The Claus and Brigitte Meyer Foundation awards the Thomas Gulden Prize to one or more students for outstanding academic achievements and/or an excellent Bachelor's or Master's thesis in the field of business administration, in particular controlling, finance and accounting. The prize is awarded in memory of the former student Thomas Gulden and his personality.

About Thomas Gulden
Thomas Gulden was born on March 15, 1978 and lived in Großglattbach near Mühlacker. He attended elementary school in Lomersheim near Mühlacker from 1985 to 1989 and the Mörike Realschule in Mühlacker from 1989 to 1995. He completed his academic education with an entrance qualification for a University of Applied Sciences at the Georg-Kerschensteiner-Schule vocational college I and II in Mühlacker in 1997.

After completing his first practical semester, he studied Controlling, Finance and Accounting at Pforzheim University and received his diploma certificate on January 24, 2003. He received the rarely achieved overall grade of "very good" in both the overall grade and his specialization. He wrote a 200-page thesis on "Risk reporting in the annual reports of the German automotive industry" under Professor Dr. Claus Meyer. It was graded with 1.0 and excerpts were published as volume 108 in the "Beiträge der Pforzheim University".

Due to his congenital and progressive muscle disease (Duchenne muscular dystrophy), Thomas Gulden has been in a wheelchair since the age of 10. During his studies, he was accompanied and supervised by people doing community service. He completed his diploma thesis with the help of an on-screen keyboard, the keys of which are activated by clicking the mouse.

Thomas Gulden died on April 11, 2003 from the fatal disease, the course of which he knew. He was honored posthumously with the Laboratoire Labothene Cosmethique GmbH & Co KG sponsorship award for his outstanding thesis, which combined theory and practice in a special way. His mother accepted the prize on his behalf in the university's Auditorium Maximum on May 15, 2003. In accordance with his wishes, this prize, as well as his entire fortune, will be used to support humanitarian organizations.

Click here for more information on the prize winners of previous years.

Every year, Alfred Kärcher GmbH & Co. KG honors students for outstanding performance. The Alfred Kärcher Prize is awarded to a maximum of two students each year. If two students receive the award, each student is given a one-time payment of €500. If the prize is awarded to only one student, the recipient is given a one-time payment of €1,000.

Kärcher also supports the Meyer Foundation with the Alfred Kärcher Scholarship totalling € 2,400 per year. Kärcher makes the selection itself. The Meyer Foundation provides the company with relevant documents from students that it supports itself.

Kärcher generally offers internships to students; places are available for various degree programs in plants and branches worldwide. In addition, Kärcher awards final theses and/or dissertations, the practical part of which can be carried out at Kärcher.

For specific job advertisements, please refer to their homepage at: http: //www.kaercher-karriere.de

Here you will find further information on the award winners of previous years.