career development of its professors and junior staff, the budgets for research and teaching, and its physical facilities.

THE KLU is driven by the vision of its founder. THE KLU was initiated and established by the Kühne Foundation, an organization set up by the Kühne family. The family, and Professor Klaus-Michael Kühne in particular, are committed to the promotion of science and research, especially in the fields of transportation and logistics, and both the foundation and its founders have a strong attachment to the university. The content and form of THE KLU’s activities are inspired by the life and work of the entrepreneur Klaus-Michael Kühne. The foundation and its founders guarantee the long-term financial stability of THE KLU. For the founders, their involvement in the university is also a means of enhancing both Germany’s and Hamburg’s competitiveness as a place of science within the global market. 

THE KLU sees itself as a Hamburg-based university that, through its teaching and research activities, is dedicated to building a better future for the city and enhancing the city’s economic prospects within the global market. THE KLU also sees itself as part of a cluster of business and science institutions within the city. The choice of the HafenCity docklands development for its campus is a further expression of the university’s and the foundation’s confidence in the prosperous future development of the city of Hamburg. The designation of maritime logistics as a key research field is testimony to the university’s special relationship with the city of Hamburg.