Business - Hochschule Augsburg
Transcription
Business - Hochschule Augsburg
Hochschule AugsburgUniversity of Applied Sciences Business Winter semester 2015/16 Sought-after personalities Faculty of Business newsletter Human Resources: Best agers Logistics: Industry 4.0 En gl is h ve rs io n Marketing: Data-driven www.de.ey.com/karriere #BuildersWanted „EY“ und „wir“ beziehen sich auf alle deutschen Mitgliedsunternehmen von Ernst & Young Global Limited, einer Gesellschaft mit beschränkter Haftung nach englischem Recht. ED None. So müsste er aussehen: unser Firmenwagen für Einsteiger. 3 Welcome Prof. Dr. Michael Feucht, Dean Dear students, prospective students, alumni, friends, sponsors and partners of our Faculty of Business, A t the beginning of the winter semester 2014/2015, 2.7 million students – more than ever before – were registered at German universities. According to current forecasts, this number could be even higher in winter semester 2015/2016. The reasons for this are manifold. For one thing, admittance to universities has been simplified in all German states. This means that, for the past number of years, applicants with vocational qualifications have been permitted to take up an academic study course without having completed their Abitur. In addition, the unemployment rate among university graduates continues to be lower than that of the general population, so that “investment” in higher education remains attractive. And, not least, the diverse range of study courses through the English language attracts highly qualified applicants from outside of Germany. Along with the United Kingdom and the USA, Germany is considered one of the most attractive places to study in the world. Nevertheless, we should be under no illusions: official certification of a completed Bachelor or Master degree in a business subject is no guarantee of a successful management career. The skills obtained during study are of fundamental importance to professional success. In today’s global and increasingly complex economy, the expectations of potential employers regarding linguistic, mathematical, analytical, technical and personal skills are extremely high. However, due to the increasingly heterogeneous educational backgrounds of our students, it is not always easy to meet these expectations. Of course, we are committed to preparing our students in the best possible way for a future leadership role in the economy and society. This is the quality standard of our curriculum. But we know that technical know-how alone is not enough. Those who wish to be successful must stay curious, continuously acquire new knowledge, and search for creative solutions. We will continue to place high requirements on our students, but we also offer supporting lectures, tutorials and guided study groups, for example the “public maths room”. These are intended to help students to compensate for possible deficits in their school education. At the same time, we want to enable our best students to stand out with additional accomplishments and a special level of dedication. Our study courses are subject to a continuous improvement process. Since the introduction of the Bachelor degree programme, we have continued to adapt the curriculum and, in summer 2015, we even created plans for a fundamental reform of the Business Administration and International Management Bachelor courses, scheduled to take effect by winter semester 2016/2017. This edition contains a number of key points of this reform. I hope you enjoy reading our faculty newsletter. If you know somebody who is interested in receiving a free copy of gP Business in English or German, please send the name and address to gpbusiness.wirtschaft@hs-augsburg.de. I would like to extend my sincere thanks to our advertising partners for their kind support of gP Business. Yours, Prof. Dr. Michael Feucht, Dean TITLE PICTURE Alumnus Christian Gebler President Talente für die Region e. V. 4 News N E W TO T H E T E A M : P R O F. D R . H A R I E T K Ö S T N E R Following the retirement of Prof. Dr. Gerhard Riegl, the marketing team is once again complete. Dr. Hariet Köstner was appointed professor of “General Business Prof. Dr. Hariet Köstner Administration with a Focus on Empirical Market Research” on 1 September, 2015. She now teaches Marketing Management in cooperation with Prof. Dr. habil. Klaus Kellner and Prof. Dr. Manfred Uhl. Prof. Dr. Hariet Köstner studied at the Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg and received her doctorate on the comparison of econometric models for estimating market shares at the Chair of Statistics and Econometrics. She spent around 15 years working in various market research institutes, including Information Resources GmbH and ForschungsWerk GmbH. She also lectured in Nuremberg and at the universities of applied sciences in Pforzheim and Nuertingen. Prof. Dr. Köstner is married with three children. FA R E W E L L : P R O F. D R . W O L F G A N G W I R T H R E T I R E S Over the years, he has given valuable advice to thousands of students. Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Wirth retired in July 2015. The Professor of Finance, Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Wirth Accounting and Company Management was an important figure in the development of the Faculty of Business for over 20 years. Striking a balance between theory and practice was always a priority for him. After completing his studies, he spent five years working as a research assistant at the Chair of Company Management and Organisation before starting at Augsburg University of Applied Sciences. He then spent 14 years occupying various positions in the fields of controlling and strategic planning at Siemens AG. He not only shared his knowledge and competence in undergraduate lectures, but also never failed to convey up-to-date and profound knowledge in the Financial Management and Controlling advanced modules. Furthermore, he was involved in many practical projects with companies and supervised countless theses. It is not only the work of the examination board that people associate with the name Wirth. Over the past 15 years, students looking for advice on their studies or organisational issues were always in good hands with Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Wirth. As faculty academic advisor, he was also a popular psychologist among students who often turned to him for fatherly advice in times of personal crisis. Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Wirth has enriched the programme for continuing education at the faculty and thanks to his dedication, our customers have always received top grades. He always valued active and collegial cooperation with other faculties. Even future architects and engineers benefitted from his knowledge. His enthusiasm for both the field and for people was unabated, making him an excellent professor. N E W T O T H E T E A M : M A S T E R S T U D E N T S P H I L I P P G R U B E R A N D S T E FA N R O C K I N G E R Some of the Master of Applied Research (MAPR) students are students seeking to do a Master programme after finishing their Bachelor programme. Others are research students from the Optimisation and Operations Management research group. The programme, which combines both teaching and research, welcomes two new students. Philipp Gruber completed his Bachelor studies in Business Administration at Augsburg University of Applied Sciences and The Hague University. He wrote his thesis on performance controlling in contract logistics with DB Schenker. This is also in line with his new research focus area: logistics controlling. Stefan Rockinger completed his Bachelor studies in International Management at Augsburg University of Applied Sciences in March 2015 with excellent grades. The Bavarian Elite Academy scholar is also the founder and shareholder of a gift company with its own production facilities. His research focus area will be logistical challenges for start-up companies. Philipp Gruber (right) and Stefan Rockinger 5 FA R E W E L L : P R O F. D R . C H R I S T I A N L E B R E N Z L E A V E S F O R K O B L E N Z During his 13 years at Augsburg University of Applied Sciences, Prof. Dr. Christian