Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) is the most popular university of German top managers. This is obvious from a study by Michael Hartmann, Professor of elite and organizational sociology in Darmstadt. Evaluation of the education biographies of 529 board members of the 100 biggest German companies revealed that 24 top managers studied at KIT or its precursory institution, Universität Karlsruhe. The KIT is followed by the University of Cologne and RWTH Aachen (17 each). The not yet published study is reported by the manager magazine online today.
The study of Hartmann is based on publicly accessible sources, such as company websites and biographical databases. According to the study, most of the current top managers passed a conventional studies program at a state university in Germany. Graduates of private universities and universities of applied sciences as well as holders of an MBA (Master of Business Administration) can hardly be found in German managing boards.
Being “The Research University in the Helmholtz Association”, KIT creates and imparts knowledge for the society and the environment. It is the objective to make significant contributions to the global challenges in the fields of energy, mobility, and information. For this, about 10,000 employees cooperate in a broad range of disciplines in natural sciences, engineering sciences, economics, and the humanities and social sciences. KIT prepares its 22,800 students for responsible tasks in society, industry, and science by offering research-based study programs. Innovation efforts at KIT build a bridge between important scientific findings and their application for the benefit of society, economic prosperity, and the preservation of our natural basis of life. KIT is one of the German universities of excellence.