Lea Stotzer knows both sides of the science–business interface. She has worked in strategic talent development for large corporations and understands the inner workings of universities. At Swiss Post, she was responsible for coordinating the company’s university entry initiatives. Since July, she has been working as an HR Business Partner at SBB Cargo. Her experience shows: successful collaborations between universities and companies are no coincidence.
Early Career At Large Companies
Anyone looking to collaborate with a large company should understand how it functions. Unlike start-ups, corporates operate with longer decision-making cycles and complex responsibilities. Stotzer puts it clearly:
“Corporations have longer lead times. If you want to work with them, you need to start early.”
What often appears to be bureaucratic is actually a result of organizational size. Short-notice requests usually fail because of internal processes – not a lack of interest. Stotzer therefore advises universities and students to plan ahead and keep expectations realistic.
She places particular emphasis on topic selection: not every research question fits. The best projects are those where students can generate analytical depth without needing to grasp the corporation as a whole. According to Stotzer, “the biggest challenge is finding a topic that meets student capabilities and creates value for the company.”
In practice, this means tightly scoped projects – ideally supported by existing data or clearly defined target groups, such as internal interviews or document analyses. What matters most is managing expectations from the beginning: “Students offer new perspectives – not a full view of the organization. And that’s fine.”
Recommendations for Universities and Companies
So what makes a thesis successful from a company’s point of view? For Stotzer, the answer is clear: “If we can implement the results and gain efficiency – that’s success.”
To achieve this, several elements must align: meaningful topics, realistic supervision, and transparent processes. Platforms like Studyond help systematize collaboration.
“Our experts are qualified, but they need guidance and clarity around time and resources”, as Stotzer puts it.
Her message to companies still hesitating:
“Platforms help standardize entry. That’s essential in corporations with multiple departments.”
Students benefit too: “It’s great for students to see companies bundling their offers – it makes the entry point more accessible.”
And if it doesn’t work out right away? “Don’t get discouraged if it doesn’t happen on the first try. Just keep going.”
To universities, she sends a clear message: move beyond case-by-case arrangements. Companies need central contacts with an overview of degree programs, responsibilities, and existing partnerships.
“It’s exhausting to ask every department separately. A coordinating contact would be worth gold.”
Why Stotzer (and Swiss Post) Chose Studyond
Swiss Post regularly received thesis inquiries from students – a welcome sign of interest, but difficult to coordinate internally, according to Stotzer: "It was hard to manage internally: Who has time? Who can offer proper support?”
That’s why Stotzer decided to partner with Studyond. The platform allows business units to directly publish their topics and students can apply without going through central HR.
“Studyond almost makes our gatekeeper role obsolete – and that’s a good thing.”
Departments can post their own topics, while students can immediately see what’s needed. The result: more transparency, fewer delays, and easier communication – especially within complex corporate structures.
“The process becomes faster and more efficient – and that’s exactly what we want.”
Lea Stotzer’s experience makes one thing clear: successful university–business collaboration is built on active outreach and the right structural support. She advocates for central contact points in universities, binding processes in companies, and for students – patience, curiosity, and persistence.