Lebrenz focused on setting up new projects and improving already existing Prof. Dr. Christian Lebrenz ones. He actively contributed to a dynamic phase at the Faculty of Business. After completing his studies of economics in London and Sapporo, and receiving his doctorate in Albuquerque, New Mexico, the native of Hildesheim occupied various positions at Deutsche Post AG and Deutsche Post Direkt GmbH in Bonn. In 2002 he was appointed Professor of International Management at Augsburg University of Applied Sciences and started teaching Business and International Management in the “Diplom” degree programmes. His subject areas ranged from strategic management, through intercultural management to personnel topics, which gradually became his area of expertise. The Bologna reform with the changeover to Bachelor and Master degree programmes called for some new ideas. Prof. Dr. Lebrenz designed advanced modules and helped to develop the new study and examination regulations. The Human Resource Management Master programme was developed shortly after this. In collaboration with electrical engineering colleagues, he set up the International Business Administration and Engineering Bachelor programme and designed a concept for an internationally recognised Master programme for the management of medium-sized companies. Committee work was always important to him – the faculty council, the examination board and the appointment commission. He also made a valuable contribution to other faculties. He taught at the Faculty of Design and gave courses in Technology Management. Prof. Dr. Christian Lebrenz took up his position at Koblenz University of Applied Sciences on 1 September, 2015 where he will teach International Human Resource Management. H O N O R A R Y M E M B E R S H I P F O R W A LT E R M Ü C K E Adjunct lecturers, with their high level of commitment and competence, make a significant contribution to teaching at the Faculty of Business. In July, one of our adjunct lecturers said farewell. For age-related reasons, Walter Mücke left his position in the Marketing field of expertise. He was one of the first teachers to teach through the medium of English and always incorporated his extensive professional experience in the field of international marketing management into his teaching. He organised countless excursions, arranged contact persons for students, helped them to find jobs, and particularly flourished when students of different nationalities attended his classes. During his 13 years at Augsburg University of Applied Sciences, Walter Mücke acted as supervisor for over 100 theses. Due to his outstanding commitment to studies and teaching, the President of Augsburg University of Applied Sciences, Prof. Dr.-Ing. Dr. h.c. Hans-Eberhard Schurk, presented Walter Mücke with a certificate of honorary membership. The members of the Faculty of Business all gathered together to make their farewells. Walter Mücke E X PA N D I N G R E S E A R C H : K M U L B E C O M E S H S A O P S Students, research assistants and professors have been learning, teaching and researching in the Materials Science and Logistics field of expertise (KMuL) for many years now. One of their findings is that the optimisation of company-internal and crosscompany business processes is becoming extremely important. The Materials Science and Logistics field of expertise is, therefore, expanding its field of activity to include production topics, and will become the Optimisation and Operations research group of Augsburg University of Applied Sciences (HSAops). This forms a further research team in addition to the Experts in IT Security and Digital Forensics (HSAsec), and the Networking Group (HSAnet). Information: www.hsaops.org 6 News HANS-BENEDIKT PRIZE FOR SOCIAL COMMITMENT Eleven students from the Faculty of Business are among this year’s recipients of the Hans-Benedikt Prize for outstanding social commitment. The former president of the university, Prof. Dr. h.c. Hans Benedikt, set up the foundation in 2012. During the summer semester, the students were involved in a not-for-profit marketing project to develop a communication strategy to help integrate refugees (for DA A D AWA R D F O R O U T S TA N D I N G A C H I E V E M E N T S Fanny Máté This year, the prize of € 1,000 from the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) was awarded to Fanny Máté. The Hungarian student of the International Business and Finance Master programme not only performed excellently in her classes at Augsburg University of Applied Sciences, but also studied abroad at the renowned Shanghai University of Finance and Economics where she passed her exams with flying colours. Fanny Máté previously completed her Bachelor double degree at Regensburg University of Applied Sciences and at La Rochelle Business School in France. Her courteous manner and the fact that she integrates easily into new environments made her more than suitable for this DAAD award. more information, see the report in this newsletter). They received their certificate on 6 October, 2015 along with a prize of € 500 during the Dies Academicus. Prize winners: Adrian Rief, Lukas Dillinger, Julia Falger, Omar Nouga, Bernadette Zierer, Valeriya Goldina, Liliane Jäger and Vanessa Kronwitter (fr. l. to r.). Not in photograph: Diana Weidmann, Lisa Haimerl and Tobias Schenk. M A ST E R D E G R E E P R O G R A M M E S : I N C R E A S I N G N U M B E R O F A P P L I C A N TS Graduates from a wide variety of disciplines have shown an interest in the Human Resource Management (PMG) Master programme. Bachelor degrees from universities or universities of applied sciences in business administration or tourism are just as well represented as degrees in social studies, health management, business education and business psychology. From the 210 applicants, of which 10 percent were from other countries, 90 made it as far as the personal selection interviews. The result: 36 up-and-coming personnel experts secured a place and 28 started in the new academic year on 1 October. What is special about this degree programme is that the Board of Advisors has representatives from well-known companies, ensuring a close connection to the operational issues of personnel management. There were more than 300 applicants for the International Business and Finance (IBF) Master programme, which is expected to be reformed soon. Master students usually spend their second semester abroad. However, if students come from non-European countries, it makes more sense for them to spend the second semester in Augsburg. And this is exactly what they do now. This new structure was welcomed from the word go. During this semester at Augsburg University of Applied Sciences, the foreign students can benefit from valuable teaching content, intercultural exchanges and, last but not least, from an insight into life and work in Germany. 80 applications were received for the MA Tax and Accounting (SR) degree programme. 12 students made the final cut and started in winter semester 2015/16. This Master programme, which is offered in cooperation with Ingolstadt University of Applied Sciences, therefore continues for yet another year. The programme has been accredited since March 2015. Along with the other degree programmes, it has been awarded an ACQUIN external quality seal. New: The field of accounting will be expanded in the future. This means that the requests made by appraisers will be fulfilled. The Marketing/Sales/Media (MVM) Master programme, offered in cooperation with the THI Business School in Ingolstadt, is breaking one record after another. We received over 700 applicants for only 30 places in the winter semester of 2015/16. The Ministry of Education, Science and the Arts has now awarded the programme a Memorandum of Understanding for an unlimited period. This also confirms the success of Augsburg University of Applied Sciences’ concept, the implementation of this concept and its collaboration with TH Ingolstadt. Information: Profs. Dr. Regnet (PMG), Dr. Feix (IBF), Dr. Kafadar (SR) and Dr. Uhl (MVM) 7 B A C H E LO R D E G R E E P R O G R A M M E S : N EW P R O G RAM M E STR U CTU R E S The Business Administration and International Management Bachelor