The 38 new students gathered at the beginning of the programme at the Große Ledder seminar and conference hotel in Wermelskirchen to spend their first days of study together with the programme directors, Prof. Dr. Peter Kajüter (University of Münster) and Prof. Dr. Martin Nienhaus (RUB), as well as the ASBM team, in the picturesque Bergisches Land region. The first day focused on getting to know one another: with great team spirit and enthusiasm, the students worked together to solve complex construction tasks and puzzles, among other activities. A particular highlight was the evening discussion round with experts from professional practice.

On 11 and 12 June 2026, the Institute of Public Economics once again held its Brussels Seminar under the direction of Prof. Dr. Johannes Becker. Following its successful premiere last year, 18 bachelor students once again travelled to the political centre of Europe.

Am 11. und 12. Juni 2026 fand erneut das Brüssel-Seminar des Instituts für Finanzwissenschaft unter der Leitung von Prof. Dr. Johannes Becker statt. Nach seiner erfolgreichen Premiere im vergangenen Jahr reisten auch in diesem Jahr 18 Bachelorstudierende in das politische Zentrum Europas.

Die 38 neuen Studierenden kamen zum Auftakt im Seminar- und Tagungshotel Große Ledder in Wermelskirchen zusammen, um gemeinsam mit den Studiengangleitern Prof. Dr. Peter Kajüter (Universität Münster) und Prof. Dr. Martin Nienhaus (RUB) sowie dem ASBM-Team die ersten Studientage im malerischen Bergischen Land zu verbringen. Der erste Tag stand ganz im Zeichen des Kennenlernens: Mit viel Teamgeist und Spaß wurden u. a. komplexe Konstruktionsaufgaben und Rätsel gelöst. Ein besonderes Highlight war die abendliche Diskussionsrunde mit Expert:innen aus der Praxis.

Family and friends, current and former colleagues, staff and students gathered at the Fürstenberghaus on 19 June 2026 for the inaugural lecture by Honorary Professor Dr Christian Böing. Following a welcome address by Dean Prof. Dr Thomas Langer, Prof. Dr Manfred Krafft delivered the laudatory speech, in which he described Christian Böing as a “positive role model for young people”. Böing then shared insights into ten exciting years of Marketing Analytics @SBE and expressed his gratitude to his family, colleagues and the School.

Familie und Freund:innen, aktuelle und ehemalige Kolleg:innen, Mitarbeitende und Studierende kamen am 19. Juni 2026 zur Antrittsvorlesung von Honorarprofessor Dr. Christian Böing ins Fürstenberghaus. Auf die Begrüßung durch Dekan Prof. Dr. Thomas Langer folgte Laudator Prof. Dr. Manfred Krafft, der Christian Böing attestierte, ein "positives Vorbild für junge Menschen" zu sein. Dieser gab anschließend Einblicke in zehn spannende Jahre Marketing Analytics @FB4 und bedankte sich bei Familie, Weggefährten und Fachbereich.

To support the development of high-resolution global biomass maps, the AI4Forest project has been granted access to the computing resources of JUPITER at Forschungszentrum Jülich, Europe’s first exascale supercomputer. In total, the project will have access to 120,000 GPU hours, which will be used to process large volumes of Earth observation data.

AI4Forest is a German-French research cooperation that investigates how cutting-edge artificial intelligence methods can help to better understand, monitor, and respond to the stresses on forest ecosystems caused by climate change. The project is coordinated by Philippe Ciais (Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l'Environnement, Université Paris), Alexandre d’Aspremont (Department of Computer Science, École Normale Supérieure), Fabian Gieseke (Department of Information Systems, University of Münster), Sebastian Pokutta (Zuse Institute Berlin), and Cornelius Senf (Earth Observation for Ecosystem Management, Technical University of Munich).

The goal of the proposal for computing resources is to create a global aboveground biomass (AGB) map that builds on the research group’s previous work: ECHOSAT; European satellites (Sentinel-1, Sentinel-2); Japanese satellites (ALOS Palsar-2); American sensors (GEDI); and German satellites (Tandem-X DEM).

Above-ground biomass comprises the plant biomass above the soil surface. AI4Forest focuses in particular on trees, as they store large amounts of CO₂ and are simultaneously increasingly exposed to various threats such as drought, heat, fires, or pest infestations.

Traditionally, biomass has been primarily measured or estimated through on-site field surveys. AI4Forest aims to improve such estimates on a global scale using satellite data and artificial intelligence, and to make them available more efficiently.

