07-11-2024

Learning globally, acting locally: Responsible entrepreneurship in focus of WFI Summer Schoolool

Students from Italy, India, Greece and Israel spent a week together with students from the KU in Ingolstadt as part of the Summer School organized by the KU Ingolstadt School of Management (WFI). They explored the topic of "Responsible Innovation" in courses and workshops and approached topics such as sustainable entrepreneurship and the power of artificial intelligence.

The guests at the Ingolstadt School of Management came from the universities in Bologna and Thessaly, Ben-Gurion University and Rajagirir Business School. In the international courses, students benefit from the opportunity of exchanging different experiences. The summer school also included a cultural program with field trips to Munich and Regensburg. The WFI Summer School is a central component of the University's internationalization strategy, along with the KU Summer School hosted at the Eichstätt campus from July 21 to August 9.

Prof. Dr. Shashi Matta, Vice Dean for Internationalization at the Ingolstadt School of Management, is responsible for the academic aspects of the Summer School. About the event, he particularly highlights the opportunity to work with "the next generation of managers and future company leaders" on the topic of "Responsible Innovation" from different perspectives and to benefit from the different cultural backgrounds of the students. "This year’s important topic with a high relevance to the current situation was present in all elements of our Summer School – courses, company visits, team exercises and more. It was inspiring to see how the students approached it in a holistic way."

[Translate to Englisch:] Summer School — © Laura Wagner

For the first time, the WFI Summer School was designed as an Erasmus+ Blended Intensive Program. Dr. Jutta Walz, Faculty Manager and co-organizer of the Summer School: "The new concept includes a condensed attendance phase with subject-related and cultural field trips, a preparation phase with video tutorials and online consultation hours afterwards, which offer support for the preparation of the exams." According to Walz, in addition to realizing the learning objectives of the Summer School, it was also an important goal of the organizers to create an intercultural working environment. "The event provides for close cooperation between the participating universities in the design and implementation of the program, enabling us to intensify our contacts with selected partner universities. The Summer School makes an important contribution to maintaining our international network and to the internationalization of our campus."

As a short program, the WFI Summer School enables "international student mobility, even with partners with whom this is otherwise hard to implement due to incompatible semester times", adds Dr. Simon Märkl, Head of the International Office at the Ingolstadt campus. "The involvement of foreign guest lecturers from Italy, Greece, Poland and Romania, who have also contributed their own courses to the WFI Summer School, also helps to deepen the faculty's international relations both on a personal and professional level."

The participating students also found the time together in Ingolstadt and the international exchange very enriching; among them Eugenio Cerulo from the University of Bologna: "My university gave me this opportunity and I decided to take it because I really like being part of an international community. For me, it's a way to feel more European." Pavlina-Christina Fragkogoula also enjoyed meeting new people at the WFI Summer School: "The group here is characterized by diversity, so it's really fun to make friends.”

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