degree programmes are being restructured. After several months of preparation under the leadership of Michael Hartmann Ph.D., members of the Faculty of Business decided on a new basic structure during the summer conference in Walting in July 2015. There were several different reasons for this development. First of all, valuable experience was gained after eight years of running the course. Secondly, the latest academic findings and changed economic expectations should be taken into account. Thirdly, the new regulatory framework of the German Accreditation Council and new cross-country structural guidelines called for adjustments to our programmes. After drawing up a draft for the basic structure, specific aspects of individual study modules were examined. In the final stages, the basic structure and the study modules will be entered in the study and examination regulations and submitted to the Faculty Council, the Senate and the University Council. The new study structure is expected to come into effect in the winter semester of 2016/17. The main advantages of the new study structure are as follows: up-to-date study content, improved study processes, a closer alignment of theoretical content with business application areas, and an accreditation of 5 ECTS credits to all modules. Information: Prof. Dr. Feucht Training IN-HOUSE SEMINARS In the battle to find suitable qualified employees, lifelong learning is becoming more and more important. Companies need to stay on the ball, recognise trends and make the right decisions. As a strategic partner of the regional economy, Augsburg University of Applied Sciences offers support in this area, for example with the Faculty of Business’s training programme. Contact partner regarding all courses in the Faculty of Business’s training programme: Prof. Dr. Erika Regnet, Tel.: 0821/5586-2921 or -2917, weiterbildung.wirtschaft@ hs-augsburg.de More information under www.hs-augsburg.de/en, category “Networking”. The in-house training programme of the Faculty of Business offers the following vocational, compact, and scientifically sound content for specialist and management staff: • Up-to-date business know-how from all areas of management and economic law • Targeted consolidation of special topics • Management seminars • Training on social and intercultural skills. C E R T I F I C AT E C O U R S E S The modular structure of our certificate courses offers a high level of flexibility for companies. Participants of specific topic modules receive a certificate of attendance. On successful completion of all course modules, Augsburg University of Applied Sciences issues a certificate. Participants also have the option of completing an exam and an assignment to receive a graded certificate from the university in accordance with the internationally recognised ECTS system. The certificate course in Marketing, Sales and Customer Management is new to the programme. It is offered in the form of ten modules over one to two days each, and runs until March 2016. The certificate courses in controlling for specialist and management staff who wish to consolidate their knowledge, as well as the certificate courses in product management for junior executives and managers working in sales, product management, marketing and R&D, began in October 2015. Tip: Take advantage of these university-level educational opportunities. For further information, contact Prof. Dr. Erika Regnet, tel.: 0821/5586-2921 or -2917, weiterbildung. wirtschaft@hs-augsburg.de or at www. hs-augsburg.de/fakultaet/ wirtschaft/inhouse_firmense-minare/index.html 8 Practice A N N I V E R S A R Y : 2 5 T H P Y R A M I D C A R E E R S FA I R There is no other event at the university like the Pyramid careers fair to attract so many visitors and companies. It took place for the 25th time on 13 May, 2015. The slogan of the event was “Theory and practice – joining forces for success”. Over 170 companies and organisations presented themselves at the Rotes Tor campus. All rooms with exhibition The student Pyramid board members with their mentors Prof. Dr. habil. Klaus Kellner (middle) and Prof. Dr. Wilhelm Liebhart (right) walls and consultation stands were used to their full capacity. It’s no wonder that Pyramid is an excellent regional networking opportunity that offers optimum publicity. It is also worth taking a look behind the scenes as it is students who plan, organise and run Pyramid. Prof. Dr. habil. Klaus Kellner, who has been supervising the project for many years now, gave the following statement at the anniversary event: “Our Pyramid team of around 100 students has shown outstanding commitment to the project. I would like to express my particular gratitude to our seven student board members who worked together as an excellent team and networked very successfully with both internal and external participants.” Information: Prof. Dr. habil. Kellner With the slogan “More net from gross”, 15 students of Prof. Dr. Hans Herrler (right) analysed the various methods for optimising remuneration such as reimbursement of travel expenses, health promotion, and food and petrol vouchers. Tax office representatives from all over Swabia attended the final presentation. E XC U R S I O N F O R MAR K ETI N G / SALE S / M E D IA MASTE R STU D E NTS This excursion is already a tradition and has become one of the highlights of the Marketing/Sales/Media (MVM) Master programme. Challenging discussions and exclusive company contacts were on the agenda. After previous excursions to the media hotspots of Hamburg and Cologne/Düsseldorf, selected companies from the Munich/ Augsburg area were on the agenda this time. At Random House, the Master students discussed, for example, the digital strategy of Bertelsmann. They discovered interesting facts about the brand management of cigarette brands at Philipp Morris where they we were reunited with the MVM alumna Lydia Ott. The Sixt employer branding manager and several colleagues presented the wide range of customer communication strategies implemented at the renowned car rental company. The Serviceplan Group used specific projects to portray its extensive agency-related knowledge. At Scout 24, students discovered firsthand the diversity of online marketing. There was also another stop off in Augsburg: Simone Böck, alumna of Augsburg University of Applied Sciences, and other PR and marketing experts gave an insight into the work of an internationally active real estate investment company. Planning is already underway for the next MVM excursion in April 2016 when students will head to the Rhine-Main region. Information: Prof. Dr. Uhl Dr. Götz-Achim Riek (back left), adjunct lecturer and news editor at Bayerischer Rundfunk, offered the participants of his seminar “Writing like experts” an exclusive insight into the b5 aktuell studios. The students saw first-hand how radio is produced and discussed current issues in the news industry. Students of Prof. Dr. Manfred Uhl’s advanced module “International Marketing Communciation” went on an excursion to HILTI in Kaufering – a tool specialist that is active in over 120 countries. Following specialist discussions on brand management at HILTI, students put on work clothing and started drilling. 