With the farewell of the final doctoral candidates on 15 January, the Doctoral Academy “Business and Leadership Ethics” turns its focus to the future.
We markes a significant milestone today with the final graduation ceremony of its doctoral program “Ethics and Responsible Leadership in Business (ERL)”. The event honored the achievements of the last cohorts: Manon Filler, Vittorio Cerulli, Artur Klingbeil, Simon Merz, Christin Philipp, and Dennis Hüper—while also highlighting the program’s evolution and long-term impact.
The ceremony featured welcome addresses by Dr. Jonathan Keir of the Karl Schlecht Foundation and Dr. Martin von Broock, CEO of the WCGE. A panel discussion on “Western values under pressure – what can business and leadership ethics still achieve in the future?” brought together Professors Andreas Suchanek, Markus Beckmann, Ingo Pies, and Philipp Schreck, offering timely reflections on the role of ethics in business and leadership amid current change.
Over the past decade, the ERL program has developed into a vibrant international platform for research and dialogue. In total, 42 doctoral researchers from 14 countries took part in the program, completing 31 field projects in cooperation with partners such as Mercedes-Benz AG, PricewaterhouseCoopers, the E.ON Foundation, VAUDE, and Volkswagen. The program also welcomed more than 100 external experts from academia, civil society, and industry.
Building on this strong foundation, the ERL program has now transitioned into the Doctoral Academy “Business and Leadership Ethics.” The Academy continues to support doctoral researchers, strengthen international networks, and expand WZGE’s impact in the field of business and leadership ethics.
For more information about the programme, see: About the Doctoral Academy
We extends its sincere thanks to the academic supervisors who have shaped the program over the years, in particular Professors Philipp Schreck, Andreas Suchanek, Markus Beckmann, Ingo Pies, Laura Marie Edinger-Schons, Josef Wieland, Lisa Schmalzried, and to the Karl Schlecht Foundation for its longstanding commitment and generous funding.
This moment marks not an ending, but a continuation—a see you again, in academia, in practice, and beyond.