News & Press | IU International University of Applied Sciences

Dr Frank Appel joins the advisory board of IU International University of Applied Sciences

Wed, 08 Jul 2026 07:49:28 +0200

Erfurt, Germany, 8 July 2026. IU International University of Applied Sciences is expanding its Advisory Board with one of Germany’s most experienced experts in digitalisation and business: Dr Frank Appel, former Chief Executive Officer of Deutsche Post DHL Group, is currently External Vice-President of the Max Planck Society as well as Chair of the Supervisory Boards of Deutsche Telekom AG and RWE. Going forward, he will bring his many years of experience in leading and strategically developing large organisations to IU’s advisory body.

Appel adds a perspective to the Advisory Board of IU that combines entrepreneurial practice, scientific understanding and technological change. A neurobiologist by training, he is familiar with both the requirements of scientific organisations and the structures of large, digitally driven companies. With this experience, he strengthens the strategic direction of IU as a university that consistently combines academically sound, practice-oriented and modern higher education with the requirements of the labour market.

“By appointing Dr Frank Appel to our Advisory Board, we are gaining an outstanding figure who combines scientific experience, business acumen and a deep understanding of digital transformation – precisely the mindset we need if we want to prepare students in the best possible way for tomorrow’s AI-driven world of work. His perspective will support us in strategically developing IU further and in aligning digital education even more closely with the requirements of a changing labour market,” says Professor Holger Sommerfeldt, Rector of IU International University of Applied Sciences.

“IU International University of Applied Sciences understands that education only has an impact if it truly prepares people for the challenges of the world of work. Its consistent use of technology as a learning amplifier, its focus on practical relevance and employability, and its ambition to make higher education accessible to more people are compelling. I look forward to helping shape this path as a member of the Advisory Board and contributing insights from my own experience,” says Dr Frank Appel.

Dr Frank Appel studied chemistry at the University of Munich and completed his doctorate in neurobiology at ETH Zurich in 1993. After working at McKinsey & Company, he joined Deutsche Post DHL Group in 2000. He became a member of the Board of Management in 2002 and served as Chief Executive Officer from 2008 to 2023. During his tenure, he drove the Group’s digital transformation and consistently positioned the company towards sustainable business models and new areas of growth. Appel has been Chair of the Supervisory Board of Deutsche Telekom AG since 2022 and of RWE since 2025. In 2024, he was appointed External Vice-President of the Max Planck Society, having been a member of its Senate since 2017. His current roles therefore bring together key future-facing topics such as digitalisation, research and innovation.

ABOUT THE ADVISORY BOARD OF IU INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF APPLIED SCIENCES

The Advisory Board was established by IU International University of Applied Sciences in 2022 and consists of high-profile representatives from companies and scientific institutions. It advises IU International University of Applied Sciences on fundamental practice-related issues in research and teaching. These distinguished experts from academia, business and politics share IU International University of Applied Sciences’ vision of future-oriented higher education that promotes greater educational equity and the key skills of tomorrow.

Members of the Advisory Board of IU International University of Applied Sciences include:

Jimmy Wales
Founder of Wikipedia and a prominent advocate for the democratisation of knowledge on a global scale
Lucy Stonehill
Founder and former CEO of EdTech BridgeU, which uses AI to advise students worldwide on academic opportunities
Raffaela Rein
Founder of CareerFoundry, a leader in digital education and career development
Sascha Lobo
Journalist, bestselling author, and recognised expert on digital topics, as well as a key figure in the German AI debate
Prof. Dr Tobias Bonhoeffer
Neuroscientist and director at the Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence, focusing on research into the brain and learning
Frank Weise
Chairman of the Executive Board with expertise in education and labour market development; former CEO of the Federal Employment Agency
Dr Frank Appel
Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Deutsche Telekom AG and RWE; external vice president of the Max Planck Society

Further information is available here.

Sascha Lobo joins the advisory board of IU

Tue, 19 Sep 2023 10:26:49 +0200

Sascha Lobo is a leading expert on digital topics and technologies as well as one of the leading minds in the current German AI debate.
The AI expert is impressed by IU's efforts in AI-supported learning.
By joining the IU's Advisory Board, Lobo joins the ranks of renowned advisory board members such as Jimmy Wales or Tobias Bonhoeffer.

Erfurt, Germany, 19 September 2023. The journalist, bestselling author and publicist Sascha Lobo is a new member of the Advisory Board of IU International University of Applied Sciences (IU). In the future, he will advise IU on the central strategic field of AI. With over 100,000 students, IU is Germany's largest university and a pioneer in the application of AI in education.

Sascha Lobo is a thought leader for digital topics and technologies. Among other things, he has gained a reputation for his exceptional expertise and critical analyses in his SPIEGEL column "Die Mensch Maschine". In the current AI debate, Lobo is one of the leading experts when it comes to the opportunities and risks of AI - especially in the field of education.