9 B R A N D A D V I C E F O R T H E H A U S D E R B AY E R I S C H E N G E S C H I C H T E The employees at the Haus der Bayerischen Geschichte (House of Bavarian History) are absolute professionals and passionate academics. The national exhibitions depicting scenes from Bavarian history regularly cast a spell over umpteen thousands of visitors. A further highlight awaits in 2018: the museum of Bavarian history in Regensburg. What remains unknown to many people is that the “Haus der Bayerischen Geschichte” institution is based in Augsburg and is anything but a museum. It is just an ordinary office in an office block. This causes confusion about the HdBG entity. On top of this, the beautiful new building in Regensburg is a real “house” of Bavarian history. This was reason enough to put the identity, brand architecture and name of the museum and institution to the test. The head of communications at HdBG, Natascha Zödi-Schmidt, got together with the director of the house, Dr. Richard Loibl, to create a draft of their goal and brand identity. After all, all service providers for communicative measures relating to the new museum in Regensburg will require clear guidelines. Augsburg University of Applied Sciences was appointed project partner of this prestigious establishment. Prof. Dr. Manfred Uhl and Thomas Hauser, adjunct lecturer at the Faculty of Business, took on the task. The partners worked together to quickly draw up a project plan. They recorded all communication instruments used up until now, conducted numerous interviews, held joint workshops and finally, all participants collaborated to decide on a brand identity that successfully represents the HdBG entity. This approach and the resulting model then became the basis for all further communicative strategies. Students with in-depth marketing knowledge were also expected to benefit from this challenging task. The teachers took students Irina Becker, Valentina Mercedes Projer and Matthias Heckel on board. They meticulously documented the expert interviews, skilfully collaborated to draft a brand identity and gained valuable experience as junior advisors during the presentation of the results. Prof. Ludwig John from the Faculty of Design also offered additional support to the project. In the usability lab, he measured the effectiveness of the posters used up until now and offered suggestions for optimisation measures. Information: Prof. Dr. Uhl EY AU D IT C HALLE N G E: REGIONAL WINNERS Successful completion of series of lectures on “Intensive marketing” for members of the Augsburg Marketing Club and interested parties. The head of the MCA and the presenters were delighted with the popularity of the series: the Executive Board of the Augsburg Marketing Club Matthias Riedle, Prof. Dr. Gerhard Riegl, Head of Public Relations Ursula Brandhorst-Friedrich, MCA President Florian Möckel, Prof. Dr. Manfred Uhl and Dr. Bernd W. Dornach (fr. r. to l.). In 2013 they won bronze, in 2014 silver. Would 2015 be the year of victory? Students from Augsburg University of Applied Sciences took the pressure to succeed in their stride and actually went on to win the first prize at the regional competitions of the EY Audit Challenge. EY is one of the largest auditing companies in the world. The global player regularly hosts Audit Challenge, which is a competition for upand-coming talents. Student teams work on assurance case studies from the fields of auditing and accounting. There are a total of three rounds. The first round takes place at the university. The regional competition is the second round and then the top students compete in the final. Marina Jendrysik, Vanessa Kronwitter, Bernadette Zierer, Sandra Izzo and Florian Seufert – all students of the advanced module “International Accounting” demonstrated their expert knowledge and relegated all other teams, even their comrades from Augsburg University of Applied Sciences. This was the very first regional victory for a team from Augsburg University of Applied Sciences. Unfortunately they were defeated by tough competition at the final in Berlin. Information: Prof. Dr. Kafadar 10 Practice S E C R ETS O F TH E E X P E RTS What goes on behind the scenes at the Schufa? Is there any future for good old life insurance? What does body language reveal? 18 students discussed these issues and more with top-of-the-range guests and their professors of finance Dr. Wolfgang Wirth and Dr. Michael Feucht in Hotel am Badersee. The weekend seminar in Grainau took place for the ninth time and welcomed an exclusive circle of guests. Only students with exceptional grades in the compulsory finance lecture of the third semester had the honour of receiving an invitation from the Bavarian Cooperative Federation (Genossenschaftsverband) to visit this noble residence at the foot of the Zugspitze. Gaston Volk revealed the “Secrets of the SCHUFA” and explained the significant influence daily consumer behaviour has on creditworthiness. Dr. Thomas Wiesemann, Sales Director of Allianz Lebensversicherungs-AG, spoke about the company’s flagship product in times of persistently low interest rates. Manfred Eder, Head of the Creditworthiness and Bonds Division at the German Central Bank in Munich, outlined the latest developments in European monetary policy. He also gave first-hand career advice. Georg Straub spoke of his career path, starting out as a graduate of Kempten University B R I G HT P R O S P E CTS: F I NAN C I N G M O D E LS F O R S O LAR P R OJ E CTS Manfred Eder, Deutsche Bundesbank, and Rainer Schaidnagel from the Bavarian Cooperative Federation. of Applied Sciences and ending up as a member of the board of directors at the Volksbank Lindenberg. Monika Matschnig, an internationally renowned management trainer, gave the students an enlightening insight into the world of body language. Conclusion: The two days were filled with valuable findings and interesting discussions with the best possible atmosphere and splendid hosts. Peter Ferner, Regional Director of the Bavarian Cooperative Foundation prepared the weekend and Rainer Schaidnagel, Vice President of the Bavarian Cooperative Foundation, once again skilfully moderated the programme. Tip: If you want take part on 23 and 24 April 2016, aim for a top grade in “Finance and Investment” or “Multinational Business Finance and Investment”. Information: Prof. Dr. Feucht S E E I T W I T H YO U R OW N E Y E S : P R O P E R T Y TO U R An Exposé is one thing, seeing the real property is quite another. This is why a “Property Tour” in Munich was organised for students of the advanced module “Real Estate Management”. Together with experts from PATRIZIA Immobilien AG and Prof. Dr. Georg Erdmann, they visited real estate projects and chatted to experts about the trends in the German and Munich real estate markets. Their visit to one of the most important construction projects in Munich at present – the former Siemens site in Hofmannstraße – was particularly impressive. It consists of a residential and business complex on an area of over 65,000 square metres. They ended the day with a BBQ where students had the opportunity to learn about the entry-level and career opportunities in this sector in a relaxed environment. Information: Prof. Dr. Erdmann Photovoltaic systems and wind turbines are no longer exotic. Facilities for producing energy from renewable resources are now part of urban and rural landscapes, and have become visible signs of an energy revolution. While the reconstruction of Germany’s power generation system has many ecological benefits, there are also complex technical challenges to be faced. Participants of the seminar “Project Financing: Financing of a Solar Park”, offered by Prof. Dr. Maria Lehner, were eager to gain an insight into the sector and, therefore, got hold of tickets for Intersolar in Munich. With 38,000 visitors, it is the largest solar industry fair in Europe. During two presentations from the Intersolar Study Program, the students were given an extensive overview of the sector. Carsten Körnig, Managing Director of the German Solar Association outlined general trends in the solar market. Dr. Winfried Hoffmann, owner of the consulting company Applied Solar Expertise, presented the storage technologies of the future. The students then entered the hustle and bustle of the fair. Module and inverter manufacturers, banks, and project developers presented a wide variety of products and services. The students were in for a real treat at the BayernLB stand. Sebastian Schmädicke from the Structured Finance/Project Finance EMEA department took the time to chat to the students about the financing models of solar projects, the development of the regulatory environment, auction procedures and the promotion of renewable energies in Bavaria. Information: Prof. Dr. Maria Lehner 11 N O T- F O R - P R O F I T M A R K E T I N G : “CHANGE OF PERSPECTIVE” REFUGEE PROJECT According to statistics from the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), over 50 million people worldwide fled their home countries in 2015. This posed significant challenges for local refugee workers. In the summer semester of 2015, eleven students from Augsburg University of Applied Sciences