COURAGE & COMMITMENT
The four values Community, Cosmopoliteness, Entrepreneurship, and Excellence lead to the core of the WHU brand: Courage and Commitment. In short, this means having the courage to think in a new way whilst staying committed to the wellbeing of society. Being part of the WHU family also means to take over responsibility. Being part of a student club and therefore getting involved in voluntary work is one way to show commitment to society already during the study time. The academic body, continuously provides expertise applicable to socio-economic policy-making, as well as the business world praxis. Likewise, WHU as an institution undertakes to foster courage and commitment always!
COMMUNITY
One of the strongest WHU merits is its community. Being home to a relatively small crowd of students, faculty, and staff, WHU allows a newcomer to almost immediately experience a familiar atmosphere of mutual trust and constant inspiration. With having one overreaching goal of heading towards excellence, it’s clear to everybody that it can only be achieved by supporting each other. To ensure a strong connection with practitioners and experts, WHU maintains a tight network of approximately 160 partner companies. This spirit helps to build lifelong bonds between students and their Alma Mater. Over 4000 alumni in 65 countries stay connected under the umbrella of the InPraxi Association.
COSMOPOLITENESS
However small, WHU celebrates a cosmopolitan mindset cultivated by promoting diversity and internationality. Each year almost 600 students from over 200 partner universities join WHU for short-term programs. International immersion is engraved in every program’s curriculum, be it a study exchange, internship abroad, or international module. Being curious about other people, cultures, and approaches is strongly encouraged by university leadership. Listen to understand. Treat everybody equally. Show acceptance and respect. These are qualities each student at WHU is expected to embrace.
ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Thinking differently is not only celebrated but encouraged at WHU. It means acting courageously, being responsible, thinking differently. A failure among its community is understood as a value since one can learn from it and develop. At the same time, it’s important to innovate to foster the entrepreneurial spirit among other members of the WHU community. Because entrepreneurship is a part of WHU’s DNA. Only in the last 35 years, over 500 start-ups have been founded by WHU graduates. Four of them being Unicorn start-ups.
EXCELLENCE
At WHU, everybody strives for the best while reaching for ambitious goals and realizing one's potential. This applies to all members of the community. On the administration level, it has been certified by accreditations from AACSB, EQUIS, and FIBAA as well as through leading positions in national and international rankings. In research, it’s reflected by high quality and groundbreaking research in the fields of management, economics, and business administration. Students, on the other hand, are actively engaged in over 30 clubs, organizing conferences and events which bring top managers, acclaimed researchers, influential political leaders, and promising entrepreneurs on campus.