Uploaded February 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 hours ago
Companies shape our world: economically, politically, and culturally. In this episode of Made in Science, Dr. Wolfgang Holtkamp talks to Prof. Boris Gehlen, Endowed Professor of Business History at the University of Stuttgart, about the role of corporations in modern societies.
What can business history explain that other disciplines cannot? How do companies make decisions under uncertainty? What responsibilities have they carried – historically and today – in contexts such as democracy, globalization, and regulation?
Prof. Gehlen also shares his personal journey as a first-generation student who entered academia without a clear career plan – and why curiosity and courage matter more than certainty.
An episode about corporate power, social responsibility and the value of studying history.
Companies shape our world: economically, politically, and culturally. In this episode of Made in Science, Dr. Wolfgang Holtkamp talks to Prof. Boris Gehlen, Endowed Professor of Business History at the University of Stuttgart, about the role of corporations in modern societies.
What can business history explain that other disciplines cannot? How do companies make decisions under uncertainty? What responsibilities have they carried – historically and today – in contexts such as democracy, globalization, and regulation?
Prof. Gehlen also shares his personal journey as a first-generation student who entered academia without a clear career plan – and why curiosity and courage matter more than certainty.
An episode about corporate power, social responsibility and the value of studying history.
