2026 Excellence Award from the Franco-German University

Sarah Heier, alumna of the Master’s program in International Management Franco-Allemand, has been awarded this year’s Excellence Prize by the Franco-German University (DFH). Sponsored by the Union des Français de Sarre, the award recognizes outstanding academic achievements as well as exceptional commitment within the Franco-German higher education context.

Commitment to Franco-German Cooperation

Since September 2024, Ms. Heier has served as Chair of the Franco-German Student Representation of the DFH, a position she will hold until November this year. In this role, she advocates for improved study conditions, promotes exchange between Germany and France, and develops new initiatives to strengthen Franco-German higher education cooperation.

A central focus of her engagement is supporting the career entry of graduates from Franco-German programs. The transition from university to professional life often entails a heightened need for guidance, information, and networking.

In July 2025, Ms. Heier organized a career integration workshop as part of the “Meet-up” of the Franco-German Study Network, where students and alumni received practical support and jointly developed solutions to existing challenges. In November 2025, she also initiated a panel discussion at the Franco-German Forum in Strasbourg, bringing together representatives from academia, business, and student communities to discuss perspectives and strategies for a successful career start.

Through these projects, Ms. Heier aims to make the diverse opportunities of a Franco-German degree more visible, while fostering dialogue between universities and companies to offer students attractive and sustainable career prospects.

Practice-Oriented Master’s Thesis with a Focus on Digitalization

Her master’s thesis similarly combines scientific analysis with strong practical relevance. Titled “Digitalisation in Management Reporting Using Power BI: Case Study at Beiersdorf”, the study examined the digitalization of management reporting processes at the Belgian subsidiary of the international skincare company Beiersdorf.

The thesis began by addressing the challenges of traditional reporting processes, including manual steps, levels of data integration, and error susceptibility. The aim was to analyze how the digital reporting tool Power BI can contribute to optimizing management reporting.
Based on a systematic literature review, Ms. Heier developed a phased implementation model for Power BI that combines best-practice recommendations with an iterative, user-centered approach. The work also highlighted that technical limitations, as well as organizational and cultural factors—particularly change management and expectation management—are crucial for the success of digitalization projects.

The Excellence Prize thus honors both Ms. Heier’s academic achievements and her sustained commitment to Franco-German collaboration in both study and practice.