As part of the long-standing cooperation project between the study programme International Taxation and Law, B.A., Prof. Dr. habil. Ute Merbecks and Henkel AG & Co. KGaA, students once again had the opportunity to work on current issues in corporate taxation, corporate valuation, and digitalization in a practice-oriented setting and to discuss their results directly with experts from industry practice.
During the project, the students worked in small groups on three highly relevant topic areas. The first group analyzed challenges and design options in the field of transfer pricing. The second group focused on the opportunities and risks of mergers and acquisitions, while the third group examined the growing importance of tax technology and digital solutions in the tax sector.
The project concluded with an excursion to Henkel’s headquarters in Düsseldorf. There, the students presented their results to company representatives and received valuable feedback from practitioners. The quality of the presentations as well as the intensive professional discussions once again highlighted the significant added value of cooperation between academia and industry.
A particular highlight of the excursion was the company tour “Heritage and History Henkel Group,” offered in celebration of the company’s 150th anniversary. The tour of the Düsseldorf campus provided fascinating insights into the development of a traditional family-owned business into a globally successful corporation and illustrated the close connection between innovation, corporate culture, and long-term corporate development.
Afterwards, the students took the opportunity to learn more about career and entry opportunities at Henkel. The direct exchange with company representatives provided valuable insights into various professional fields and development prospects within an internationally operating company.
Hochschule Rhein-Waal would like to sincerely thank Henkel for the long-standing and trusting cooperation, as well as for the opportunity to provide students with practical insights into current business-related issues and career perspectives. Such collaborations make an important contribution to linking academic content with the requirements of business practice and to optimally preparing students for their entry into professional life.