It is a strong alliance which the WHU – Otto Beisheim School of Management and the Bucerius Law School in Hamburg have been cultivating since 2006. Now, the collaboration between two of the best private schools in Germany has been institutionalized even further. In September 2020, a WHU assistant professorship was established at the law school in Hamburg, which had already been agreed upon in the past. This new position, endowed by the Joachim Herz Foundation, at the interface of the two universities is held by Assistant Professor Dr. Nicole Gottschalck. She is supported by Professor Dr. Christina Günther, who, together with her colleague Professor Dr. Carsten Jungmann from Bucerius Law School, forms the program directorate of the "Bucerius Master of Law and Business Program" (MLB). "I am very proud to represent WHU at Bucerius in Hamburg. I am the local contact person for MLB students with regard to all the business topics of the program. This includes, for example, in-depth advice on master's theses with a focus on economics. Starting next spring, I will also be teaching in Hamburg," Nicole Gottschalck describes her new task.
The interdisciplinary approach of the program offers students a number of advantages when it comes to their professional life later on. They are capable of understanding the worlds of law and economics alike. "In my opinion, the collaboration of two of the best private universities in Germany in the fields of economics and law is a real win-win situation. In this way, first-class teaching from both institutions is combined, and graduates have a decisive advantage on the job market. This combination of studies makes graduates particularly valuable for many employers," says Gottschalck, explaining the advantages of the MLB program. During her own studies, she also sought to obtain a broad base of experience before she achieved her doctoral degree at WHU in June 2020. Afterwards, she was assigned to the Economics Group of WHU as Assistant Professor. Prior to that, she obtained a two interdisciplinary master degrees at Leipzig University and at the Institut Européen in France, Turkey, and Germany. Besides management and economics, her studies also covered international law and European law. This interdisciplinary background made her the ideal choice for the interface between WHU and Bucerius.
The exchange between the two schools has become multifaceted and continues to intensify. Professors from both institutions offer courses at the respective other university. "With a corresponding specialization, bachelor students at Bucerius Law School have the opportunity to acquire a WHU certificate in business administration and, vice versa, bachelor WHU students can acquire a certificate from Bucerius in business law," says Nicole Gottschalck. That makes it an exciting cooperation which bridges the gap between economics and law while never losing sight of the requirements of a modern labor market.