New Horizons. Same Mindset.
Kühne Logistics University (KLU) is a new partner of the German Junior Sailing League (DJSL). Sailing and studying - two worlds that have a lot in common, for example precision, strategic thinking, teamwork and orientation under changing conditions. For years, KLU has been supporting top athletes with a sports scholarship and assistance in combining studies and competitive sport. The partnership with the DJSL deepens this commitment and brings together sporting ambition with academic excellence.
“For us, this is a real win-win-win situation: KLU gains access to highly motivated young people, the sailors gain insights into an industry of the future - and we as a league are delighted to have a partner who lives the same values as we do,” says Joachim Hellmich, Managing Director of the Heinz Nixdorf Association and Head of the DJSL.
Bridge between regatta course and lecture hall
The DJSL closes the gap between youth sailing and the adult sector: it is aimed at 16 to 23-year-olds who want to maintain their sporting level after school and at the same time plan the next step - such as starting a bachelor's or master's degree at KLU, for example. KLU is present as part of the league and offers athletes the opportunity to find out about study opportunities and make contacts.
Sporting mindset meets operations thinking
Hellmich emphasizes the special complexity of sailing: "Team spirit and ability, technology, physics, logistics, mental strength - anyone who sails regattas has to master all of these at the same time. These young people have extraordinary potential." This potential fits perfectly with the KLU mission statement Leading with an Operations Mindset: understanding processes, taking responsibility, shaping change - on the water and in the company. KLU Sports Affairs Manager Johannes Dietz: "KLU and DJSL are committed to training young people - whether academically or athletically. Just like in sport, it is the attitude and mindset that counts at KLU in order to be successful in the long term. We are sure that many sailors are a good fit for KLU and are therefore very pleased about the new cooperation."
A network that creates prospects
“Performance creates prospects” is one of the Heinz Nixdorf Association's guiding principles. Anyone who starts at the DJSL will meet fellow sailors, trainers and club representatives from all over Germany - a network that helps from the first internship to the start of a career. Hellmich encourages the talents to actively use this network and not to retreat into a “comfortable corner”.
The league itself is not commercially oriented. The KLU sponsorship contribution associated with the partnership goes directly to the organizing clubs. The partnership thus strengthens league operations and at the same time creates visible opportunities for the athletes.
Special scholarship for the start of studies
To celebrate the new partnership, KLU is awarding a sports scholarship for DJSL athletes for the start of their studies in September 2025: a 25% discount on tuition fees for committed sailors who want to get off to a flying start academically. The scholarship holders receive targeted support at KLU to successfully combine sporting and academic excellence.
As an international, state-recognized and AACSB-accredited business school in Hamburg's HafenCity, KLU is one of the leading universities in the field of management, logistics and leadership. The degree program is internationally oriented, personally supervised and practice-oriented. The courses offered are exclusively in English: a Bachelor in Business Administration, Master programs in Business Analytics & Data Science, International Management and Logistics & Supply Chain Management, the part-time MBA in Leadership & Supply Chain Management and the Master Sustainable Management and Operations.
