Network. Learn new skills. Be part of the discussion.
Our campus is in the heart of Berlin, and at the heart of many global conversations and exciting events.
This means that, as an ESMT Berlin student, you can benefit from a range of campus events that offer extra opportunities to make connections, develop new professional skills, broaden your horizons, and make the most of life at our international business school.
From high-profile global summits, to student-led panels, to career fairs, and even sporting and cultural events, these extracurricular options can help you find community beyond your cohort while expanding your knowledge and network.
Berlin Global Dialogue
Berlin Global Dialogue is an annual summit that champions open, eye-level discussion dedicated to finding practical solutions for the most pressing challenges impacting the global economy. The summit, initiated by and hosted at ESMT Berlin, convenes select high-level participants, such as global decision-makers, thought leaders, and young people from around the world – including select students from ESMT.
Past attendees have included:
- Angela Merkel
- Emmanuel Macron
- Ursula von der Leyen
- CEOs and governmental ministers from around the world: German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is confirmed to attend the 2026 summit
How students can get involved in the Berlin Global Dialogue
Every year, BGD includes a new cohort of Young Voices: students selected from a talent pool nominated by schools in the Global Network for Advanced Management (GNAM) network. These students attend the annual summit as regular participants, with full access to sessions and side events.
This includes students from ESMT Berlin. Nominees from our master's and MBA cohorts have the potential to become Young Voices; taking part in the summit, networking with other top students from around the world, and joining discussions on the biggest topics facing global society.
Today's Global Leader
Today's Global Leader is an ESMT initiative where CEOs are invited to campus to share their insights with the next generation of leaders. Topics covered include leadership philosophies, and current political or economic trends.
Past editions include:
- Today's Global Leader with Ola Källenius, Chairman of the Board of Management and CEO of the Mercedes-Benz Group. Watch it here
- Today's Global Leader with Bonita Grupp, managing partner of Trigema. Watch it here
- Today's Global Leader with Christian Klein, CEO of SAP. Watch below
How students can get involved in Today's Global Leader
ESMT students are invited to watch each edition of Today's Global Leader – in person or online. This makes it a fantastic extra learning option for our students who are on campus full time, and those in our online or part-time programs.
Following the talk, the floor is opened to both online and in-person attendees, meaning that student interaction with business leaders is guaranteed.
Other executive and global events on campus
Learn more about our major events on campus.
ESMT Insight Hour
ESMT Insight Hour is a one-hour knowledge exchange that covers the big questions. Innovative thinkers unite to share their insights on business, economics, politics, philosophy, and the arts. With a strong focus on knowledge-sharing, the series is open to student attendees, allowing you to access the conversations at the heart of complex business and societal challenges.
Examples of previous events:
Vali Berlin events
Vali Berlin is ESMT's entrepreneurship hub. Throughout the year, Vali runs events designed to boost innovative thinking and workshop entrepreneurial business ideas, including:
Vali Berlin Talks
Vali Berlin Talks are an event series that brings students together with founders, innovators, and industry experts to discover business innovation in all its forms – from building early-stage ventures to driving transformation within established companies. Every semester features a thoughtfully selected range of events that inspire, connect, and educate.
Summer Entrepreneurship Program (SEP)
The SEP is a 12-week hybrid incubation program for ESMT students, alumni, and external founders aiming to build early-stage tech startups. Participants move through team formation, problem validation, customer discovery, prototyping, and go-to-market planning.
Open to all ESMT students and alumni, the SEP is an intensive summer program, running April-July each year. It includes many sub-events of its own: weekly breakfasts, a mentor day, builder sessions, and community meet ups. If you are an entrepreneur in-the-making, this is the event for you.
Geopolitical briefings
Our geopolitical briefings give students direct access to academics, ambassadors, and international experts exploring today’s geopolitical landscape.
Conducted under Chatham House rules, they offer a valuable forum to examine the political, legal, and regulatory forces influencing tomorrow’s business decisions, building a wider understanding of the geopolitical landscape.
Fireside chats
Held for select groups of students and executives at ESMT, our fireside chats are intimate, interactive discussion events featuring prominent corporate leaders, policymakers, founders, and alumni. Often, an invitation to a fireside chat will be extended to students from a particular cohort or student club; helping ensure that the smaller audience is able to maximize Q&A interactions.
Previous fireside chats have included:
- Ana Botín: Group Executive Chair of Banco Santander
- Donata Hopfen: Former CEO of Deutsche Fußball Liga (DFL)
- Brad Smith: President and Vice Chair of Microsoft
Grow as a leader
Want to get involved with campus events on a leadership level? Our student-run events give you a chance to put classroom learning into action, whether that is organizing, marketing, booking speakers – or taking to the stage yourself.
