This year marked the 20th presentation of the Dr. Andreas Dombret Doctoral Prize, which has honoured outstanding work at the interface between academia and practice since 2007. To celebrate the anniversary, the donor, Hon. Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Andreas Raymond Dombret, current and former award recipients, and their doctoral supervisors gathered at the A2 by Lake Aasee, where they exchanged views in a festive atmosphere on their career paths in companies, ministries, and universities.
The Joint Science Conference of the German federal government and the German states has announced that the University of Münster will be involved in two research projects within the new Academies Programme. One of them is the project “The Vatican and the Persecution of Jews in Europe”, led by church historian Prof. Dr. Hubert Wolf, theologian Prof. Dr. Michael Seewald, and information systems scholar Prof. Dr. Jan vom Brocke.
At the doctoral graduation ceremony on 19 November 2025, six early-career researchers from the School of Business & Economics celebrated the successful completion of their doctorates. The formal presentation of the doctoral certificates was carried out by the Dean of the Faculty, Prof. Dr. Thomas Langer.
As part of the ceremony, Jens Böke, Nils Burchardt, Leander Gayda, Janina Wiebringhaus, Carl Philipp Wolff and Yahya Yilmaz were awarded their doctorates.
This semester, the Dr. Andreas Dombret Doctoral Prize is being presented to Dr. Katharina Hennes. Her summa cum laude dissertation entitled ‘Thriving amid change: An empirical investigation of business adaptation to physical climate risks’ at the Institute for Entrepreneurship under Prof. Dr. David Bendig impressed with its outstanding combination of economic theory and practical implications. The Dr. Andreas Dombret Doctoral Prize, worth €3,000, is funded by the Dr. Andreas Dombret Foundation under the umbrella of the University Foundation of Münster.
In part 22 of our Alumni Stories, we introduce Dr. Ute Paukstadt. After completing her studies at the University of Duisburg-Essen, she pursued a PhD in Information Systems at the University of Münster. Following her doctorate, she began her professional career as a lecturer in IT systems and IT management at the University of Applied Sciences for Police and Public Administration in North Rhine-Westphalia, while also working as an IT/ERP consultant. In 2021, she joined Evonik, initially as Senior Manager Digitalization, and from 2022 onward she served as Product Owner for Digital Business and Generative Artificial Intelligence. Since April 2025, Ute Paukstadt has been leading an international GenAI team at Evonik, where she is responsible for developing internal AI solutions such as “EvonikGPT” and shaping strategic frameworks and governance structures for the responsible use of generative AI within the company.
On October 28, 2025, this year’s JobHub IT, the career fair for students of computer science and IT-related degree programs, took place in the Schloss Foyer in Münster. Students from all semesters had the opportunity to learn about internships, thesis projects in cooperation with companies, and career entry opportunities in the IT sector. The event provided an excellent platform to connect with potential employers and establish valuable contacts for future career paths.
Prof. Jan vom Brocke, Chair of Information Systems and Business Process Management, been awarded the SBE Research Prize for outstanding research achievements. Around 50 guests attended the award ceremony. In his laudatory speech, Prof. Bernd Hellingrath praised Jan vom Brocke for his exceptional international visibility, his outstanding commitment to the scientific community and his innovative approaches to solving urgent challenges in business and society.
With its ‘Update Wirtschaft’, the School of Business and Economics has successfully created a new format for discussing future issues, economic developments and social contexts. The opening topic, ‘AI disruption – how artificial intelligence is changing the rules of the game in the markets,’ was met with great interest: around 150 attendees filled the Forum Oeconomicum to capacity.
For her volunteer work and academic achievements, Tran Ha Linh Phan has been awarded the DAAD Prize 2025 by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD). The Vietnamese student has been pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Information Systems at the University of Münster since the winter semester 2022/23.
