During the period from its inception in 1999 to 2013, GISMA offered full-time and executive MBA programs in cooperation with Purdue University, Indiana, USA and from 2008 to 2013 also with Leibniz Universität Hannover (LUH), one of the largest public universities in Northern Germany. A Weekend MBA program was offered with LUH until 2015. "GISMA Business School was founded with the purpose of offering internationally recognised academic management education in Germany and to combine the benefits of an international education offered in a German environment. GISMA was founded with the help of the State of Lower Saxony and several large companies located in and around Lower Saxony, such as Continental, Georgsmarienhütte, Nord/LB, Siemens, TUI and Volkswagen. Until August 2013, GISMA was operated and financed as a public/private partnership, partially by the State of Lower Saxony and partially by the sponsoring companies with the political rationale for GISMA to retain management talent in Germany and also to attract international talent to study and later work in Germany. GISMA’s founding basis, the combination of the strong German location and the international focus of the programs, has remained the guiding principle and rationale for the School’s existence."