HHL Leipzig Graduate School of Management and COGNOS AG Education Group Enter Strategic Partnership

[HHL gGmbH - 01.10.2013] The private and independent COGNOS AG education group recently became a shareholder and as a partner is building on the continued success of HHL's innovate125 Future Concept. As part of the cooperation, two new research centers in the fields of healthcare management and regulation, as well as business psychology and leadership will be established at HHL. Moreover, COGNOS AG will join the group of shareholders, which currently consists of the Leipzig Chamber of Industry and Commerce, the Association of Friends of HHL and the Kramer Foundation through a capital increase and holds 25 percent of the shares of HHL gGmbH.

HHL becomes premium partner of COGNOS AG with national visibility

The cooperation between HHL and COGNOS AG aims to exploit joint synergy potentials related to the infrastructure and further development of new forms of study. The joint utilization of locations in national and international economic centers represents another focus. The close collaboration will also be reflected in research within strategic emerging fields, especially in healthcare management and regulation, as well as business psychology and leadership. For COGNOS AG, which offers higher education, vocational training as well as on-the-job training specializing in healthcare and economics/management, the cooperation with HHL as a premium brand opens up a new set of options for outstanding students with regards to performance-based advancement qualification. The strategic partnership between HHL and COGNOS AG allows for the further sustainable development of HHL within the framework of its innovate125 Future Concept and creates improved research conditions for the new shareholder due to the collaboration with the two new research centers at HHL.

Long-term strategic partnership strengthens academic and institutional independence of HHL

HHL Dean Prof. Dr. Andreas Pinkwart says, "The long-term cooperation with the COGNOS AG education group strengthens our academic and institutional independence. This new strategic partnership directly invests into the HHL Future Concept since it provides more funds for research and creates a broader national and international network. Due to the increase in capital, the new shareholder broadens HHL's capital base in a sustainable way. It is in our mutual interests to lead HHL into the top 10 graduate business schools in Europe."

"HHL Leipzig Graduate School of Management as a university-level institution ranks amongst the leading international business schools. I am thrilled about this cooperation. It opens up more development prospects to our students, professors and research associates", says Ludwig Fresenius, Honorary President of the Fresenius University of Applied Sciences and main shareholder of COGNOS AG.

HHL Leipzig Graduate School of Management is a university-level institution and ranks amongst the leading international business schools. The goal of the oldest business school in German-speaking Europe is to educate effective, responsible and entrepreneurially minded leaders. HHL stands out for its excellent teaching, its clear research focus, its effective knowledge transfer into practice as well as its outstanding student services. www.hhl.de

COGNOS AG is one of the largest private and independent education groups in Germany. Companies associated with COGNOS AG are, among others, Hochschule Fresenius GmbH with eight schools in Germany, Bankovní institut vysoká škola, a.s. in Prague and Akademie für Führungskräfte GmbH in Überlingen, offering higher education, vocational training as well as on-the-job training. The main shareholders of COGNOS AG are Ludwig Fresenius and Dr. Arend Oetker. www.cognos-ag.de