These prestigious awards, made possible through the generous support of SRH Higher Education, recognise outstanding academic work that makes a significant contribution to the promotion of social change. The award ceremony was hosted by Mr Christian Gerard, Managing Director of SRH Higher Education, and organised by the EBS Impact Institute.

The jury, consisting of Sebastian Schels (CEO Ratisbona and EBS alumnus), Prof. em. Richard Raatzsch (Ethics, EBS), Prof. Dr Emanuel Towfigh (Professor of Public Law and Deputy Dean, EBS) and Prof. Dr Karin Kreutzer (Professor of Social Business, Deputy Dean of Research and Director of the Impact Institute), selected this year's award winners from a large number of impressive entries.

Moritz Balthasar Bitter was honoured for his outstanding bachelor thesis ‘The Role of Time Preferences in the German Energy Sector's Transition Toward Decarbonisation’. His research sheds light on the crucial role of time preferences in decision-making processes within the energy sector and provides valuable insights into how short-term financial incentives can be reconciled with long-term sustainability goals.

Lisa Marie Heuberger received the prize for her bachelor's thesis ‘Female Business Angels: A Rare Species - The Role of Networking’. Her thesis examines the particular challenges faced by female business angels in a predominantly male-dominated industry and emphasises the importance of networks for the success of these women.

Luzia Mara Steuer was honoured for her outstanding bachelor thesis ‘NGO-Business Partnership: A Legitimacy Perspective’. She analysed the complex dynamics of partnerships between NGOs and companies and provided important insights into how these collaborations can influence the credibility of the actors involved.

Laura Götz was honoured for her outstanding dissertation ‘Climate Risk Management and Bank Lending: Evidence from European Mortgage Markets’. Her research examines how banks take climate risks such as fires and floods into account in their lending practices and what impact these risks have on financial stability.

EBS Universität and the EBS Impact Institute congratulate the award winners on their outstanding work and their valuable contribution to the understanding of social impact. The SRH Social Impact Thesis Awards emphasise EBS Universität's commitment to excellent research and its importance for society.