TEDxESMT Berlin
TEDxESMT Berlin is an independently organized event, run entirely by ESMT Berlin students with the vision of bringing thought leaders together around ideas that matter. Driven by a passion for creating real change, our students offer a powerful platform for speakers to share research and insights that have the potential to shape a better, more connected world.
Past speakers have included CEOs, academics, social leaders, investors – and even an Olympian.
How students can get involved with TEDxESMT Berlin
ESMT MBA and master's students build hands-on career skills by getting involved with every step of the TEDxESMT Berlin process, including:
- helping secure sponsors for the event
- finding, booking, and curating speakers
- making sure the logistics run like clockwork
- running event marketing, sales, and communications
- networking between speakers and students
- and more
I had the chance to support Ralf Kleber, the former CEO of Amazon Germany, for a whole day. His calmness and approachability left a deep impression on me.
This was a truly eye-opening experience. Even though I was busy applying for internships and managing my studies, I immediately applied when I saw the opportunity to work as a speaker assistant at TEDxESMT Berlin.
Generations Talk
Generations Talk (formerly The DigitalFuture Summit) at ESMT Berlin is a living future lab that brings together young talent and experienced decision-makers from different sectors and generations. An entirely student-organized event, it unites excellent students, world-class academics, and prestigious corporate representatives to connect, exchange ideas, and shape forward-looking solutions.
Past iterations have included key note speeches, workshops, and insights on everything from AI to healthcare and beyond.
How students can get involved with Generations Talk
As an ESMT student, you are welcome to get your ticket for Generations Talk, and join over 300 other students and young professionals for a day of discussion, workshops, and networking. Or, you can become part of the driving force behind Generations Talk:
- booking speakers
- organizing panel discussions
- running event logistics
- working with partners and sponsors
- taking care of marketing and ticket sales
- and more
Being in a club provides students with an opportunity to really experience what it is like to run projects in a real company with a budget, deadlines, and team members to manage.
he clubs have their internal organizational structures with leads and members and are self-governing. Being in a club like this provides students with an opportunity to really experience what it is like to run projects in a real company with a budget, deadlines, and team members to manage.
My favorite event at ESMT was the Climate Hackathon, an event organized by the Net Impact Club and the Tech & Innovation Club at ESMT in February 2026. The hackathon brought ESMT students together with external participants like researchers and engineers, to create a solution to the problem of renovating buildings in Berlin. I felt an amazing energy of collaboration and cross-pollination in this event as it brought together people from such diverse backgrounds and interests.
The solutions presented by the teams were practical and implementable, and the most impressive outcome of the event was that everyone who participated ended up submitting a solution, making this the only hackathon I’ve been to with a 100% completion rate.
Make connections
Gain career clarity and forge connections to Berlin's corporate ecosystem with events from our Career Development Center (CDC). Built to complement our regular curriculum, our career events can help you transition from student to self-assured leader.
ESMT annual Career Fair
Our annual Career Fair is an on-campus event open to all ESMT students and alumni. It is a chance for students to meet with representatives from a deliberately diverse mix of organizations: global corporations, new startups, those working in tech, consulting, finance, and beyond.
Run by ESMT's Career Development Center, the Fair also includes panel discussions about careers, with the aim of providing both career clarity and networking opportunities for our students.
The next Career Fair will take place in February, 2027.
Other careers events for students
MBA Talent Forum
Our MBA Talent Forum offers ESMT MBA students students a chance to connect with major corporations – and MBA students from around Germany.
The annual event is held on campus at ESMT and also invites students from four leading German business schools: Frankfurt School of Finance & Management, HHL Leipzig Graduate School of Management, Mannheim Business School, and WHU – Otto Beisheim School of Management. This makes it a valuable resource for MBA students wanting to build a network with the business leaders of tomorrow.
On top of the peer networking, the MBA Talent Forum connect students with companies actively seeking experienced and skilled talent. The day features company presentations alongside short one-on-one interviews, creating a dynamic space for both career clairity and meaningful professional connections.
The next MBA Talent Forum will take place in December, 2026
Company presentations and open lectures
Throughout the year, ESMT students have access to a dedicated career events series with companies across a wide range of industries. This can mean visiting a Berlin company to see their working culture firsthand. Or, it can mean attending an open lecture or class visit from a company representative right here on campus.
While the exact schedule and content can vary from program to program, every degree at ESMT features visits from corporate guests who join classes to discuss real-world business cases, or take part in dedicated info sessions to share insights about their organizations.
