Kühne Logistics University - Wissenschaftliche Hochschule für Logistik und Unternehmensführung (KLU) is a private, state-accredited university located on Hamburg’s harbor. Sponsored by the nonprofit Kühne Stiftung (Kühne Foundation), KLU offers a broad spectrum of courses and research in logistics and supply chain and business management.
Our BSc, MSc, and PhD degree programs feature an international student body, an outstanding faculty, an intimate learning environment, and extensive corporate ties. Our part-time MBA program, open enrollment and customized Executive Education programs provide excellent opportunities for professionals to expand their expertise.
KLU is unique for its international faculty known for research excellence in logistics, transportation, supply chain management, and related aspects of business.
The private university in Hamburg is one of the top universities in the 2014 Handelsblatt research ranking of business administration faculties and achieved top ratings in the 2017 CHE university rankings.
KLU mission statement
KLU Vision
To be the University for Logistics and Leadership driving the world’s welfare through focused research and education.
KLU Mission
To increase the significance and understanding of Logistics and Leadership in research and education, in industry and society. In line with this,
- we produce state-of-the-art research of highest international standard with high impact and outreach,
- we provide high-standard, research-based education and prepare our students to become responsible leaders that have the knowledge, skills, and confidence to seek and create positive impact within their organizations, between organizations, on the debate in the field, and, in general, on a sustainable transformation of our global economy and society,
- we support the industry and society at large in successfully mastering current and future challenges, based on our research and education.
KLU Values
- we rely on the Hanseatic characteristics of our hometown Hamburg: cosmopolitanism, reliability and networking skills,
- we value internationality and diversity as enrichment and source of inspiration,
- we embrace fact-based, data and evidence-driven decision-making,
- we are a people’s place cultivating an atmosphere of collegiality and community, mutual trust and understanding,
- we foster ethical behavior and an innovative and entrepreneurial spirit.
Rankings
- KLU ranks #3 in the Handelsblatt ranking in research output per professor among all universities in Germany and has the highest research output of all private business schools in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.
- KLU has been top-ranked in the CHE university ranking, Germany's most comprehensive university teaching ranking.
Kühne Stiftung
Klaus-Michael Kühne is the sole benefactor of the Kühne Stiftung (Kühne Foundation), set up by the Kühne family in 1976. The foundation’s objective is to support training and continuing education, and to foster science and research in the fields of logistics, supply chain management, and transportation. In addition to supporting the Kühne Logistics University in Hamburg, the Kühne Stiftung finances a professorship at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETH), the Center for International Logistics Networks at TU Berlin, a logistics institute at Tongji University in Shanghai, and the Kühne Center for Logistics Management at WHU’s Otto Beisheim School of Management in Vallendar near Coblenz on the Rhine. The foundation also supports research in medical science and sponsors humanitarian, charitable, and cultural projects.
Advisory Board
Milagros Caiña-Andree
Member of the Board of Management, BMW AG, responsible for Human Resources and Labour Relations
Dr. Fabian Heilemann
Partner at Earlybird Venture Capital, Co-Founder & Chairman of the Board Freighthub GmbH
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Frank Straube
Institute of Technology and Management, Chair of Logistics Faculty, Vice Dean, Technische Universität Berlin
Prof. Dr. Stephan Wagner
Direktor Executive MBA ETH SCM Department Management, Technology and Economics, Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich
Hamburg
Kühne Logistics University is situated in Hamburg’s HafenCity waterfront urban development area. The location is one of Europe’s largest seaports and is ideal for the campus. KLU is strongly oriented towards economic science and interdisciplinary studies. Together with the Fraunhofer Institute for Maritime Logistics and the technology-oriented logistics center at Hamburg University of Technology, KLU is part of an important cluster of logistics research institutes in northern Europe.
The Dean's List honors those KLU students in our academic programs who consistently perform at the very top of their class. For each program, only the best 10% of students based on the GPA are recognized with this honor.
The Dean's List is published twice during the course of each study program:
- at mid-term (after 1 year for MSc programs, after 1.5 years for BSc programs) and
- at the graduation.
