TH-Wildau - News
‘We need more interdisciplinarity’ – Prof. Verena Klapschus introduces herself as the new Dean of TH Wildau
On 1 September, Prof. Verena Klapschus will become the new Dean of the Faculty of Economics, Computer Science and Law (WIR) at TH Wildau. She succeeds Prof. Christian Müller, who has held the position since the 2017/2018 winter semester. In this interview, she talks about her goals, such as building bridges between departments, increasing transparency and digitalisation, and the challenges of competing for students and teachers.
Why did you decide to run for the position of Dean in the WIR department?
When I started as a professor at TH Wildau in 2017, I had neither the plan nor the goal of becoming dean at some point. That has developed gradually over the past few years. I started out as the programme spokesperson for the Business Management programme and became a member of the departmental council. Over time, I took on more and more activities in academic self-administration and realised that I actually enjoy it. When the opportunity arose a few years ago to get a taste of departmental responsibility as vice-dean, I seized it. The dean's office was probably the next logical step. What convinced me to take this step was the university-wide strategy process in particular. I think that the position of dean has rarely offered such an exciting opportunity to shape and change the department in a forward-looking way. I find the idea of linking the two departments of the university more closely and building a ‘bridge’ between them particularly exciting. I am very much looking forward to working with the Dean of the Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences (INW), Prof. Alexander Köthe. We already have many ideas and approaches and are on the same wavelength in many respects. Last but not least, the staff in the Dean's Office are also crucial. I am looking forward to working with the team here as well.
What are your priorities and goals for your term of office?
Firstly, a key focus across all departments will be on implementing the aforementioned strategy process, particularly the construction of the ‘bridge’. To this end, my colleague from the INW department and I will first conduct a detailed analysis of the status quo. Based on this, we will identify requirements and potential for joint processes, the exploitation of synergies and the better use of interfaces. If everything goes according to plan, we will gradually implement the findings. I expect the implementation to be agile. There is a lot in flux, so one step forward will probably be followed by one or two steps back. However, I am confident that we are heading in the right direction.
In addition to the procedural perspective, we also want to promote stronger links in terms of content as part of our collaboration. Technology and management cannot be viewed or taught separately. We need more interdisciplinarity. Mutual understanding of the technological and business aspects of projects and innovations is becoming increasingly important and must be a skill that graduates of TH Wildau take with them as they enter the workforce.
On the other hand, the focus is on internal reorganisation within the department. Although reorganisation may sound a bit exaggerated. Together with the Vice-Dean, Prof. Sebastian Rönnau, we want to change five things in particular at the WIR department: 1. We want to create more transparency. This applies in particular to decision-making criteria and processes. 2. We want to become more communicative and improve communication structures within the department. 3. We want to analyse existing processes and, where possible, make them more efficient and digitise them. This is where the interface with Brücke comes in. 4. We want to actively address the issue of ‘appointment management’ and ensure that we (initially) fill all vacant positions with the necessary skills over a ten-year period. Last but not least, we have taken up the cause of ‘digitalisation in the department’. We want to future-proof the department in view of the rapid digital transformation. This applies to teaching, examinations, but also research and transfer.
Four years in office may sound like a long time at first. However, my gut feeling tells me that we have set ourselves ambitious goals for this period with the above-mentioned priorities. My goal is therefore to be able to draw a positive balance after four years.
What challenges do you see for your department in the coming years?
I think that the goals mentioned above all come with their own challenges. We mustn't forget that, despite all the enthusiasm for ideas and change, people are always affected. Some people find change easy. Others find it difficult. That's legitimate. I therefore see it as a major challenge to get everyone on board and to seek feedback on an ongoing basis.
In addition, universities will continue to face intense competition among themselves in the future. Private universities in particular are increasingly trying to get a ‘fair share’ of potential students. I think it is essential that we focus more on developing excellent study programmes that inspire interested students to study at TH Wildau. To do this, we need exciting and future-oriented degree programmes, targeted appointment management and framework conditions that enable us to teach and conduct research successfully. However, we must not only be attractive to potential students, but also to future colleagues. We need a certain degree of flexibility in the design of denominations and attractive framework conditions in order to be able to link teaching with research and transfer topics. All of this must be embedded in a higher-level dimension, namely the question of how a BA or MA ‘Made in Wildau’ should be designed. Only if we succeed in creating a clear profile of who we are, what we offer and what sets us apart can we compete for students, teachers and researchers.
What are you most looking forward to in your new role?
Everything has already been said, really. So for now, my wish is that the excitement lasts as long as possible.
How do you start your working day perfectly?
My day starts very early, usually at five or half past five, with a coffee (preferably a latte macchiato with oat milk). On days when I don't drive to TH Wildau, I go for a walk in the morning. In addition to the good feeling of starting the day actively and with a clear head, I use this time to structure my to-do list for the day. Until I sit down at my desk or make my way to Wildau, the morning is otherwise characterised by the usual hustle and bustle that comes with family life with two children. When everyone else has left the house or I'm sitting in the car, the actual working day begins.
What is the best way for you to unwind after a long day at work?
The end of the day is a mirror image of the start of the day. It is important to me that our family eats together in the evening and that each of us can talk about the important events of the day, both positive and negative. My husband and I often sit together for longer – now in summer, preferably on the terrace – and discuss all kinds of topics. The real end of the working day begins when the family hustle and bustle has died down. If I haven't had time for exercise during the day, I take an hour off to be active. I'm also a big fan of streaming series. I don't have much time for that, but if I can watch one episode in the evening, it's a relaxing way to unwind.
Further information
Department of Economics, Computing and Law: https://en.th-wildau.de/university/faculties/faculty-of-business-computing-and-law
Information about Prof. Verena Klapschus: https://www.th-wildau.de/verena-klapschus/
Contact person at TH Wildau:
Prof. Verena Klapschus
Faculty of Economics, Computing and Law
TH Wildau, Hochschulring 1, 15745 Wildau, Germany
Phone: +49 (0)3375 508 624
Email: verena.klapschus@th-wildau.de
External communications contacts at TH Wildau:
Mike Lange / Mareike Rammelt
TH Wildau, Hochschulring 1, 15745 Wildau, Germany
Phone: +49 (0)3375 508 211 / -669
Email: presse@th-wildau.de