The innovative power of IU as a provider of digital education is a key motivating factor for Lobo to accompany IU on its global education mission as an advisory board member:

"The decisive question is no longer whether - but only how exactly we use AI in Germany and Europe, and first and foremost in the field of education. IU has recognised this and, more importantly, it is also actively applying the findings. That was the main reason for me to work together with IU on this essential topic for the future. IU's concrete approach, adaptive learning, is also in my view the best way to combine education and artificial intelligence in a meaningful way," says Sascha Lobo.

"With his many years of experience in the digital world, Sascha Lobo joins the ranks of our advisory board as another exceptional talent. His extensive knowledge of current developments on digital topics as well as his ability to communicate complex topics in a comprehensible way make him a valuable asset to IU's Advisory Board," says Dr. Sven Schütt, CEO of IU International University of Applied Sciences.

International thought leaders within the IU Advisory Board

IU's Advisory Board is made up of renowned personalities from academia, business and politics. They all share the IU vision of future-oriented higher education that is accessible to all people and promotes future competencies through digitalised, personalised learning. With their expertise and diverse experience, the advisory board members consult the IU on key strategic issues such as digital education.

The IU Advisory Board includes Dr. Frank Weise (former Chairman of the Board of the Federal Employment Agency in Germany and Chair of the IU Advisory Board), Prof. Dr. Tobias Bonhoeffer (neurobiologist and learning researcher), Ambassador Kamissa Camara (former Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of Digital Economy of the Republic of Mali), Dr. Karina Montilla Edmonds (responsible for relations with universities and scientific institutions at the software company SAP), Raffaela Rein and Lucy Stonehill (entrepreneurs in the field of digital education), Jimmy Wales (co-founder of the online encyclopaedia Wikipedia) and the newest member Sascha Lobo.

"The Advisory Board is of immense importance for our IU’s international orientation. Their combined expertise supports IU in bringing education to more people worldwide and realising the vision of a future-oriented higher education that promotes personalised learning through digital learning formats," says Sven Schütt.

IU is a pioneer in digital education

IU enables self-directed learning for its students through specially developed platforms such as the virtual campus, the IU Learn app as well as the AI-supported learning buddy Syntea. IU is one of the first universities in the world to use Syntea, a learning buddy that uses artificial intelligence to adapt to the individual goals of each student and help them achieve optimal learning results through personal dialogue. More information about Syntea is available both here on the official info page and here in the latest press release.

Background information on the IU Advisory Board can be found here.

If you are interested in the topic "AI in Education and the World of Work", we recommend the recordings of the IU AI Forum "Next Level Learning" together with the German Federal Employment Agency and McKinsey & Company.

ABOUT IU INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF APPLIED SCIENCES

With over 100,000 students, IU International University of Applied Sciences (IU) is the largest university in Germany. The private, state-recognised educational institution with its headquarters in Erfurt began operations in 2000 and is now represented in more than 35 German cities. Students from over 180 nations design their studies according to their needs: whether practice-integrated dual studies, flexible distance learning or individual “myStudium”, which combines online self-study and campus life. IU wants to give people worldwide access to personalised education for a fulfilled and self-determined life. In more than 150 German- and over 50 English-language study programmes in bachelor's, master's and MBA fields, IU teaches students key competencies relevant to the future. A digitally supported learning environment and the use of AI solutions help students to achieve optimal learning results and experiences. IU is one of the first universities in the world to have developed and deployed its own AI-supported learning buddy. IU cooperates with over 15,000 companies and supports them in the academic training of professionals. Partners include Motel One, Vodafone, AWO and Deutsche Bahn. Further information at: iu.org

RETHINKING EDUCATION: IU WINS INTERNATIONAL THOUGHT LEADERS FOR ADVISORY BOARD

Fri, 01 Jul 2022 08:03:00 +0200

Advisory board will support IU in its mission to provide access to education for people worldwide

IU welcomes Frank Weise, Prof. Dr. Tobias Bonhoeffer, Raffaela Rein, Lucy Stonehill and Jimmy Wales as board members.
The distinguished group of experts from science, business and politics share IU’s vision for future-oriented higher education, promoting educational equality and the key qualifications of tomorrow.
The advisory board members will accompany IU on its way to becoming a leading global education provider.
The first advisory board meeting took place yesterday on 30 June 2022.