The current Dean's List:
MSc Management Class of 2020 (mid-term):
- Max Nowosad
- Christoph Sarwas
MSc Global Logistics & SCM Class of 2020 (mid-term):
- Sandra Rudeloff
- Christopher David Gaede
- Moritz Schümann
- Nina Mayer
- Annika Gedamke
MSc in Global Logistics and Supply Chain Management Class of 2019:
- Elsa Cropp
- Max Körber
- Christian Carreri
- Tim Schlaich
- Jan Baus
MSc in Global Logistics and Supply Chain Management Class of 2018 (mid-term):
- Sandria Weißhuhn
- Rhys Hange
- Nina Wagner
- Hanna Feller
- Marie Klose
MSc in Management Class of 2019:
- Karla Kaufmann
- André Eikenkötter
- Iqra Qamar
MSc in Management Class of 2018 (mid-term):
- Felix Sklenarz
- Oliver Ettrich
BSc in Management Class of 2020:
- Philip Zimmer
- Henry Müller
- Tim Bündert
- Tamara Straup Lopez
BSc in Management Class of 2019 (mid-term):
- Mulan Bartz
- Maik Wiedmann
- Julia Bahn
BSc in Management Class of 2018 (mid-term):
- Helen Ewald
- Till Micke
- Julian Schusta
BSC in Management Class of 2017 (end-term):
- Sonja Brauner
- Christian Carreri
- David Ekere
Dean's List - Master
Dean's List - Bachelor
Dean's List - Spring 2016
Dean's List - Fall 2015
Dean's List - Spring 2015
Dean's List - Fall 2014
KLU is supported by the Kühne-Stiftung, which is also the sole shareholder of the holding company of KLU, Kühne Logistics University GmbH.
The President and the Managing Directors oversee operational management of KLU and serve as managing directors of the contracting body. The President supervises the academic staff of KLU, and together with the deans, is responsible for the research and teaching concept. The Head of Administration oversees operating and administrative matters of the university. The commercial operations of the holding company are supervised by a Supervisory Board, which is appointed by the Kühne-Stiftung (Foundation). The Supervisory Board appoints the managing directors.
KLU university bodies have powers of decision in matters delegated to them by KLU’s constitution or agreements with the body governing the university. University bodies include:
Executive Board
- Prof. Dr. Thomas Strothotte
President & Managing Director - Prof. Jan Fransoo, PhD
Dean of Research / Professor of Operations, Management and Logistics - Prof. Christian Barrot, PhD
Dean of Programs / Associate Professor of Marketing and Innovation - Fabian Berger
Head of Administration & Managing Director
Managing Director KLU Executive Education
Academic Senate
- Prof. Dr. Thomas Strothotte
President & Managing Director - Fabian Berger
Head of Administration & Managing Director
Managing Director KLU Executive Education - Prof. Jan Fransoo, PhD
Dean of Research / Professor of Operations, Management and Logistics - Prof. Dr. Christian Barrot
Dean of Programs / Associate Professor of Marketing and Innovation - Prof. Michele Acciaro, PhD
Head of Logistcs Department / Associate Professor of Maritime Logistics - Prof. Dr. Jan Becker
Associate Professor of Marketing Service Management - Prof. Maria Besiou, PhD
Professor of Humanitarian Logistics - Prof. Dr. Asvin Goel
Associate Professor of Logistics & Supply Chain Management - Prof. Dr. Kai Hoberg
Associate Professor of Supply Chain and Operations Strategy - Prof. Joern Meissner, PhD
Professor of Supply Chain Management and Pricing Strategy - Prof. Dr. Sandra Transchel
Associate Professor for Supply Chain and Operations Management - Prof. Dr. Niels Van Quaquebeke
Head of Management Department / Professor of Leadership and Organizational Behavior - Maria Kern
Student Recruitment & Marketing Manager - Dr. Duc Linh Pils
Head of Program Management - Christina Imdahl
PhD Candidate - Rieke Schnepel
MSc in Global Logistics and Supply Chain Management - Class of 2019 - Philip Zimmer
BSc in Management - Class of 2019
University Management
- Prof. Dr. Thomas Strothotte
President & Managing Director - Fabian Berger
Head of Administration & Managing Director
Managing Director KLU Executive Education
Supervisory Board
- Karl Gernandt
Kühne Holding AG, Executive Chairman (Chairman of the Supervisory Board) - Prof. Dr. h.c. Klaus-Michael Kühne
Kühne + Nagel International AG, Honorary Chairman of the Board of Directors - Dr. Thomas Staehelin
Kühne-Stiftung, Vice-Chairman of the Board - Dr. Christian Berthold
Kühne-Stiftung, Executive Director
The KLU Code of Conduct:
- promotes a shared sense of community,
- codifies a standard of conduct that we all agree to live by, based on a sense of shared value,
- communicates our values and mission to the outside world.
