Announcement of Master's thesis topic in collaboration with the University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus Dresden

Dear students,

The Chair of Business Administration, esp. Environmental Management, is currently awarding a Master's thesis topic in cooperation with the University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus Dresden. The thesis will analyse the requirements for sustainability reporting in the hospital sector.

All relevant information on the call for applications is attached. The closing date for applications is 31 May. We look forward to receiving meaningful applications and a committed collaboration!

Sustainability reporting in the hospital sector: requirements, challenges and implementation options using the example of the University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus Dresden

In the wake of growing regulatory requirements - such as the EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) - healthcare organisations are also under increasing pressure to systematically and transparently disclose their sustainability performance. This poses specific challenges for university hospitals as public law institutions.

Firstly, a systematic literature analysis on sustainability reporting in the hospital sector is carried out. The aim is to analyse the current state of knowledge and identify existing research gaps and potential fields of action. Building on this, the thesis will be written in close collaboration with the University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus Dresden (UKD), which will serve as a case study. The methodological approach for the thesis is developed in close coordination between the student, the supervisor and the UKD.

The focus is on the following questions:

• What short-term and long-term strategies can be derived from sustainability reporting for sustainability management at the UKD?
• How can the results of the sustainability report (including sustainability measures) be established in a concept for a possible mission statement at the UKD?
• What are the requirements for a university hospital (public law institution) with regard to sustainability reporting?
• Which legal regulations (CSRD, omnibus procedure, EU taxonomy, etc.) are relevant for the UKD and do any exemptions apply?
• What practical sustainability measures can be derived from the findings on sustainability reporting?
• How could a continuous improvement process for sustainability reporting be designed and organised as a learning system? (medium-term time horizon)
• Which components of sustainability reporting should be considered / included as interfaces, e.g. to the Supply Chain Duty of Care Act or CSDDD?
• How can these requirements be implemented using the UKDD as an example?
• What drivers and obstacles exist in the specific case study?

As a result, a scientific review of sustainability reporting for hospitals in the legal form of a public law institution and a practice-oriented guide to sustainability reporting for the UKD are to be produced, supplemented by transferable recommendations for similar organisations in the healthcare sector.

Please note:

• This topic is only offered in the German language.
• In order to approach the topic practically, there is the possibility to complete a 3-month combined internship in the areas of finance (sustainability reporting) and hospital ecology at the University Hospital Dresden.

Application deadline: 31 May 2025
Please send your application documents (letter of motivation, CV, list of grades) by email to