Creating such maps requires a great deal of computational power. Access to high-performance computing resources is crucial for processing large amounts of data and training complex AI models. The research group is especially pleased to be able to rely on JUPITER for this work.

Links related to this news

AI4Forest

Supercomputer JUPITER

On May 29, 2026, Business Contacts once again opened its doors, bringing together students and companies from the region as well as from across Germany at the Oeconomicum of the University of Münster. The career fair offered numerous opportunities for personal conversations, career orientation, and the establishment of valuable professional connections for the future. More than 40 companies introduced themselves to visitors and provided information about internships, working student positions, trainee programs, as well as entry-level and career opportunities. The event focused particularly on direct interaction, which was actively embraced by both students and company representatives.

Am 29. Mai 2026 öffnete die Business Contacts erneut ihre Türen und brachte im Oeconomicum der Universität Münster Studierende und Unternehmen aus der Region sowie aus ganz Deutschland zusammen. Die Karrieremesse bot zahlreiche Möglichkeiten für persönliche Gespräche, berufliche Orientierung und den Aufbau wertvoller Kontakte für die Zukunft. Mehr als 40 Unternehmen präsentierten sich den Besucherinnen und Besuchern und informierten über Praktika, Werkstudierendentätigkeiten, Traineeprogramme sowie Einstiegs- und Karrieremöglichkeiten. Dabei stand insbesondere der direkte Austausch im Mittelpunkt.

As part of the 11th Tech-Kalinen Meetup, titled “From idea to career: Women in STEM share their journeys,” three different career paths in STEM fields were presented. The goal of the event was to highlight the diversity of career opportunities in STEM and to shed light on both the differences and similarities among these career paths.

The event was organized by the Tech-Kalinen network together with the Women+ in Information Systems initiative at the Department of Information Systems at the University of Münster. The student initiative Women do IT from Department 10 (Mathematics and Computer Science) also presented itself

Among the speakers were Dr. Beate Rottkemper (Head of Sustainability Management, UKM), as well as Dr. Lena Clever and Dr. Fumi Kurihara from the Department of Information Systems. They shared personal insights into their career paths in research, teaching, and industry, and reflected on key experiences, challenges, and pivotal moments. It became clear that career paths are rarely linear and that openness to new opportunities often leads to unexpected possibilities.

Key takeaways from the evening included the importance of individual career paths as well as the insight that technological innovation and societal impact are not mutually exclusive.

The Tech-Kalinen network connects women in tech professions in the Münsterland region, fostering exchange and increasing the visibility of women in tech as role models and contacts for early-career talent. The network focuses on current topics in the digital and technology sectors and discusses approaches to addressing the lack of diversity in the field.

From June 8 to 10, the 21st International Conference on Design Science Research in Information Systems and Technology (DESRIST) took place at Münster Castle. For three days, the conference featured engaging workshops, inspiring paper sessions, and intensive exchange within the international research community.

Under the theme “Design for better futures. Beyond the science of the artificial.”, participants discussed how design science can go beyond the purely artificial to contribute to a vibrant, sustainable, and responsible future. This year’s conference aimed to expand the boundaries of what design science is and what it could become. In doing so, it created space for new ways of thinking, knowing, and creating that are as adaptive, entangled, and generative as the challenges we face..

The conference theme closely aligns with one of the key research areas of the Department of Information Systems. This is reflected in projects such as the Flow Factory, where responsible AI innovations are developed and put into practice.

During the Conference Dinner at A2 am Aasee, Prof. Jan vom Brocke was honored with the Design Science Research Lifetime Achievement Award. Since 2007, this award has been presented to individuals who have made outstanding contributions to research and the scientific community.

During the ceremony, laudator Prof. Samir Chatterjee from Claremont Graduate University praised Jan vom Brocke's significant scientific achievements, highlighting in particular his dedication to the community: "Jan has brought people together across institutions, countries, and disciplines (...) and created an environment where ideas can flourish and researchers feel welcome and supported." 

Award recipient Jan vom Brocke expressed his honor and gratitude to be part of such a "wonderful community": "Design Science has always been so close to my heart, as it provides the opportunity to conduct research of value to society." 

This year’s conference was organized by the Department of Information Systems led by Jan vom Brocke, Timo Strohmann, Hans Näscher, Fumi Kurihara, Armin Stein, Katrin Bergener, and Lea Kleinekathöfer, with the support of numerous additional contributors who contributed to the event’s success.