Standards of good practice
1. Respect
- We shall treat each other with respect, fairness, and tolerance.
- We shall value people irrespective of characteristics or attributes such as gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, color, religion, nationality, ethnicity, age, social status, race and disability.
- We see diversity as a source of enrichment for our community.
- We shall champion the active integration of all, especially foreign, KLU members into our community.
2. Cooperation
- We shall communicate openly and honestly, while dealing with information conscientiously and responsibly.
- We shall be helpful and support one another.
- We shall ensure that criticism is constructive, and provide encouragement.
- We shall help and promote each other in our professional and personal development.
The objectives of the EDO is to increase awareness on equality and diversity matters at the KLU by fostering the dialogue on these issues among staff, faculty and students. The EDO provides informal advice to the university administration and student services on issues related to equality and diversity and if requested will participate as an observer in any meeting, committee or activity as deemed appropriate by the relevant decision body, e.g. the President, Executive Board, Student Bodies, etc.
The EDO meets on the premises of the university every three weeks and has activated an email to deal with (anonymous) complaints and suggestions. Please contact us if you are interested in the EDO activities. Although the EDO operates collaboratively with a Committee, its representative is at the moment Michele Acciaro. Members of the Committee are:
- Michele Acciaro
Deputy, Associate Professor of Maritime Logistics & Head of Logistics Department - Maria Besiou
Vice Deputy, Professor of Humanitarian Logistics - Juan Pablo del Valle
Career Development & Alumni Relations Manager - Holly Hillen
Program Manager Executive Education - Jana Gruber
Student Services Manager - Vasileios Kosmas
PhD Candidate - Ina Litterst
President's Office
You can contact the members of the Committee individually or write to EDO edo(at)the-klu.org. You can request that your case is dealt with confidentiality.
Unlike most universities in Germany, where the appointment, promotion and tenure process of faculty is very different from international standards, KLU’s process is very similar to an international tenure track.
Young assistant professor are normally appointed on a 3-year temporary contract, which can be extended for a further 3 years upon satisfactory development. In the sixth year of appointment at KLU, the faculty member involved applies for tenure by submission of his or her tenure dossier. The tenure submission needs to be supported by the Head of the Department that the faculty member belong to, and the Dean of Research, who both are a member of the tenure evaluation committee.
The tenure evaluation committee is instructed to provide a holistic evaluation of the performance of the faculty member in terms of research (including research output in academic journals), teaching (including student evaluations), outreach (including impact on the field) and university service. The tenure committee usually requests external independent experts to provide a written evaluation of the academic standing of the applicant. The tenure evaluation committee makes a recommendation to the Academic Senate, who then votes on the tenure decision and makes a recommendation to the KLU President. The President has a final decision.
Tenured faculty will be contracted for indefinite duration, until mandatory retirement (currently at age 67).
Subsequently, depending on performance, faculty typically would apply for promotion to full professor after 4-6 years.
It is important to note that once an assistant professor is appointed to a tenure-track position, KLU has budgeted for the eventual tenure and promotion, independent of how other faculty perform. The evaluation is just based on the merit of the faculty member concerned.
Note: this document provides a legally non-binding overview of the tenure process at KLU. The process is formally governed in KLU’s tenure and promotion regulations
