Farewell to Prof Dr Robert Wittmann after 25 years: Looking back on a quarter of a century of commitment, development and personality

At the start of the 2026 summer semester and shortly after his 25th anniversary of service, THI Business School is bidding farewell to Prof Dr Robert Wittmann on his retirement. In a short interview (German-speaking), he looks back on a time that was characterised by academic freedom, personal development and diverse commitment. He was particularly touched by the moments when former students returned to THI and it became clear what impressive paths they had taken.

In his teaching, he placed particular emphasis on creative development, sustainable orientation and the development of individual potential - values that are now firmly anchored in all study courses. His humorous memories include a spontaneous outdoor lecture that was unexpectedly accompanied by music from a passing car.

Many didactic developments have also taken place during his time at THI: towards more interaction, creative formats and concepts such as the inverted classroom. Less pure knowledge transfer, more orientation, reflection and strategic thinking - this is how he describes the future of university teaching.

In retirement, he will particularly miss the inspiring encounters with colleagues and students. At the same time, he is looking forward to new freedoms, music and creative projects. However, he will not be saying goodbye completely: his ties to the Business School will remain and he would like to continue to closely follow its further development.

His decades-long commitment encompassed numerous roles: his many years as Dean of Studies, his involvement as a mentor for the Ingolstadt Founder Award, his functions as Anti-Discrimination and Anticorruption Officer and his university policy work in the Senate. In 2012, he was awarded the Bavarian University Teaching Prize for his outstanding teaching performance. He has also been an accredited FIBAA assessor since 2007. Furthermore, he has been a central pillar and co-initiator of the AACSB accreditation process of THI Business School from the very beginning.

We would like to thank him sincerely for his many years of dedication and great personal commitment.

The full (German-speaking) interview is available at the following link.

To the interview.