and the Haaga-Helia University in Helsinki, Finland analysed the integration of refugees. They came to the conclusion that integration requires acceptance, and acceptance requires dialogue. Figures, data and facts formed the foundation of the students’ research. They conducted interviews with experts such as representatives from Augsburg city, the “Grandhotel Cosmopolis” integration project, the main editorial office of the Augsburger Allgemeine newspaper, and with volunteers. The Bavarian Red Cross proved to be an important partner. Thanks to support from Brigitte Meyer (Vice President), Leonhard Stärk (Regional Manager) and Irene Marsfelden (Head of Social Work), the students gained an in-depth insight into both the difficulties and the success stories. A visit to a preliminary reception centre in Nuremberg and discussions with helpers and asylum seekers gave the students a very clear picture of asylum work. Key components of successful integration were revealed: acquisition of the German language, an understanding of customs and behaviour in the new environment, quick issuing of work permits, help in coordinating volunteers, appreciation and sincere dialogues. Using these results, the project team developed the “Change of Perspective” as a guiding principle for all local communication measures. We shouldn’t feel threatened or burdened by immigration. We should work towards enrichment and understand how immigrants can benefit the social structure. We should stop perceiving refugees as passive victims and start to see them as people who can actively shape our society. This formed the basis for local communication measures, and soon the idea for videos for specific target groups evolved. A second team suggested an online portal with information on the asylum process and links to points of contact for volunteers, as well as a simulation game. The portal could be used to enter the age, gender, education level and profession. A databank then determines a description of the everyday life of this person in a typical home country, in keeping with the motto “My life in...”. Another team came up with ideas for face-to-face meetings. The fourth team compiled content for print media to support the recruitment of volunteers, and invented a game for schools and playschools that teaches children about the home countries of refugees. Throughout the project, from the planning phase right up to the comparison of results, the team worked in close cooperation with the HaagaHelia University in Helsinki. The students pooled their ideas in two workshops. Pauli Lindström looked after the Finnish team. Information: Prof. Dr. Uhl S T O R I N G A N D D E L I V E R I N G : A N D R E A S S C H M I D LO G I S T I K It is one of the most well-known companies of the region. This comes as no surprise as Andreas Schmid Logistik AG employs around 1,800 people in and around Augsburg. But not many people know what is done behind the scenes to ensure that the right goods arrive in the right place at the right time. Students of the “Logistics and Supply Chain Management” advanced module wanted to find out how the flow of goods is controlled in practice. Together with Prof. Dr. Sabine Joeris, they went on an excursion to the logistics service provider’s site. Herbert Robel, member of the Executive Board, welcomed the guests and gave them a tour to explain the most important stations, from goods inwards and goods outwards to the storage halls where goods for MAN PrimeServ, for example, are stored. If the cargo is larger than usual, the shipping office has to find a solution. Particularly bulky products are even given their own individual packaging here. Information: Prof. Dr. Joeris Future experts at Andreas Schmid Logistik. 12 Practice LO G I S I T I C S S E M E S T E R S P E C I A L I S AT I O N : I N D U S T R Y 4 . 0 The term Industry 4.0 was first coined at the Hannover Trade Fair in 2011. It has since been a buzz word when it comes to industrial and economic policy. But what exactly does it mean? Even mediumsized companies are looking for clarity to enable them to develop a convincing strategy with concrete measures for the digital future. The Materials Science and Logistics field of expertise bit the bullet and in the summer semester, it focused on concrete issues relating to the hype surrounding this hot topic. In seminars, projects, excursions and rounds of talks, students and teachers got to the bottom of the trend. The initial results will be published at the end of 2015 in the 4th volume of the Augsburg Working Papers for Materials Science and Logistics. Practical assistance for medium-sized companies will follow in summer 2016. Industry 4.0 in simple terms: In the summer semester, 13 students from Augsburg University of Applied Sciences took on the task of analysing the buzz word “Industry 4.0” from different points of view, and developed concrete fields of activity based on the technical applications of today and future visions. Experts from research and industry helped the students with their task, thus supporting the team of Prof. Dr. Michael Krupp and Marjan Isakovic, B.A.. They analysed various aspects of the term, recorded the latest technological applications and discussed future scenarios. The students then drafted concrete implementation guides and four recommendations for action aimed to help medium-sized companies on their road to digitalisation. Information: Marjan Isakovic, B.A Industry 4.0 under discussion: Around 30 representatives from companies, chambers and associations of the region met in July 2015 at Augsburg University of Applied Sciences to discuss the buzz word Industry 4.0. On schedule, professors Dr. Peter Richard, Dr. Michael Krupp and Dr. Florian Waibel invited the representatives to discussions at the end of the academic year with the aim of strengthening the link between research and teaching and the regional economy. Viktoria Fleck and Marjan Isakovic, research assistants in the study and research programme “Master of Applied Research” (MAPR), presented the results from the semester projects and showed examples of Industry 4.0 measures that have already been implemented in logistics. The Vice President of Augsburg University of Applied Sciences and data security expert Prof. Dr. Gordon Rohrmair reported on the findings of the research group for IT security and digital forensics in relation to the risks and protective measures of digitalisation. The logistics experts then informed us about their future plans, prospective research topics and potential project work. Business processes with digitalised information processing and lean processes were at the core of the discussions. Information: Matthias Utz, B.A. and www.hsaops.org Industry 4.0 in action: The practical orientation of academic findings is a top priority for Augsburg University of Applied Sciences. It only made sense for students and teachers with the semester specialisation Industry 4.0 to look for companies that already use digitalisation in their production processes. First example: Siemens’ electronic and devices manufacturing plant in Amberg. If you want to discover today what the important elements of an intelligent factory of tomorrow are, you will find out in the Upper Palatinate. Around 5,000 employees produce electronic control systems at one of the largest Siemens sites in Bavaria. During their visit to this plant, students first of all learned the most important data and facts about the plant, which already boasts awards for “Factory of the Year” and “Best European Factory”. Accompanied by Dieter Hackel and Christian Lutter, they then entered the factory where 75 percent of all processes are already completely digitalised. However, humans cannot be fully replaced. The development, design and production planning of products require experts of flesh and blood. Computer chips are not very useful when it comes to unexpected incidents. Second example: Grenzebach Maschinenbau. This global expert in process engineering is based in Hamlar near Donauwörth. The Bavarian-Swabian company quickly proved to the students that they are the forerunners when it comes to digitalisation. It was not only the insightful discussion with Christian