Recognition of Outstanding Achievements and Induction into an International Honor Society

On June 16, 2026, the Business School at Pforzheim University hosted this year’s awards ceremony – a festive occasion honoring outstanding academic achievements and exceptional dedication. Numerous companies honored the students’ achievements with sponsorship awards. In addition, the ceremonial induction into the international honor society Beta Gamma Sigma (BGS) took place.

Awards Ceremony – Recognition of Special Achievements
Once again this year, the diversity of the awards presented reflected the Business School’s academic excellence.
Clemens Claussen (B.Sc. in Purchasing and Logistics) received the AEB SE Award for the best thesis in the field of information and communication systems for his work on the early detection of financially critical suppliers using artificial intelligence. The award for the best project in this field went to logistics students Luca Greiner, Umut Gülcemal, Christoph Schmidt, Nill Hauser, and Marian Mundi, who focused on analyzing capacity limits to improve efficiency in practice. 
The attempto Award for Innovation and Sustainability went to Luca Marques Berger (B.Sc. in Digital Enterprise Management), who impressed the jury with his outstanding academic performance and exceptional dedication. 
Robert Bosch GmbH honored Johann Treichel (B.Sc. in Business Informatics) as well as Alisa Bay and Erik Petsch (both M.Sc. in Information Systems) for their excellent academic performance. 
EY honored Annisa Javed (B.Sc. Taxation and Auditing) and Didem Carkacioglu (B.Sc. Controlling, Finance, and Accounting) for the best academic performance in the first stage of their studies. 
The Joachim Paul Prize for outstanding academic performance in the Bachelor’s program in International Business went to Jule Schön (B.Sc. in International Business).
Carmen Di Marco (LL.B. in Business Law) was honored by the law firm Ladenburger for an outstanding thesis in the Business Law program.
A special highlight of the awards ceremony was the participation of Tobias Störzinger: Back in 2009, he himself stood in the Audimax at Pforzheim University as a recipient of the EY Scholarship Award. Seventeen years later, he returned to his alma mater as a partner at EY to honor the new talents. “This development impressively illustrates the lasting impact of this support—and shows how the circle between academic studies, professional success, and commitment to the next generation comes full circle,” said Professor Dr. Markus-Oliver Schwaab, who served as the moderator for the “awards ceremony.”

Beta Gamma Sigma – A Special Honor
Another highlight of the evening was induction into the international honor society Beta Gamma Sigma. Membership is considered one of the highest honors for business students at AACSB-accredited universities worldwide and is by invitation only. Undergraduate students are eligible for induction if they rank in the top 10 percent of their class. Master’s students qualify if they rank in the top 20 percent of their class and have completed at least half of their degree program. This year, 69 students from the Business School were inducted into the honor society, including 38 undergraduate students and 31 graduate students.
The induction took place during a festive ceremony that highlighted the society’s core values – honor, wisdom, and integrity. These principles represent academic excellence, a sense of responsibility, and personal commitment, and will guide the new members beyond their studies. Upon induction, the students become part of an international network that stands for high standards of achievement and ethical conduct. The event thus once again highlighted how closely academic achievement, practical relevance, and personal development are intertwined at Pforzheim University.