Dr. Gunther Schunk is Chairman of the Board of the Würzburg-based Vogel Stiftung Dr. Eckernkamp, which works closely with THWS. The foundation supports, for example, two endowed professorships at the University: in the master’s programme in Specialist Journalism and Corporate Communication and in the bachelor’s programme in Digital Society. The Vogel Foundation also funds academic research projects at THWS, such as ‘Wübota’, which focuses on humanoid robotics. Dr. Gunther Schunk, who has an extensive network in the region, has been a lecturer at THWS since 2017 and was awarded an honorary professorship in September 2026.
Published on 05 October 2026
Congratulations on your honorary professorship, Dr. Schunk. What does it mean to you to have been awarded an honorary professorship?
Essentially, an honorary professorship is an honour bestowed by a university upon an individual who has rendered outstanding service to the institution in a wide variety of ways and who is also actively involved in teaching. I have therefore given lectures myself on the bachelor's degree programme in Media Management and am currently doing so on the master's degree programme in Trade Journalism and Corporate Communications. At the same time, however, as Head of Communications at Vogel Communications Group, it has always been important to me to give students practical insight into the corporate world: with the help of free attendance at Vogel's media, marketing or communications events, they will hopefully be able to discover what they would like to do in the future. I therefore support THWS primarily from the outside as a partner and try to raise its profile, which is why the decision was made to award me this honorary professorship. I was very honoured by this.
What is your role at the Vogel Foundation?
The Vogel Foundation has set itself the task of supporting projects in the fields of culture, science, education, and healthcare. Naturally, this should always be done in the spirit of its founder, Dr. Kurt Eckernkamp, who established the foundation in 2000 together with his wife. I worked with him for many years and am therefore heavily involved in selecting the projects to be funded. Supporting young people who tinker, conduct research, and are curious was always particularly important to him.
You yourself have worked as a journalist in the specialist media sector and in the communications industry. What makes this work so exciting for you?
Journalism is, of course, only one aspect of communication, but a very important one. You have to research things thoroughly in order to present them in a well-founded and linguistically accessible way so that others can make sense of them. Whilst general journalism is very broad in scope and aims to appeal to a wide cross-section of society, specialist journalism helps to improve people's day-to-day working lives in very concrete ways. Clear, specialist journalistic articles in specific industries and professional fields can directly add value.
What inspires you most about communication?
Communication is the most wonderful tool we humans possess as social beings. Through language and communication, we can understand and shape things together with other people. Language implies action, and that in turn gives us a certain responsibility as human beings. At the same time, it is not merely a matter of fact; communication is also emotional. That's where the fun really begins.
Enjoying communication – what does that mean to you?
I believe we are increasingly entering an era in which we need to take more pleasure in the things we deal with on a daily basis. That's the only way we can be creative. This applies to the professional context as well. So, when I'm communicating in my role as a company's head of communications, I should also take pleasure in language itself. That's why, for example, I take part in the Science Slam, where we present scientific topics in an engaging way through language, and why I've also written Asterix translations in 'Meefränggisch'. Language and communication are simply fun.
From taking part in the Science Slam to setting up a cultural club or your work at Würzburg AG, you have a strong network in the region.
Over the years, I've built up a network in the region across the fields of business, science, and culture. In my view, however, this also always comes with a responsibility to use this network for good causes. It's a great privilege to be able to use the skills I've learnt and the contacts I've made for things that I personally enjoy as well. Networking always creates added value.
What do you like so much about the Würzburg region?
Even though I'm originally from Upper Franconia, the regions are actually very different. The Coburg area is Protestant and, in cultural and historical terms, Thuringian, whereas Würzburg was a Catholic, clerical and conservative city when I came here in 1987. Over there they drink beer; here they drink wine. A lot of things are very, very different. And yet Würzburg has become my home, simply because it’s such a great place to live and, what's more, it's the geographical centre of Europe. I've also found it enjoyable to play a small part in shaping this home of mine.
What are you particularly looking forward to in the near future?
For one thing, I am delighted that, with this new honorary professorship, I will be able to play an even greater part in shaping the future of THWS. From the outside, I may well have a slightly different perspective on things, as applied learning is particularly important to me – in other words, supporting what really matters in life. Above all, I am also delighted to be hosting the national final of 'Jugend forscht' next year with the Vogel Foundation at the Vogel Convention Centre. This will highlight just what a strong region for education and science we are here in Würzburg.
About Dr. Gunther Schunk
Dr. Gunther Schunk studied linguistics and political science in Würzburg and Oneonta (New York). He has been employed by the Vogel Group since 1999 and also worked as a freelancer for Main-Post Würzburg until 2007. Most recently, he served as Director of Public Relations at the Vogel Communications Group until June 2026. Dr. Gunther Schunk has been working for the Vogel Foundation since 2007 and has been Chairman of the Board since early 2020.
![[Translate to Englisch:] Logo der Vogel Stiftung](/fileadmin/redaktion/bildmaterial/Hochschulmagazin/Ausgabe_11/Gunther_Schunk_Interview/Logo_Vogel_Stiftung_2022_orange-HG_RGB.jpg){kind=logo}
About the Vogel Foundation
The Vogel Foundation was established in 2000 by the Würzburg-based publisher Dr. Kurt Eckernkamp and his wife Nina Eckernkamp-Vogel. The foundation's work focuses on supporting charitable projects in the fields of education, science, culture, and healthcare. The foundation now distributes over one million euros in grants annually. Since 2008, the Vogel Foundation has been collaborating with the Technical University of Applied Sciences Würzburg-Schweinfurt, establishing the endowed chair in 'Trade Journalism and Corporate Communications' and, in 2023, 'Digital Ethics and Media Law' within the Digital Society degree programme.
More about the Vogel Foundation
