Evangelisches Klinikum Niederrhein gGmbH appoints Prof Dr Dirk Sauerland to the Supervisory Board

Witten/Duisburg. Prof Dr Dirk Sauerland, Health Care Economist and Dean of the Faculty of Management, Economics and Society at Witten/Herdecke University (UW/H), has been reappointed to the Supervisory Board of Evangelisches Klinikum Niederrhein gGmbH (EVKLN), based in Duisburg. He will thus continue to take on voluntary responsibility for the strategic direction of an important provider of inpatient and outpatient healthcare in the Ruhr region - at a time characterised by enormous challenges, including the hospital reform in North Rhine-Westphalia.

New degree programme combines management issues and health topics

In addition to his committee work at EVKLN, Prof Sauerland also contributes his expertise at Witten/Herdecke University: As holder of the Chair of Institutional Economics and Health Policy, he combines management issues and health topics in research and teaching - including in the new Bachelor's degree programme Management in the Health Care System, which starts in the summer semester of 2026 and combines management expertise with in-depth knowledge of the health care system.

"Responsible leadership is important - and not just for good inpatient and outpatient care," emphasises Prof. Sauerland. The new degree programme therefore specifically prepares students to take on management positions in clinics, healthcare organisations, start-ups or in healthcare policy. In addition to economic and legal expertise, the programme focuses on future skills such as digital transformation, sustainable management and interdisciplinary collaboration.

Combining theory and practice - in teaching and in commitment to society

"Our graduates can work on important tasks," says Prof Sauerland. "All the major megatrends come together in a hospital: Demography, digitalisation and climate change. Those who take on responsibility here are actively shaping the future of healthcare. We impart the necessary knowledge and at the same time strengthen the attitude required for responsible management in the health care system."

The appointment of Prof. Dr Dirk Sauerland to the Supervisory Board underlines the close connection between theory and practice that characterises studies at the Faculty of Management, Economics and Society in Witten. Students benefit from lecturers who not only research and teach, but are also actively involved in shaping the health care system - both locally and nationally.