WHU Graduate Nominated for 2024 EURO Doctoral Dissertation Award

The Association of European Operational Research Societies (EURO) has nominated Dr. Jan-Rasmus Künnen as one of only five candidates across Europe for its 2024 EURO Doctoral Dissertation Award, which comes with an endowment worth €1,000. Dr. Künnen is a former research assistant at Professor Arne Strauss’s Mercator Endowed Chair of Demand Management & Sustainable Transport at WHU – Otto Beisheim School of Management, where he also earned his doctoral degree in 2023. “Landing in the Top 5 for operations research with my work is something I’m very proud of,” he said of this honor. After completing his studies at WHU, Dr. Künnen went into business for himself by founding Wing Labs, where he develops decision-support systems for the aviation industry.

The EURO Doctoral Dissertation Award honors scientists active in the field of operational research, i.e., discovering science-based approaches to problem-solving as it pertains to the management of complex systems. One such example is Dr. Künnen’s research centered around the more efficient use of capacities in the aviation industry. “Considering all the bottlenecking that occurred throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, in aviation and in many other sectors as well, it is more important than ever to find a balance between airspace capacity and demand,” said Dr. Künnen. “This nomination underscores the fact that the mechanisms that my colleagues and I developed are an important contribution to these efforts.”

Only those graduates who, following completion of their studies, have not exceeded a research period of two years are eligible for the EURO Doctoral Dissertation Award. The winner will be determined by a panel of experts and announced at the 33^rd European Conference on Operational Research in Copenhagen at the beginning of July.