Herfert, Director Business Development, that proved this, but also the method used to process a concrete task from the intralogistics sector. As a reward, students were then offered an insight into the future of Grenzebach products. In the prototype cell, they discovered one of the latest product ideas of the Swabian innovator: a driverless transport system that automatically brings shelves to a picking station. Information: Viktoria Fleck, B.A. 13 11 T H H R D AY : M A N A G E R S E T S E X A M P L E Despite the sweltering heat on 22 July, 70 representatives from local companies and recent graduates attended the 11th HR day. Prof. Dr. Mahena Stief from the Faculty of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Augsburg University of Applied Sciences delivered the opening presentation entitled “Leading with emotions and values”. In a globalised and increasingly complex working world, managers are faced with ever-growing challenges. Prof. Dr. Stief presented new findings from her own research and highlighted the significance of a “full range of leadership”. She emphasised so-called transformational leadership, which is necessary for transactional leadership with goals, feedback and acknowledgement of achievements. This involves intellectual simulation, the promotion of staff members and motivating visions. She believes that managers must lead by example and demonstrate the desired values and ethics in their own work. Thomas Thiemann, HR Development Manager at Autoliv B.V. & Co. KG in Dachau, held the first practice-oriented presentation. He outlined how manager training can support managers, junior executives and specialists in dealing with new challenges. A train-the-trainer concept and new training videos proved to be important elements of this support. The aim was successful “Managing and Leading in a VUCA world”. VUCA stands for volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity. Dr. Margret Klinkhammer, Managing Director of CORMENS GmbH in Munich, spoke about mentoring managers and their teams in relation to change processes, and the benefits of coaching. The depiction of difficult personal situations for managers and employees greatly impacted the audience. She also highlighted how high-level managers have a particular responsibility. It is up to these managers to fully support the change project and coaching processes, and to deal with any consequences. Dr. Klinkhammer pleaded for realistic planning of change processes: “Change takes time.” Information: Prof. Dr. Regnet P R OJ E CT WO R K: B E ST AG E R S AN D TH E I R P R O F E S S I O NAL E NVI R O N M E NT When we speak of people over the age of 40, we often think of the term “best agers”. There is no shortage of studies on the consumer behaviour of this age group. But what about their professional environment? How do they perceive the changed working world, performance requirements or collaboration between different generations? 15 students from the Faculty of Business started a personnel project in the summer semester in search of answers to these questions. Under the leadership of Prof. Dr. Erika Regnet, they conducted online and offline surveys. They focussed on experienced specialist and management staff over the age of 40. Boris Gloger Consulting GmbH from BadenBaden acted as cooperation partner. The results proved extremely insightful. While 15.5 percent of the respondents work up to 39 hours per week, 31 percent work 40 to 44 hours. 32 percent regularly work even more than 50 hours per week. The male participants work significantly more hours than their female counterparts. The assumption that working time increases the counterparts. On average, both older and higher the position seems to correspond younger study participants consider their to reality. The fact that 80 percent of employability to be good to very good. employees in a high position work more Almost 80 percent of respondents stated than 44 hours a week and that 60 percent that their employability in relation to job work even more than 50 hours supports requirements is very good or satisfactory. this argument. At the same time, many of Although this is not a representative result the respondents would like to reduce their for this age group, it does indicate the very working hours in the future. Therefore, it is high level of commitment and capability of specialist and management staff. not only Generation Y that is in search of Information: Prof. Dr. Regnet an improved work-life balance. For the over 40s, the occupation seemed 40 to be the most important 36.8 34.0 35 factor for achieving 31.0 happiness. Income and 30 career prospects were 25 21.4 the second and third Percent 18.9 20 18.7 most important factors. 15.5 15 13.2 An interesting gender 10 difference was revealed: 8.4 Male managers have a 5 2.2 higher level of satisfaction 0 Less than 40 – 44 hrs 45 – 49 hrs 50 – 54 hrs More than with their occupation, 40 hrs 54 hrs income, scope and career Current working time Planned future working time prospects than their female 14 Guests E M O T I O N S A N D A LG O R I T H M S : D ATA - D R I V E N M A R K E T I N G Digitalisation not only changes business models; it can also eliminate entire markets and supplier structures. Uwe Kalyta, Senior Increasingly, Account Director at internet experts Teradata Analytics acting as lateral entrants are pushing out established providers. For this reason, digital trends in online marketing also form a significant part of the curriculum at the Faculty of Business. The range of topics extends from social media and search engine marketing with SEO and SEA, through affiliate marketing and app marketing, all the way to analysis of the customer journey. However, one topic seems to shape all digital changes: big data. To conclude their seminar on online and social media marketing, the two adjunct lecturers Prof. Dr. Gerhard Riegl and Matthias Riedle, CEO of Explido, invited an experienced data expert to give a presentation: Uwe Kalyta, Senior Account Director at Teradata Analytics. Teradata, a spin-off company of the NCR group with 11,500 employees, has been involved in data warehousing and data-driven marketing for over 25 years. Teradata’s customers include Apple, Intel, Lufthansa, Walmart, HSBC and FedEx. Kalyta, who graduated from the Faculty of Business in 1990, spoke about spectacular trends. For example, under the keyword affecting computing, he explained how it could be possible in the future for consumers’ emotions to be recorded digitally. Through the extremely fast use of algorithms, learning systems would then be created that are able to supply personalised predictions. This is known as predictive marketing. The three experts agreed: the significance of data for marketing is increasing rapidly. In the future, the companies that are able to handle big data correctly will assume a place in the life of consumers. Skilled data analysts will be required for this purpose. At the end of the day, it’s quality that counts, not quantity – meaning smart data. Information: Prof. Dr. Riegl S P E C IAL D E LIVE RY: B E E R GAM E When you think of Bavaria, you’re sure to think of beer. Therefore, it was no surprise that Prof. Dr. Mahesh Srinivasan, guest lecturer from Akron in Ohio, USA, used a popular logistics simulation game. Beer Game is a game in which participants take on different roles in a delivery chain for transporting beer. Not only the brewery and the end customers are involved, but also the distribution centres, wholesalers and retailers between them. The catch in this game is that the individual roles can only communicate about the order quantities of the previous role. To simulate the flow of goods, the corresponding number of tokens is used. The team with the lowest overall costs wins the game – and a crate of beer for the next party. In addition, Prof. Dr. Srinivasan taught the students about a few beer-specific differences between Europe and the USA. Information: Viktoria Fleck, B.A. Beer Game with appropriate tokens. F I R S T H A N D I N F O R M AT I O N : I N V E S T O R R E L AT I O N S In the summer semester of 2015, students in the advanfced module Corporate Finance had the opportunity to have some light shed on a