Dr. Simon Kloker (born 1990) starts in March as Professor of Information Systems in the Department of Services and Consulting. Here, the doctor of business informatics and father of four briefly introduces himself in an interview:
If you had to briefly outline your CV, what would it look like?
- 10/2010 - 09/2013 - Learning to create: Dual study program B.Sc. Business Informatics at the DHBW Ravensburg in cooperation with Geberit Verwaltungs GmbH
- 02/2012 - 04/2012 - Learning to dare: Semester abroad at the Durban University of Technology, South Africa
- 10/2013 - 06/2015 - Learning to prioritize: M.Sc. Business Informatics at the JMU Würzburg. At the same time IT Application Supporter (approx. 55%) at Geberit Verwaltungs GmbH
- 08/2014 - 10/2014 - Learning to trust: Semester abroad at the FGV Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- 08/2015 - 10/2018 - Learning to research: Doctorate at KIT
- 11/2018 - 03/2021 - Learning to lead: Research Group Leader Business Data Analytics at IISM, KIT
- 04/2021 - 01/2023 - Learning to listen: Consultant for AI at Diakonie Baden e.V.
- 02/2023 - 06/2025 - Learning to improvise: Consultant for AI and IoT (Internet of Things, editor's note) in international development cooperation, Coworkers, Ndejje University, Uganda
- 07/2025 - 02/2026 - Family phase (birth of 4th child), freelance lecturer and home renovation with my own hands. This is probably where I learned the most 😊.
You will soon be starting as Professor of Business Informatics at HWG LU. What are your expectations for the start?
I'm coming with confidence. It will work!
What tasks does your new position involve?
Education and research - and of course tasks in academic self-administration.
What appeals to you most about the new position?
Working with students and the freedom to research what serves our society.
What do you see as a particular challenge?
One challenge will certainly be to find the appropriate time for what is important. The goal for the first semester is to get the education off to a good start and make it profitable for the students.
What did you do professionally before taking up your post in Ludwigshafen?
As a consultant for AI and IoT in international development cooperation with coworkers at Ndejje University in Uganda, I worked with local colleagues to develop solutions for local problems with "applied AI" from the sketch to implementation - regardless of the subject area, including "access to clean water", "quality in secondary education" or "decentralized energy supply". Just as often, however, it was also about growing trust and understanding and sharing life, worries and hope.
Why did you choose HWG LU?
Let's call it a reciprocally reinforcing choice - because I was also chosen by HWG LU. I am convinced that we are an excellent match. I am particularly looking forward to the diverse backgrounds of our students.
Thank you very much!