 Jan vom Brocke (right) with laudator Samir Chatterjee (Photo: Julian Meyer).

Prof. Dr. Jan vom Brocke, Direktor des Instituts für Wirtschaftsinformatik und des European Research Centers for Information Systems (ERCIS), ist mit dem Design Science Research Lifetime Achievement Award ausgezeichnet worden. Der Preis wird seit 2007 an Persönlichkeiten vergeben, die herausragende Beiträge für die Forschung und die wissenschaftliche Community leisten.

Dr. Colin Schulz widmet sich am Institut für Entrepreneurship dem digitalen und ökologischen Wandel aus betriebswirtschaftlicher Perspektive. Gleichzeitig beweist er, dass er selbst ein spannendes Gleichgewicht aus Beständigkeit und Veränderung gefunden hat. Für seine wissenschaftlichen Leistungen erhält Colin Schulz am 9. Juli den Förderpreis der Universitätsgesellschaft – ein Porträt.

Vor gut einem Jahr begann Donald Trump als Präsident der Vereinigten Staaten von Amerika, hohe Zölle für Handelspartner anderer Länder zu erheben. Welche Auswirkungen solche Alleingänge auf den globalen Handel haben und welche effektiveren Mittel es gibt, um das Wachstum zu erhöhen, erläutert der Wirtschaftswissenschaftler Prof. Dr. Bernd Kempa im Interview mit Brigitte Heeke für die Unizeitung wissen|leben.

On Wednesday, June 11, 2026, twelve students from the School of Business & Economics were honored with the BMS CS-AlumniUM Junior Award in recognition of their outstanding academic achievements during their first year of study. The award ceremony took place in the distinguished setting of the renowned Schloss Wilkinghege.

Am Mittwoch, den 11. Juni 2026, wurden zwölf Studierende der Wirtschaftswissenschaftlichen Fakultät für ihre herausragenden Leistungen im ersten Studienjahr mit dem "BMS CS-AlumniUM-Junior-Award" ausgezeichnet. Die Verleihung fand im feierlichen Rahmen im renommierten Schloss Wilkinghege statt.

Prof. Dr. Sebastian Hohenberg, holder of the Chair of Digital Transformation and Co-Director of the Centre for Business Transformation (ChanCe), has been awarded as “Outstanding Reviewer” by the prestigious Journal of Marketing (JM). This leading international journal honours reviewers who make an outstanding contribution to quality assurance in marketing research.

Prof. Dr. Sebastian Hohenberg, Inhaber des Lehrstuhls für Digitale Transformation und Co-Direktor des Centers for Business Transformation (ChanCe),  wurde vom renommierten Journal of Marketing (JM) als „Outstanding Reviewer“ ausgezeichnet. Die international führende Fachzeitschrift würdigt damit Gutachter:innen, die einen herausragenden Beitrag zur Qualitätssicherung in der Marketingforschung leisten.

From May 18 to May 20, 2026, Lennart Schäpermeier and Leonard Papenmeier from the Department of Information Systems participated in the COSEAL (Configuration and Selection of Algorithms) workshop at RWTH Aachen University. 

The workshop is a premier international event bringing together researchers from academia and industry across all areas of automated artificial intelligence (AutoAI). Participants discussed current advances and trends in the automated configuration and selection of algorithms, including automated machine learning (AutoML), Bayesian optimization, neural architecture search and automated algorithm selection. The latter was celebrated with a special session highlighting 50 years of algorithm selection research.

At this edition, Lennart Schäpermeier presented BONO-Bench, based on joint work with ERCIS member Pascal Kerschke, which was recently accepted at the ACM TELO journal (SJR Q1). BONO-Bench advances the state of the art in evaluating bi-objective optimization heuristics by providing a test suite with controllable challenges and reference solutions, enabling researchers to better understand and configure their optimization heuristics.

The COSEAL workshop series originally started in 2013 at the Department of Information Systems with a workshop organized by Prof. Dr. Heike Trautmann (ERCIS member, now University of Paderborn). It is held anually in locations across Europe and attracts approximately 100 participants from dozens of research institutes. Additionally, Lennart Schäpermeier (together with André Biedenkapp, University of Freiburg, and Theresa Eimer, University of Hannover), serves as a general chair of the COSEAL network.

The next COSEAL workshop is held from May 10-12, 2027 at TU Dortmund.