Can Germany still have a future? This question was at the centre of the lecture by Prof. Dr. Nils Foege, Head of the Institute for Innovation, Strategy and Organization, at the 2nd Update Economics event. In short, his answer is: yes – if we want it to be, and if we shape digitalisation and sustainability together. How this can be achieved was also a key focus of the subsequent discussion with the audience and moderator Prof. Dr. Johannes Becker. The event concluded with the statement: “The future is not a state – it is a decision,” marking another successful edition of the “Update Economics” series.

In part 25 of the Alumni Stories, we introduce Stephanie Düker. After completing her vocational training as a bank clerk at WGZ BANK AG, she studied Public Administration with a focus on European Studies at the University of Münster, including a year abroad at the University of Twente, and later earned a Master’s degree in Economics in Münster. She began her academic career as a research associate at the Institute of Cooperative Studies (IfG) before moving into cooperative consulting at Genoverband e.V. Today, she leads the educational project “Student Cooperatives – Sustainable Business, Acting in Solidarity,” supporting students in founding and running their own cooperatives based on cooperative principles.

After more than ten years with the department, the School of Business & Economics has bid farewell to Junior Professor Dr. Gordon Jochem Klein. Since 2016, Gordon Klein has been affiliated with the Münster Center for Economic Policy, where he held the junior professorship in economics, with a focus on regulatory economics and industrial organization. We would like to thank him for his many years of dedication to research and teaching!