8 October 2026, by Sophia Schommartz

Photo: Clement/UHH

Participants and organizers of the doctoral course in cooperation with the German Armed Forces

From the negotiating table in procurement to crisis management at the Bundeswehr Leadership Academy: An interdisciplinary intensive course offered doctoral students at the University of Hamburg a unique platform to learn strategic negotiation management at the highest level.

Successful negotiations are indispensable in modern management—whether it’s securing investments for startups, driving innovation in the retail sector, or navigating existential crises. To optimally prepare early-career researchers for these complex challenges, Prof. Michel Clement launched a three-day doctoral course featuring a high-caliber faculty. Under the title “Negotiation Management in Innovation and Crises,” doctoral students from all disciplines came together in October to combine theory and practice in an innovative way.

Maximum practical relevance through strong partnerships

What made this course format unique was the close collaboration with leading experts from the business world and public institutions. The program offered participants deep insight into various negotiation settings:

• Pay Day & Startup Day: In addition to intensive salary negotiation simulations involving role-playing (facilitated by a team led by Prof. Dr. Nale Lehmann-Willenbrock from the Department of Work and Organizational Psychology at the University of Hamburg), Hanns Goeldel (Egon Zehnder) and Ingo Chu (former CFO of Xing) shared their in-depth management experience. In addition, Dörte Bunge (IFB Venture) and Dr. Janek Meyn (CEO of AIDAR and alumnus of the University of Hamburg Business School) shed light on the dynamics between startups and investors.
• Retailing Day with EDEKA: The second day focused on the consumer goods industry. With input from EDEKA’s purchasing team, the doctoral candidates analyzed the tough negotiation parameters between manufacturers and retailers and competed against one another in tutorials. A session on negotiating in court with media attorney Stephan Grulert rounded out the program.
• Negotiating Under Stress at the Leadership Academy: The absolute highlight of the third day took place at the Generalleutnant-Graf-von-Baudissin Barracks. Under the guidance of Senior Research Advisor Dr. Veronika Gaab, the participants tested negotiation strategies in extreme crisis and multinational high-stress situations. “I am very pleased about this joint seminar day. This day enables doctoral students from the University of Hamburg and our participants from the basic staff officer training course to engage in a diverse exchange of experiences across various training scenarios,” says Dr. Veronika Gaab of the Bundeswehr Leadership Academy.

In-depth feedback and interdisciplinary exchange

Thanks to the deliberate decision to open the course to doctoral students outside the School, a lively, interdisciplinary exchange took place.

Sophia Schommartz, a doctoral candidate in the professorship of Marketing and Media, offers a positive assessment: “I especially liked the diversity of the program and the fact that we were able to negotiate directly ourselves during the tutorials. All the experts provided valuable insights for our own negotiation strategies. I found the behind-the-scenes insights into the negotiations conducted by EDEKA and the manufacturers particularly fascinating.”