Student Initiatives
Students at HHL show strong and diverse commitment. In this context, they established a catalog of initiatives and events besides their curriculum. Amongst these extracurricular activities are:
- Sports Event: European Ivy League
- Professional Business / Networking Initiatives: Accelerate (Conference), Venture Capital Club (VCC), HHL Energy Conference, TEDxHHL
- Social Initiatives: Voice of Hope (VOH), Positive Impact Society (PISO)
All these initiatives significantly enrich HHL‘s university life and carry out HHL‘s excellence in educating effective, responsible, and entrepreneurial future business leaders! All initiatives are designed as Student Initiatives where our students will apply their skills in successful project management, prove soft skills in communication and teamwork work, especially in an international team, and extend the network of HHL.
All members of our student initiatives are recognized ambassadors of HHL who act as responsible-minded representatives of HHL.
The initiatives bring together students from HHL and other business schools and universities, as well as representatives from science, politics, and economics for their annual events and conferences. In this context, our students foster HHL’s network and strengthen HHL’s spirit when showing enthusiasm, and engagement and having fun when bringing great ideas to life.
Accelerate@HHL
Give students, startups, investors and mature companies a platform to network, share opinions and catalyze new ideas in an entrepreneurial surrounding at HHL!
Along with HHL’s entrepreneurial spirit and the extraordinary expertise of HHL in that field, the Accelerate@HHL initiative is dedicated to the topic entrepreneurship and related issues such as funding, financing, leadership etc. The initiative is additionally pushed by HHL alumni and HHL’s extensive network within the entrepreneurship scene who foster and strengthen the HHL entrepreneurship spirit beyond the campus. In the context of the Accelerate initiative, a yearly conference is organized where over 200 guests are welcomed in Leipzig, highly recognized speakers and students from numerous other universities join and discuss hot topics of entrepreneurship.
Get more information about this year’s Accelerate Conference and all the details about the initiative on our web presence.
TEDxHHL
TEDxHHL is a non-profit student organization dedicated to empowering individuals through idea.
TEDxHHL – where x stands for independently organized event and HHL is abbreviation for Handelshochschule Leipzig (HHL) – holds the official TEDx license to host a TEDx conference. Founded in 2014 by students, TEDxHHL has sought to spark inspiring and entrepreneurial ideas within the vibrant student community of Leipzig.
TEDxHHL aims to foster an environment for spreading ideas, with live speakers and TED-Talks videos, serving as a means to inspire deep discussions and connections between individuals from various backgrounds. In turn, we hope that the HHL community will be challenged by the TEDxHHL experience and be motivated to make a positive impact on our world. The TED foundation provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events, such as TEDxHHL, are self-organized.
Get more information about this year’s TEDxHHL Conference.
HHL Energy Conference
The HHL Energy Conference, established in 2009, brings company representatives from the energy sector and people from science, politics and consulting together on HHL’s campus in order to discuss hot topics of the energy change and related issues. Having top speakers and guests on campus for the annual conference, it is one of the highlights at HHL.
The Energy Conference also welcomes many university students who not only take part in lively discussions, but also in the case study conducted by top firms. The event closes with a special Gala Dinner with all sponsors, company representatives, speakers, and students.
Apply now for this year’s Energy Conference and follow us for the most up-to-date information here!
European Ivy League
Life is a lot like football – it’s more fun when you’re running towards a goal.
The European Ivy League (EIL) is the leading Business School Soccer Tournament in Europe. As one of HHL’s largest student initiatives, the EIL has the longest tradition since being founded in 1997. The event combines sports, management content, networking, and entertainment. The annual event can include lectures and discussions of top panelists from sports and business. In this context, HHL welcomes top university teams as guests which only compete for the best university team when playing soccer but also make use of great networking opportunities while meeting company representatives and having lots of fun.
Get more information about this year’s European Ivy League.
HHL Venture Capital Club
The HHL Venture Capital Club is enriching the entrepreneurship expertise at HHL by organizing workshops and discussions about the financing topic of companies especially from the investment perspective.
Sponsored by VC companies the initiatives bring together students from HHL, representatives from VC companies, and successful founders who give insights into challenges, common mistakes and recipes for success. Especially for young founders and those who want to become an entrepreneur the initiative is highly inspiring and provides first-hand knowledge and top networking opportunities.
Get more information about the HHL Venture Capital Club.
The Negotiation Club
In business, as in life, you don’t get what you want, you get what you negotiate for.
– Chester L Karrass –
Founded in 2018, The Negotiation Club at HHL is a training ground to equip one with negotiating skills to get the best while meeting your opponent half way on the bargaining table. One learns to create value in complex situations, and master the art of developing sustainable relations with negotiating parties.
The initiative focuses on training its members through case study and real life simulations complemented with workshops by experts from diverse backgrounds. We are dedicated to fanning the expertise of negotiation by explicitly bringing forth its relevance. This in turn cultivates highly skilled negotiators who compete in renowned global competitions such as The Negotiation Challenge and Warsaw Negotiation Round. And who become succesful in their own lives.
Positive Impact Society
The Positive Impact Society (PISO), started in 2021 by students at HHL, is dedicated to enhancing the campus experience by making it more energizing, educating, and engaging for everyone. Building on insights from the Positive Impact Rating – PIR, PISO has brought welcome improvements to our campus. Their notable efforts include a partnership with ‘Periodically‘ to offer free female sanitation products, a crucial step in promoting health and gender equality. PISO is run by students, for students, in close partnership with the university’s management. Learn more about PISO’s ongoing transformation of the HHL community on our LinkedIn channel.
HHL ranks #1 in Germany in the Positive Impact Rating, held across the world with Business Schools from 25 countries, which measures the societal impact and commitment to sustainability.
Voice of Hope
Voice of Hope @HHL (VOH) is the first and so far only student initiative of HHL that makes a social contribution beyond typical business education.
What started in 2015 as a buddy program for our international students quickly developed into an organization that expanded its focus to various social impact projects. Since then, we have already worked with internationally renowned non-profit organizations such as UNICEF, the German Red Cross, and DKMS, and have been able to implement social events such as stem cell registrations or blood donations alongside many other projects.
Our purpose is to become a platform for the development of good leaders by approaching responsibility not only from a business perspective but also from a common good perspective.
Learn more about Voice of Hope’s impact on the HHL community by exploring our article on the HHL Blog or by visiting our LinkedIn and Instagram channel.
HHL Consulting Club
Bridging academic learning with real-world consulting experience
The HHL Consulting Club (HHLCC), founded in 2024, is dedicated to enhancing student employability and practical skills by facilitating hands-on learning through workshops, case studies, and industry interactions.
HHLCC bridges academic knowledge with real-world consulting experience, aligning with HHL’s core values of entrepreneurship, excellence, leadership, and community. We prepare future-ready business leaders by offering a unique blend of theory and practice, equipping students for challenges in consulting and beyond.
Core Offerings:
- Skill development in problem-solving, analytical thinking, strategic planning, effective communication, and creative thinking
- Practical learning opportunities that complement academic theory
- Essential consulting skills development
- Professional network expansion
- Exposure to various industries
- Robust network creation among students, alumni, and industry professionals
- Knowledge exchange and opportunity creation
HHLCC enhances the HHL experience by offering activities that bridge the gap between classroom learning and real-world application. We foster connections that benefit both current students and graduates, creating a dynamic environment for personal and professional growth.
To get involved or learn more, follow us on LinkedIn or email us at consultingclub@hhl.de. HHL students can apply for membership to access all club activities, while alumni can participate as guest speakers, mentors, or recruiters.