Mission & Milestones · KLU
KLU is dedicated to provide the world‘s best leadership & management education strongly rooted in an operations mindset. AACSB-accredited – among the top 5% of business schools worldwide.
Key Facts & Mission of KLU
KLU Operations Mindset
Leading with an Operations Mindset
KLU is a leading state-recognized and
highly ranked
international university headquartered in Hamburg, Germany, with an Asian campus in
Saigon, Vietnam
and plans to expand to Africa and the Americas. Committed to empowering leaders with a strong
operations mindset
, KLU offers programs in business and management, data science and analytics, as well as specialized programs in logistics, operations, and supply chain management. Imparting an in-depth understanding of operations is a cornerstone of benefactor and founder Klaus-Michael Kühne's vision to improve the world through logistics and supply chain management, as reflected in the name
Kühne Logistics University (KLU)
. This operations mindset guides KLU's approach to contemporary leadership and management education, blending academic excellence with a hands-on approach for real-world applicability in both teaching and research.
KLU's Operations Mindset
Driving Sustainable Change
We provide a comprehensive portfolio of degree programs, including
Bachelor
's,
Master
's,
MBA
, and
PhD
, along with a variety of
executive education
certification courses. All our programs are fully accredited and consistently ranked among the best. They are delivered in English by first-class, highly research-active professors trained at some of the world's most prestigious universities and business schools. Anchored in KLU's operations mindset, combining leadership and management studies with data science and information technology, and placing particular emphasis on digitalization, entrepreneurship, and sustainability, we ensure that our graduates are well-equipped to drive responsible and sustainable change in the world.
KLU's Programs
KLU Faculty
Empowering Students
Beyond academic instruction, our students enhance their competencies and skills through integrated internships, international exchange programs with esteemed partner universities such as Stellenbosch in South Africa, Tongji in China, and Universidad de los Andes in Colombia. They also benefit from an engaging and vibrant student life, community-building activities, and tailored career coaching. Our strong relationships with renowned corporate partners and employers, including BMW, Lufthansa, and McKinsey, ensure that KLU graduates embark on impactful and rewarding careers.
Student Life at KLU
KLU Milestones
2010:
Founding of KLU Hamburg, Germany, with state recognition granted by the Hamburg Senate
2012:
Awarded the Erasmus University Charter by the European Union
2013:
Inauguration of KLU’s current Hamburg campus in HafenCity by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz
2017:
Granted the right to confer PhD degrees, becoming one of the few private German universities with this privilege
2020:
Celebrated the 10th anniversary with the theme "10 Years of Award-Winning Teaching and Research"
2021:
Rated the Best University Worldwide by Studyportals, based solely on student evaluations
2024:
Achieved international AACSB accreditation, an honor bestowed upon approximately 5% of the world’s top business schools
2025:
Opening of
KLU campus in Saigon, Vietnam
More About KLU
Quality Labels & Rankings
Campus & International Partners
Press Room
KLU Foundation
Mission & Milestones
Contacts & Directory
Governance
24.04.2026
KLU President Elected to the Board of the Globally Responsible Leadership Initiative
The Globally Responsible Leadership Initiative (GRLI) has appointed Prof. Dr. Andreas Kaplan to its Board. As President of Kü…
23.04.2026
Welcome, Marten Laudi
KLU welcomes Marten Laudi, a young professor who is rethinking finance through an interdisciplinary, behaviorally grounded ap…
22.04.2026
Leading Through Uncertainty: Why Traditional Management Is No Longer Enough
20th Kühne Foundation Logistics Day at KLU
View all news