Our Teaching Philosophy

The School’s Teaching Philosophy is based on its new Mission, Vision, and Values statement, passed by the Faculty Council of the University of Hamburg Business School on 18 September 2024. The teaching mission statement presented here builds on this statement and specifies its elements for teaching at the Business School. More detailed explanations, especially in relation to research-based teaching, can be found here.

Our teaching is research-oriented.

Research-orientated teaching is central to our mission. In particular:

• Faculty members conduct research and teach: most teaching staff are also researchers. The content of teaching thereby reflects the current state of research, and faculty members select the content that is important for the students.
• We do not simply present substantiated insights, but also train students in the process of how insights are generated, critically reviewed, and further developed.
• The close relationship between research and teaching characterizes who we are: the imperative to think for oneself and critically question are of central importance. Both students and faculty adopt a critical posture in which textbook knowledge is not only imparted or acquired, but in which they are also aware that such knowledge needs to be constantly reviewed and, if necessary, revised. Students learn how to critically question content-related knowledge and the methods used to obtain it.
• The close relationship between research and teaching is essential for the competencies of our graduates and facilitates life-long learning.

Our teaching emphasizes quantitative methods and evidence-based decision-making.

These are also core elements of our mission. In particular:

• Students learn to make decisions on the basis of sound information. To do that, it is important to understand both how information is generated as a basis for decisions and what conclusions can be drawn from it.
• Quantitative methods to support decision-making are important, as managers must be able to model complex relationships, maximize target values, use resources efficiently and sustainably, and measure the effectiveness of their decisions.
• Empirical methods are important, as only the empirical testing of theoretical statements makes it possible to make decisions on the basis of empirically-proven theories and to thereby assess the actual consequences of alternatives.
• Data science is important, as digitalization means that data is now often available in abundance. Our students learn how to extract decision-relevant information from data.
• We focus on quantitative, data-driven and empirical methods, as today's knowledge will, within a few years, become outdated. Analytical expertise and methods help to generate knowledge for analyzing issues as they arise in the future.

We develop future leaders.

This is central to our vision. We prepare our students to take on responsibility in various areas of academia, business, politics, and society. Research-orientated teaching, with a focus on evidence-based decision-making, prepares our graduates to successfully take on management roles in these fields. We train the application of scientific knowledge, methods, and attitudes to practical problems. We incorporate practitioners from various fields in our teaching, support our students in acquiring soft skills, and help them to expand their networks.

Our teaching reflects our values:

• Excellence.

The School appoints excellent faculty and admits excellent students. Together we are committed to providing an outstanding study program and student experience, as well as excellent learning outcomes.

• Impact.

We train our students to become critical thinkers and provide them with sound methodological knowledge so that they can make a difference in the world. When making decisions, we consider not only economic but also social consequences.

• Responsibility.

Like the University of Hamburg as a whole, our School contributes to a sustainable future. We discuss sustainability issues in courses and support our students in their commitment to sustainability.

• Openness.

We work openly with different disciplines, communities and cultures, and we promote diversity. This includes preparing our students for working in a globalized world by promoting internationalization, both through exchange opportunities and in their studies in Hamburg.

• Connectedness.

We are friendly, constructive, and treat each other with respect to foster a supportive climate conducive to learning. At the same time, we give researchers and students the freedom they need to flourish.