Fabian Klaps, a graduate student from TU Dortmund, studied business, economics and entrepreneurship and spent time working with Kao this fall in Cincinnati and New York City.

“Kao’s partnership with universities, like the University of Cincinnati and UA-Ruhr, provides a unique platform for fresh talent to bring new perspectives to our business,” says Lindsay Striker, new technology innovator & university partnerships lead at Kao USA Inc.  “Fabian's 7-week internship with Molton Brown was a fantastic example of this and during his time with us, he not only launched and strategized the Molton Brown Germany Instagram page but also contributed valuable insights through sales and competitor analysis. Collaborations like these allow us to foster innovation while offering students meaningful, hands-on industry experience.”

Simultaneously, UC student Sofia Ferrigolo immersed herself in a fellowship at UA-Ruhr in Essen, Germany.  She is a third-year student majoring in business economics and operations management, pursuing minors in business analytics, environmental analysis & policy, and innovation & design thinking.  Ferrigolo is also part of the prestigious NIS program, a transdisciplinary cohort-based learning experience designed to cultivate collaborative learning, foster creative thinking and enhance problem-solving skills.

Ferrigolo’s UA-Ruhr fellowship comprised a 2-week cultural immersion program at the three cities of UA-Ruhr alliance universities, where she attended lectures, workshops, and cultural programming, which included museums, historic buildings and tours.