Andreas Blumer moves with ease between two highly influential arenas. As Senior Audit Partner at EY Switzerland, he holds a leadership role within a global auditing and consulting firm. At the same time, as an honorary professor of business administration at the University of St. Gallen, he shapes the education at one of Europe’s leading business schools.
This dual role not only grants him deep insights into both systems. It makes him one of the few who actively shape the connection between academia and practice on a strategic level. Even his dissertation in 1995 combined theory and real-world insights, based on interviews with regulators from twenty countries – before the internet was available. For Blumer, practice was never just an add-on, but a true source of insight: “Tension arises through dialogue.”
Blumer describes writing as a demanding, creative and sometimes painful process: “You write something, then discard it, then rewrite it. But when it's done, I sometimes think: Wow, did I write that?” The moment of joy comes with the result; an experience he now wants his students to share.
Developing Talent, Shaping Organizations
Blumer’s involvement in academia is far more than an honorary commitment. It’s part of EY’s strategic talent model. The Big Four firm, with over 400,000 employees worldwide, recruits around 60,000 new talents each year. University partnerships play a key role in this. “We don’t just want to attract talent. We want to give something back.”
This collaboration benefits all sides:
- Students gain realistic insights into professional life
- EY gains access to current research questions and mindsets and to a large pool of talents at the University
- Universities receive impulses for more practice-oriented teaching
Blumer contributes not only as a coordinator but also in terms of content — such as on sustainability reporting in the financial sector. His benchmark: “If there’s a wow effect – ‘I didn’t expect that’– then it’s a good result.”
“Less is More”: Final Theses as Drivers of Innovation
For Blumer, final theses are a key lever for successful collaboration. They create space for critical thinking, new perspectives, and co-creation. He emphasizes a balance between structure and freedom: “A good thesis has structure, critical reflection and can also show that nothing new was found.”
His guiding principle: “Less is more.” It’s not the volume of information that matters, but how we engage with it. That’s why Blumer blends classic knowledge transfer with interactive formats where students develop and explore their own questions. He sees AI tools as valuable companions —but only when used consciously and with a critical eye.
Platform, Not Chance
As impressive as Blumer’s personal engagement may be, lasting systemic change requires more than individual initiative. Many collaborations between universities and businesses still depend on chance or personal networks. Blumer sees this as a structural flaw:
“Right now, everything is a bit piecemeal. What we’re missing is the tool.”
He advocates for a platform that brings topics together, simplifies matching, and sets systematic impulses. “Not everyone should have to know this individually. We need built-in reflexes in the system.”
For Blumer, it’s not just about content. It’s also about attitude: “Motivation is the key point. You have to see that someone is truly interested in the topic.”
Outlook
Blumer pushes the conversation further and encourages a rethinking of the professor’s role – not just as transmitters of knowledge, but as curators of dialogue. His demand: “Professors must be critical and challenge their students. That’s the task.”
He doesn’t see final theses as outdated, but rather as underestimated labs of innovation. What’s needed? Better infrastructure, shared standards, and the willingness to let practice and theory challenge one another.