very special aspect of capital markets: the relationships between owners, investors and analysts – investor relations. Prof. Dr. Georg Erdmann invited a special guest for this purpose: Margit Miller, Head of Investor Relations at the publicly listed PATRIZIA Immobilien AG. She reported on the factors characterising dialogue with investors, on the most important aspects, and on the daily work routine of an Investor Relations Officer. Margit Miller managed brilliantly to add a special twist to this topic, which can initially appear rather dull, by incorporating plenty of anecdotes from roadshows and investor conferences. Information: Prof. Dr. Erdmann SAP TRAI N I NG WITH E NTE RO There is probably no large or medium-sized company that doesn’t use any products from the German software giant from Walldorf. The applications of the SAP products in business are diverse. One of these is logistics. Students taking the advanced module Logistics were fortunate to have the opportunity to attend a two-day training course by SAP experts of entero AG from Eschborn. Andreas Hunstock and Thomas Holthoff introduced the students to SAP step by step. Detailed explanations and practical exercises ensured that they quickly became familiar with the standard menu. Next on the agenda was working with master data and understanding the significance of this data for sales processes. Ultimately, the system itself does not have its own purpose, but is intended to provide optimum support in operational business and customer care. Information: Viktoria Fleck, B.A. 15 H I G H F LY E R S : A I R B U S H E L I C O P T E R S In 2013, parent company EADS decided on a new name for its helicopter specialist: Eurocopter was renamed Airbus Helicopters. The name was new, but the market position stayed the same. Today, more than 10,000 of its helicopters fly in over 140 countries, making it the world market leader in the civil helicopter sector. Its Bavarian-Swabian location contains the German headquarters as well as development, prototype construction, production, maintenance, a testing centre and customer service. In addition, aeroplane doors are produced there, for example for the A 380, the largest civil passenger airliner in the world. Approximately 5,000 permanent employees and 1,200 agency workers ensure that the products from Donauwörth can be put to use in the air safely and promptly. This is reason enough to take a closer look at the HR challenges. Together with Prof. Dr. Erika Regnet, 24 students of the “Human Resource Management” advanced module made their way to Northern Swabia on 24 April. After an intensive safety check, Peter Soller brought them on a two-hour tour of the site. As an employee with many years of experience in national and international management roles, he impressed the students with many business-related Augsburg student group with Peter Soller (right) and Prof. Dr. Regnet (front) and technical details in front of the legendary light helicopter BO 105, a model of success that of a fascinating has sold more than 1,400 units. and highly complex product. Afterwards, Simone Berner, HR Business Partner, at Airbus Helicopters with the students. and Reinhard Schuch, responsible One example: agency work. Ultimately, for Talent and Executive Management, the company needs to be able to adapt welcomed the group. Together with flexibly to the respective order situation. Michael Springinklee, responsible Other topics included trainee programmes, for training, they discussed numerous globalisation and, of course, career entry. topics of human resource management Information: Prof. Dr. Regnet N EWC O M E R S: CAR E E R E NTRY I N H U M A N R E S O U R C E S S E C TO R Is a Master degree a good idea, or is my Bachelor degree enough? Am I qualified enough to succeed in my career? And what are the chances of direct entry for those interested in working in the human resources sector? Franziska Jörg provided Prof. Dr. Erika Regnet’s students with helpful answers to these questions on 19 June, 2015. After her apprenticeship to become an industrial clerk, the alumna studied Business Administration at the Augsburg University of Applied Sciences and graduated with a Bachelor degree. During her studies, she completed a semester abroad in Sweden and selected the advanced module Human Resource Management. She obtained additional MASTE R I N C O U RT practical experience through an internship and while completing her Bachelor thesis at KUKA. Today, Franziska Jörg is involved in recruiting, personnel development and training at RENK AG and is responsible for a broad portfolio of tasks. She reassured the students and stressed that she is able to apply the skills, knowledge and practical experience she gained during her studies very well to her position today. Incidentally, the initial contact between Franziska Jörg and RENK AG occurred at one of the HR Days at the Augsburg University of Applied Sciences, which goes to show that personal networking really does open doors. Information: Prof. Dr. Regnet Knowledge of social insurance law is useful – especially if you want to work in human resources. Together with Prof. Dr. Julia Wicke, students of the Human Resource Management Master degree visited the Bavarian Higher Social Court in Munich. The presiding judge of this court, Dr. Harald Hesral, provided them with detailed information on current cases. He also brought them to a senate session – comprising three professional judges and two lay judges. The human resource managers in making thus had the opportunity to experience current disputes regarding social insurance obligation at first hand and were able to take away valuable application cases in the area of tension between self- employment and paid employment. Information: Prof. Dr. Wicke 16 Studies Part 1: Master of Applied Research Part 2: International Business and Finance Part 3: Human Resource Management Part 4: Marketing/Sales/Media Part 5: Taxation and Accounting An overvie w of Master programm es PA R T 4 : M A R K E T I N G / S A L E S / M E D I A Professor Uhl, there are many Master degrees in marketing. What is different about MVM? Many Master degrees are quite specific. They are interesting for experts, but it is easy to develop blinkers and move away from the diverse tasks in everyday business activities. In MVM, our approach is to combine different technical knowledge in a practical manner. In a market-oriented company, management personnel require know-how on marketing strategies, product development, brand management, distribution channels and media structures. Even knowledge from the marketing-related legal sector or communication design is useful – just think of trademark law or corporate design. The curriculum includes all of these aspects. MVM takes place at two universities. How does this work? MVM is a cooperation with the THI Business School in Ingolstadt. Just like in the Taxation and Accounting Master degree, we work closely together with our colleagues from Ingolstadt on all issues relating to the study programme. The lectures take place at the THI on Wednesdays and Fridays and at the Augsburg University of Applied Sciences on Thursdays. The students have adapted very well to this and usually arrange car shares – depending on where they live. MVM is not a part-time course, but the classes are concentrated into three days, which allows the students more flexibility in planning their weekly routine. For which careers does the Master degree prepare students? The range of careers is broad. We have seen our graduates start their careers in a wide variety of industries and interesting roles. These include leading roles in marketing, sales and communication in industrial companies and service providers, but also in the media industry and in marketing and communication agencies. The annual excursion as part of MVM is also an excellent opportunity for students to become familiar with companies and fields of activities. How many places are on offer each semester? 