Erfurt, 01 July 2022. IU International University of Applied Sciences is strengthening itself with a newly constituted advisory board, to support its mission: providing education that is accessible for all through digitalised, personalised learning to impart the skills that will be key tomorrow. The advisory board of Germany's largest university will include outstanding thought leaders from science, business and politics: Frank Weise, former Chairman of the Board of the Federal Employment Agency in Germany, Prof. Dr. Tobias Bonhoeffer, neurobiologist and researcher of learning processes Raffaela Rein and Lucy Stonehill, entrepreneurs in the field of digital education, and Jimmy Wales, co-founder of the online encyclopaedia Wikipedia (for further information about the advisory board members, please refer to the Appendix).

(Update: Since September 2023, Sascha Lobo, digital expert and bestselling author, is also a member of IU's Advisory Board, since July 2026, Dr Frank Appel, External Vice-President of the Max Planck Society as well as Chair of the Supervisory Boards of Deutsche Telekom AG and RWE.)

Strategic support for a global education mission
With the expertise and diverse experience of its members in central strategic fields of IU, the advisory board will comprehensively advise the university in its further development – including the strategic orientation of IU, its study formats and the university’s global growth. IU's goal is to further expand its creative power as a driver of progressive higher education both in Germany and internationally and to establish itself as a globally relevant provider of digital education (EdTech). Frank Weise will chair the IU Advisory Board. This was decided by the members at yesterday’s constituent meeting of the board.

"IU has set itself the goal of nothing less than the education of the future, thereby addressing one of the fundamental questions of our time – for society as a whole and for each and every one of us. The technology-driven transformation of our economies will only be successful if we provide the right offers for all our talents to learn throughout their lives. In order to stay together as a society, we must ensure that everyone has a fair chance to achieve social participation through education. The IU already offers many convincing answers to this. Together with my colleagues on the advisory board, I look forward to supporting them on their further journey," says Frank Weise.

Digital innovation for new educational opportunities
At the state-approved IU International University of Applied Sciences, students can learn in a self-determined way – when, where and how it suits their personal needs and possibilities – with the help of a digitally supported learning environment. This is made possible by specially developed proprietary platforms such as the virtual campus and the IU Learn App. Many IU students would not be able to study at a traditional university, as they are dependent on income from their employment, for example, or on maximum time flexibility due to family commitments. At IU, students can choose from a variety of study models, combine online and face-to-face courses and customise their study content. IU's proprietary teaching and learning platform sets standards with its end-to-end digitalisation from content creation to delivery. At the same time, IU is pushing ahead with its continuous further development, increasingly also relying on the integration of artificial intelligence in order to meet individual educational needs even better and to enable optimal learning experiences and results.

Dr. Sven Schütt, CEO of IU: "At IU, we rely on technological advancement to fulfil a deeply human purpose: to enable each and every one to grow and develop individual talents. This shared mission makes us strong as a team; our success as EdTech-innovators thrives on creativity, diversity of perspectives and mutual inspiration. That's why I'm particularly glad that we've been able to attract such bright minds and inspiring personalities from many different fields to keep challenging us from the outside as well and to set new impulses."

Profiles of the members of the IU Advisory Board

Frank Weise was Chairman of the Executive Board of the German Federal Employment Agency from 2004 to 2017 and simultaneously Head of the German Federal Office for Migration and Refugees between 2015 and 2016. Dr. Frank Weise is one of Germany's leading experts on the future of education and employment and has also been involved in recent years as a board member of the non-profit Hertie Foundation and as President of Johanniter-Unfall-Hilfe.

Prof. Dr Tobias Bonhoeffer is Director at the Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence (in foundation). The German American scientist works intensively on the cellular foundations of learning and memory. With his ground-breaking research, he reveals the biological foundations of learning and how new information can be processed more effectively. Besides his directorship of at the Max Planck Institute, he holds professorships at the Ludwigs-Maximilians University, Munich, The Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim and the University of Capetown.

Raffaela Rein is an EdTech-expert and a formative protagonist in the European start-up, VC and tech industry. In 2018, the business magazine Forbes named her one of "Europe's Top 50 Women in Tech". With Career Foundry, Raffaela Rein founded Europe's largest online training platform in the field of user experience design.

Lucy Stonehill, being the founder of BridgeU, literally builds bridges between school, higher education and professional life, using data-driven decision-making to support students in post-secondary planning. Her EdTech-company uses artificial intelligence to advise students in 139 countries on academic prospects and supports them in applying to universities worldwide.

Jimmy Wales is a US entrepreneur and strong advocate for the democratisation of knowledge. With the founding of Wikipedia, Jimmy Wales has realised his vision of a comprehensive, neutral platform that unites the world's knowledge, leverages collective intelligence and is freely accessible.

since September 2023 also Sascha Lobo, AI expert, journalist & bestselling author - see press release

since July 2026 also Dr Frank Appel, former Chief Executive Officer of Deutsche Post DHL Group, External Vice-President of the Max Planck Society as well as Chair of the Supervisory Boards of Deutsche Telekom AG and RWE - see press release