Andreas Kaplan – "Global Vision, Local Impact” - the face behind KLU President’s Office

We are thrilled to continue our new series, "Behind the Scenes with KLU Decision Makers." This exclusive feature is your chance to get up close and personal with the heart of KLU. You'll gain unique insights through interviews with our top leaders and stay updated on KLU's progress and vision directly from those steering its future. In this interview, Prof. Andreas Kaplan, President of KLU, we dive into "Global Vision, Local Impact” where Andreas will talk about KLU’s mission, his leadership philosophy, and the university's role in preparing students for a rapidly evolving, interconnected world.

Why did KLU expand to Vietnam, and how does this support its mission to shape logistics leaders? How might alumni engage with or benefit from this development?

Vietnam is emerging as a significant player in global trade and logistics, so expanding there seemed like a natural fit given KLU’s aim to be at the forefront of this sector. Furthermore, Vietnam, and particularly Ho Chi Minh City, has increasingly become a business hub within South-East Asia, which strengthened our choice. We are committed to offering our students a global perspective. Cultivating a presence in a Vietnam will give students in that region and those at our HafenCity campus a unique opportunity to learn and engage with cutting-edge practices and innovations that will enable them to develop an operations mindset. And that’s just the first step. Alongside our Hamburg headquarters, we plan to establish a presence in Asia, Africa, and the Americas. My hope is that alumni not only help KLU build our new community in Vietnam, but also benefit themselves from new opportunities and networks in Southeast Asia. This initiative is all about enhancing KLU’s global presence. Our alumni community, which already quite global, is an important asset in this development. 

How has your international experience influenced your leadership at KLU, with its distinct focus on logistics and operational excellence?

I've learned so much from working at institutions across Europe, but I’ve learned most from the diverse teams and different cultures at those institutions. Engaging across difference pushes you to be self-critical and to value creative problem solving, given the breadth of experience your colleagues and team members bring with them. These experiences help me lead KLU by blending those insights with our unique origins and traditions in logistics, operations, and supply chain management. It has certainly also highlighted for me how important a global perspective is, no matter where you are working. That’s why equipping our learners with a global perspective is so important to KLU’s mission and to me personally.

With digital transformation as a core element of your research, how is KLU integrating this area in its programs to stay ahead in business and management education?

From my experience, what business schools and management universities should be focusing on how is equipping their learners with a broad set of future-oriented skills that will allow them to evolve and evaluate digital tools as they encounter them. KLU is increasingly integrating things like artificial intelligence and virtual reality not only into our curriculum, but also into our research and operations practices so that students aren’t just learning about emerging technologies but also learning along side academics and staff who are likewise immersed in digital transformation. And of course, creating industry partnerships that allow our students to see first-hand how digital change will impact their future work is key as well. Our new Master program in Business Analytics and Data Science, opening in September 2025, is a great example of how we are equipping students to tackle these sorts of challenges.

How does KLU ensure internships and partnerships shape students into responsible leaders?

At KLU, we know hands-on experience is essential to cultivating what we call an "operations mindset"—a hallmark and key differentiator for us in the increasingly competitive landscape of business schools. This operations mindset, grounded in the strengths of logistics and supply chain management, benefits any manager or leader and forms a core part of all our programs, whether focused on logistics or on broader international management and business. But it’s not enough for students to just go on placements. Students also need to be able to reflect on their experiences and relate them back to the curriculum. Developing that ability to reflect and apply their learning will enable our students to become responsible and future-oriented leaders. Alumni are especially important in highlighting the importance of these skills since, with the benefit of time, they can show current students how that combination of experience and theory has shaped their own journeys. 

How can KLU alumni in logistics and SCM advance its mission of global impact through sustainable practices?

Alumni are vitally important to KLU’s mission of promoting sustainability and responsible leadership and we’re always building new ways to include alumni in our work. Our alumni are not only crucial to showing the world the tremendous impact of a KLU degree - KLU’s alumni community is also key in keeping KLU connected to various professions and industries. For example, our new Entrepreneurship and Innovation Center in green and responsible logistics will further support KLU’s footprint in sustainable management and leadership. We hope alumni will also find that it supports their development and learning. By continuing to develop this learning partnership with our alumni, I think KLU can truly be the hub of a global network committed to positive change.