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Press Release

ESMT Berlin receives funding for modernization of the former GDR State Council building

ESMT building Wing A
ESMT Berlin will receive up to 6.8 million euros from the German federal government’s KulturInvest program for the further modernization of its campus in the former GDR State Council building. This decision by the German Bundestag Budget Committee reinforces the importance of ESMT as a center for international education and interdisciplinary exchange in the heart of Berlin.

“Since our founding, we have invested more than 40 million euros in private funds in the expansion and renewal of our campus and, in particular, of the former State Council building. We are grateful for this first-time government funding, which will greatly help us to finance the modernization measures,” says Georg Garlichs, managing director and CFO of ESMT. “This support shows the German government’s appreciation for our work and our role as a leading business university in Germany.” The remainder of the estimated total costs of 14 million euros for the final restoration of the former State Council building will be covered by donations.

The current funding approval is an important step towards completing the modernization of the remaining areas of the building and creating new spaces for teaching, research, and events. On the first floor of the wing that has not yet been restored, ESMT will instate the President George H.W. Bush Reunification Suite to commemorate his key role in German reunification. Once the construction work has been completed, the rooms will once again be open to the public, e.g. through public tours and ESMT’s participation in the European Heritage Days.
 

About ESMT Berlin

ESMT Berlin is a leading global business school with its campus in the heart of Berlin. Founded by 25 global companies, ESMT offers master, MBA, and PhD programs, as well as executive education on its campus in Berlin, in locations around the world, online, and in online blended format. Focusing on leadership, innovation, and analytics, its diverse faculty publishes outstanding research in top academic journals. Additionally, the international business school provides an interdisciplinary platform for discourse between politics, business, and academia. ESMT is a non-profit private institution of higher education with the right to grant PhDs and is accredited by AACSB, AMBA, EQUIS, and ZEvA. It is committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion across all its activities and communities.