50 years Faculty of Economics
In 1972, the Faculty of Economics was founded at the University of Karlsruhe (TH). 2022 - 50 years later, this event offers a special occasion to celebrate and to look back on the faculty's history.
What happened then....
Opening of the KD2 Lab
The DFG-funded Karlsruhe Decision & Design Lab (KD²Lab) in the heart of Karlsruhe is one of the largest computer-based experimental laboratories worldwide. With its excellent infrastructure for economic, neuro- and psycho-physiological experiments in a highly controlled environment, it offers optional conditions for interdisciplinary and internationally recognized cutting-edge research, especially in the areas of human decision behavior, human-machine interaction and social interaction.
The lab has two technically and spatially separated laboratory areas with 40 soundproof and air-conditioned computer cabins, two large team rooms for conducting group experiments, and a Virtual and Augmented Reality Lab.
The idea for the KD2Lab emerged back in 2009 in the course of research by Christof Weinhardt [spokesperson for the DFG project], Marc T.P. Adam and Tanja Schultz [co-spokesperson for the DFG project]. Together with the research groups of Professors Albers, Ehrhart, Ebner-Priemer, Puppe, Satzger, Seifert and Stork as well as Dr. Hey, the KD2Lab was successfully submitted to the DFG. With the support of the DFG, KIT and the state of Baden-Württemberg, physiological measurement equipment (eye trackers, Bioplux devices, etc.) was purchased and the KD2Lab was housed in central premises at Kronenplatz in Karlsruhe. After several years of construction, the official opening ceremony took place in April 2016.
Further information at: https://www.kd2lab.kit.edu/index.php
Three students, prospective industrial engineers in the 7th semester, developed a concept for a 'small Italian café' as part of a seminar (project management). The Studentenwerk Karlsruhe contributed cash and staff. After finding premises in the collegiate buildings at the castle, a sponsor for the complete furnishing of the coffee bar was still missing for the realization. Dean Prof. Dr. Wolffried Stucky agreed to make a donation for this purpose: Dr. Jürgen Zekeli, who had successfully completed his studies in 1957, donated a sum of money on the occasion of this 50th anniversary in 2007. With this donation and the commitment of the students it was possible to start up 'Stucky's Café' in the winter semester 2008/09. Coffee specialties, various beverages, sandwiches, sweets and snacks for coffee breaks were offered. Unfortunately, Stucky's Café no longer exists today. However, you don't have to do without good coffee. Since 2021, there is the intro Café at Kronenplatz, where the WiWi Fachschaft and some institutes as well as the dean's office of the KIT Faculty of Economics are located, which convinces with its coffee specialties and food!
Prior to the establishment of the Faculty, there existed six institutes belonging to the Department of Economics of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences - specifically, the:-
Institute of Statistics and Mathematical Economic Theory
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Institute for Economic Theory and Operations Research
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Institute for Applied Business Administration and Corporate Management
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Institute for Economic Policy and Research
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Institute for Manufacturing Economics and Labor Science
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and finally the Institute for Applied Computer Science and Formal Description Methods, founded in 1971.
The Tour Eucor was initiated in 1998 by the WiWi student council at KIT, has meanwhile been organized in an own association and has developed into a popular event with more than 120 participants every year. All five Eucor universities are involved: Strasbourg, Basel, Haute-Alsace (Mulhouse), Freiburg and KIT. Eucor - The European Campus was founded in 1989 as an association of the universities on the Upper Rhine. This unique university cooperation at all levels forms the basis for the Eucor tour, which follows the European idea.
What would a summer be without the WiWiSo? This year the WiWi student council organized the WiWi summer party for the 40th time. The change of location to the Gerthsen did not dampen the mood and after two years of Corona-related break, the party was once again a great success. But the change of location from the Audimax Foyer to the Gerthsen is not the only change of location that WiWiSo has survived well in the past. Until the WiWi buildings at the castle were vacated in 2016, the popular parties were held on the green space in front of the collegiate buildings at the castle. Before the lawn was transformed into a dance floor, students, representatives of the Mittelbau and professors competed against each other in the "human kicker". Refreshments were available at the Prof. Bar after the games. What could not be missing at the castle, in the Audimax or today in Gerthsen was the Mexican on the drinks list - some things just never change.
The industrial engineering course as we know it today was introduced at the University of Karlsruhe (TH) in 1969.
However, a purely economics-based course of study had already existed since 1946. Starting in 1947, there were training plans for technical economists and industrial engineers. However, at that time the course of studies had a different orientation: Industrial engineers saw themselves as engineers with additional knowledge of economics. (Cf. Hermann Maurer/Klaus Neumann: Faculty of Economics. In: Fridericiana. Faculty of Economics. Jubiläum 1825-1975, Sonderdruck 1975, pp. 73-83, here p. 73.) This profile has changed over time. With the increased establishment of chairs in business administration, the technical economist was joined by a technical business economist (cf. ibid., p. 73.) According to the 1989 Faculty Guide, the program was introduced "to adapt the education of economists to the developments in business and administration during the last two decades" (Fakultät für Wirtschaftswissenschaften/Universität Karlsruhe (TH) (ed.): Fakultätsführer, Karlsruhe 1989, p. 10 f.). Special focus was placed on sound knowledge in mathematics, operations research and applied computer science.
Even today, the industrial engineering course at the KIT Faculty of Business and Economics is characterized by a high proportion of computer science. The aim is to enable industrial engineers to solve economic-technical problems by means of quantitative methods.
The diploma program in industrial engineering was offered in three specializations: business planning, operations research/computer science, and insurance, as shown in the 1989 curriculum in the figure on the right. In today's bachelor's program, students choose their focus of study individually according to their strengths after completing the three-semester basic studies. Students can choose from a wide range of specialization profiles, for example in controlling, energy management, automotive engineering, information security and many others.
"The Dean [Prof. Dr. Hermann Göppl] announces that on June 13, 1972, the state government approved the change in the basic regulations and thus the division of Faculty V/alt."