IBAE: Jelena Kurz and Jannik Wiegert - Graduating with Distinction

It was a very special moment for Jelena Kurz and Jannik Wiegert: A few weeks ago, they completed their double master's degree in "Global Master of Management" at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) and were awarded for the best overall performance in their studies. "It made us a bit proud that we had both completed our bachelor's degree at Leuphana," says Jelena Kurz. After all, at first the 24-year-old was worried about whether she would be able to pass at the LSE in view of the many graduates* from Oxford and Cambridge Universities. "But I soon realized that we were very well prepared at Leuphana and didn't have to hide."

Jelena Kurz studied International Business Administration & Entrepreneurship (IBAE) and Jannik Wiegert opted for a double bachelor's degree with majors in political science and business administration, where he also took many IBAE modules. A native of Lüneburg, Wiegert appreciates at Leuphana above all "the opportunity and obligation to follow his own study path." "Thanks to the major and minor or the complementary studies, the study model leaves a lot of freedom to make decisions and provides a holistic perspective," says the 27-year-old. But he didn't just get involved in his studies; he is also one of the founders of the "Policy Lab," a student initiative that promotes vibrant democratic coexistence. "I realized then that I would enjoy building an organization. The double degree allowed me to learn even more about the theoretical background."

Jelena Kurz was eager to study economics after graduating from high school. "At the time, I had the idea of studying with huge, anonymous lecture halls and pure memorization. But it wasn't like that at Leuphana. We learned how to work scientifically, think in an interdisciplinary way, read publications and develop critical research questions. Sustainability and ethics were also important topics. All this was very helpful for the master's in London, where many students have an interdisciplinary background," says Jelena Kurz.

Both graduates are now at the beginning of their professional careers after completing their master's degrees and are entering coveted positions in management consultancies - Jelena Kurz in London and Jannik Wiegert in Berlin.