Oleksandra Shvets
At the right time
in the right place
Oleksandra Shvets
At the right time
in the right place
Just when it mattered most to her, Oleksandra Shvets found her way to Kühne Logistics University (KLU). The war in Ukraine had reduced her studies to online courses and eventually forced her to leave her home country. She went to Italy and looked around there for a way to continue her logistics studies in person. Eventually, she found what she was looking for: a single email set the ball rolling, and the young Ukrainian was accepted at KLU. So she moved to Germany and threw herself headlong into campus life. Alongside her bachelor’s degree, she served as a student senator, worked with the student consultancy firm Advisupply and helped organise events such as ‘KLU Thinks Big’ and TEDx – all whilst also working as a student assistant.
In recognition of this work, Oleksandra Shvets was honoured in 2025 upon completing her bachelor’s degree: she received the President’s Medal for Social Engagement and a scholarship from the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD). When the 22-year-old talks about it, she still seems surprised. There are two things in particular that drive her: on the one hand, she values the opportunity to communicate and exchange ideas with lecturers and fellow students. “Everything I’ve done so far has been teamwork. I’ve been supported by other students, the professors and staff,” she explains. Secondly, it is her personal contribution to the well-being of the community that has welcomed her so warmly: “I want to give something back, and I’ll continue to do so even after I graduate.”
Oleksandra Shvets is currently studying for a Master’s degree in Supply Chain Management at KLU. Her commitment to activities alongside her studies remains as strong as ever: she is currently a KLU student ambassador, spokesperson for the Students’ Union, and also works part-time as a student trainee at Hapag Lloyd. When asked how she manages to juggle a Master’s degree with all these additional activities, she replies with a smile that it requires good organisation. This comes as no surprise at Kühne Logistics University.
“Everything I’ve done so far has been a team effort. I’ve been supported by other students, the lecturers and staff.”
Oleksandra Shvets
Kühne Logistics University
Kühne Logistics University (KLU) is a state-recognised, internationally oriented university headquartered in Hamburg, with a campus in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. KLU is dedicated to training executives with a strong operational mindset and offers degree programmes in business and management, data science and analytics, as well as specialised programmes in logistics, operations and supply chain management.
Maruxa Cardama
Doris Straub Piccirillo & KD Dr Michael Hitzler, MD
