Thomas Kowalewski appointed as the new Professor of Business Psychology

The main areas of focus for Thomas Kowalewski’s professorship are ‘evaluation, mixed methods and data analytics’. How these areas come together in practice can be seen, for example, in the evaluation of training and coaching sessions. “After training and coaching sessions, it is important to find out whether they actually have an impact,” says the business psychologist. This can be assessed using scientific methods.

Providing a solid grounding in research methods

As a professor, it is important to him to provide students at the H-BRS with a solid grounding in research methods and statistics. “I want to teach these subjects in such a way that students aren’t afraid of them, but actually enjoy them,” he says. He is certain that those who learn the material in small, manageable chunks will quickly experience a sense of achievement. “We also use practical examples to illustrate how these insights can be applied not only in research but also in their future careers,” says Kowalewski. “That makes it more tangible.”

Undergraduate studies and PhD in the Netherlands

He developed a passion for research methods and statistics at an early age. Thomas Kowalewski is from Düsseldorf. After completing his A-levels, he went to the Netherlands to study and obtained his Bachelor’s degree in Work and Organisational Psychology at the University of Twente in Enschede. “The university has a very technical focus. Methods and statistics played a major role in my studies. These subjects captivated me back then and have held my interest ever since,” he says.

He then completed a research master’s degree in behavioural sciences in Nijmegen and obtained his PhD at the University of Groningen. He subsequently returned to the Rhineland and moved into the professional world. He initially worked as a transformation consultant at management consultancies and subsequently set up his own consultancy business. At the same time, he was drawn back into academia as a lecturer in business psychology. In March 2020, he was appointed to a professorship in business psychology at the FOM University of Applied Sciences for Economics and Management in Düsseldorf, from where he is now moving to the H-BRS.

Research topics in teaching

In addition to evaluation, Professor Kowalewski’s research focuses on career development, work engagement and burnout. His students at the H-BRS are also likely to encounter these topics, as the business psychologist aims to incorporate current research questions and findings from his academic work into his teaching.