My job at the FOM University

What exactly do you at FOM?

I work as a professor and in research. I am a Business Administration professor and teach finance, accounting and taxation. I also teach applied mathematics in business administration. Moreover, I conduct research. My research is all about exploring legal bases, i.e. the tax laws that affect entrepreneurs’ decisions. The aim is to find the optimal decisions for a company. These are then published in books and articles. 

What does your typical workday look like?

My workday usually starts at home – that is where I prepare lectures, going over each slide and argument. To give you some numbers: One lecture requires about four hours of preparation time. In the afternoon, I have time for my family, sometimes I hold a lecture at a company or lead a training session for accountants. In the evening, I go to the auditorium and teach. I start by going over what we did the previous time with my students, then I introduce new subjects. Most of the time I use a practical example to illustrate a subject. We apply the theory directly to a company case and develop a solution together that will help the students.

What fascinates you about this job?

Essentially, it's all about education. I have always been interested in education. For me, education is a precious treasure. Very early on, I learned that education is not a given. I've traveled to other countries where not every child was able to get an education. I quickly realized what a luxury we have here in Germany and in Europe. In short, it's worth preserving this and helping to ensure that education and knowledge are passed on to the next generation. In addition, it's a lot of fun to work with young people and to help them out along their path.

Why did you choose to work at FOM, a university in Berlin?

At the time, I came to Berlin for personal reasons. My husband had already established himself here professionally. I arrived at FOM because I was looking for a combination of higher education and a high level of practical relevance. The students here have a strong and specific professional motivation. Most are living their lives and are already working, but want to change something. The contents of the training are theoretically sophisticated, yet very practical. Each theoretical problem is illustrated with a practical example. I like the level of quality at this university. 

And Berlin!? I've been able to experience many cities – I've lived in the region around Münster, the Ruhr area, in Hamburg and in Innsbruck. As a city, I think Berlin is simply fascinating. You can feel freedom everywhere here. For example, the sidewalks in Berlin are as wide as the streets in other cities. You always have the feeling that there is enough space for everyone here. That also connects to spiritual freedom. Everyone here can be however they are. You know what? I can't stand narrow-mindedness. And it would never work for science. There's enough room in Berlin for a wide spiritual horizon – it's the perfect place for research.