30 students can start the MVM degree each semester. This degree is very popular. More than 700 candidates applied for winter semester 2015/16. What are the requirements and how do you apply? Firstly, successful completion of a business administration or media studies Bachelor degree with at least 210 ECTS is a prerequisite. Then, there is an eligibility assessment process in which students receive points for their final grade, focal areas relevant to the degree course, internships and a relevant thesis. The total number of points determines which candidates are accepted. Students can apply for the winter or summer semester. Where can you find out more about the degree course? You can find all relevant information on the degree course and on applying on the internet (see CR code). If you still have questions, I would be glad to answer them personally for you. Information: Prof. Dr. Uhl and www.thi.de/hochschule/thi-businessschool/studiengaenge/marketing vertriebmedien.html MVM students on excursion to Serviceplan and Random House. 17 F U L L O N : M L P F I N A N C E S L A M 2 015 What on earth is a finance slam? Many of us might be familiar with a poetry or a science slam. But a finance slam? The word “slam” might have violent connotations, but don’t worry: those who accepted the invitation from MLP Finanzdienstleistungen AG to Wiesloch had no need to fear for their physical safety, although a war of words did take place. For the second time, student teams from different universities in Germany competed against one another. Their task: to convey topics from financial investment and retirement provision in a creative and original manner – on stage in front of an audience with expertise in these areas. The team that attracts the most applause receives the cup. The Augsburg team had big shoes to fill – their predecessors in 2014 landed the top prize. The entry by slammers Johanna Moser and Tobias Jehle “Total investment” was based on a well-known TV format. They simulated an amusing dialogue between a customer and her bank advisor. What investment form should one choose? Is there such a thing as a perfect financial investment? A traditional savings account, stocks, real estate funds or the more modern crowd investing? The slam also had a serious background. Personal values regarding the criteria of the “magic financial triangle” of profit, safety/risk and liquidity are decisive for financial investments. Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Wirth, who supported the group and was at the competition together with the Dean of the Faculty of Business, Prof. Dr. Michael Feucht, got to the heart of the matter: “An investment cannot meet all three criteria at once. You need to decide what is most important to you”. The victors in the end were a team from the international student organisation AIESEC. The Augsburg duo very narrowly missed out on third place. Only one single decibel of applause kept them from gaining a place in the top three. Information: Prof. Dr. Wirth W E LC O M E B A C K : TA L E N T E F Ü R D I E R E G I O N Regional business has been enriched by a new initiative. With the name “Talente für die Region”, prominent company representatives came together in the summer of 2015 to kill two birds with one stone: strengthen the business region Swabia and support young people. The idea behind the initiative was to drum up enthusiasm for the business region Swabia among graduates of universities or universities of applied sciences who had gone on to work in Germany and abroad, and to bring these young people together. The advisory board of the cooperation includes Dr. Hartmut Wurster, Vice-Chairman of the Swabian Chamber of Industry and Commerce, Roland Kreitmeier, Head of the Siemens branches in Augsburg and Munich and Chairman of the University Council at the Augsburg University of Applied Sciences, as well as Michael Brecht, CEO of Doodle AG, Dieter Kirchmair, formerly of Deutsche Bank Augsburg, and Wolfgang Löhr from Sonntag & Partner. Vice-President Prof. Dr. Gordon Rohrmair represents the Augsburg University of Applied Sciences and Prof. Dr. Peter Schettgen, the Head of the Centre for Further Training and Knowledge Transfer, is on board for the University of Augsburg. Thomas Hauser, proprietor of a management consultancy firm for strategy, marketing and communication, is the chairman of the advisory board. Christian Gebler is the president of the association “Talente für die Region e. V.” (see Interview in this newsletter). To achieve its goals, the association intends to launch a series of services. An exclusive online platform aims to help bring companies in the region together with alumni with several years of professional and leadership experience. The platform will feature company information and job offers in addition to specific information from the companies, networking meetings for company representatives, and consulting with educational facilities regarding fundraising. However, the initiative is also interesting for students. During information events, the experienced professionals wish to pass on valuable career experiences to the young people. If you are interested in becoming a member or corporate partner, you can contact Christian Gebler directly via email: christian.gebler@talente-fuer-die-region.de 18 Studies Y E A R R E P R E S E N TAT I V E S – W H Y, W H AT F O R , T O W H AT P U R P O S E ? Two questions to Larissa Nowotny and Matthias Fay, year representatives in the academic year 2014/15: What do the year representatives do? Firstly, the year representatives are always selected from the student body at the beginning of the winter semester. This means that we are democratically elected to represent the interests of students in our year. Basically, we try to be involved in structuring life and work at the university from the students’ perspective. We listen to requests and suggestions from our fellow students and try to implement good ideas. Once annually, we also represent our year at the quality workshop. During this meeting, which is organised by the Dean of Studies Prof. Dr. Sabine Joeris, professors and students develop common objectives to increase the quality of study and cooperation at the university. What do you get from it? Larissa Nowotny: As a year representative, I can actively get involved in the university. I am always happy to answer questions on studying from my fellow students. With this role, I am very well informed about current events at our faculty. In addition, I get to know the organisational structures and the operation of a university better. Incidentally, it also helped me to get my bearings in my studies, integrate and get to know my classmates. Matthias Fay: My main motivation is to make university life as optimal and smooth as possible for my fellow students, the professors and all staff. We, the year representatives, see ourselves as a link or mediator. Sometimes we are also a type of interpreter between the levels. We know a lot of background information, are always up to date with the latest information, and are contact partners for all sides. This task is not always easy, but it makes the role interesting. Mens sana in corpore sano: Pros from the Faculty of Business at the Augsburg company run. Alumni out and about wearing their university rucksacks. This photo was sent to us by Andreas Hecht, alumnus of the Faculty of Business and currently working at PwC. M O U N TA I N S R 4 Sport at the Faculty of Business takes place even in the snow: Mountains R4 skiing&boarding. SERVICE: FINANCIAL TIMES IN FULL It is now even easier to access highquality information about politics and business. Students and university staff can now access all information from the Financial Times online. This offer extends not only to the full texts of all articles, but also to information via email on regions, countries, industries or individual companies. “Special reports”, multimedia contents such as videos and podcasts, and an archive are also available. It only takes a few steps to avail of this new service. First, create an account on http://www.ft.com with your university email address. After registration, you can access the Financial Times – either from any university computer or externally via VPN. Information: http://www.hs-augsburg.de/ medium/download/bib/Financial Times.pdf Students, alumni and friends again took part in Mountains R4 biking&hiking. A total of 22 cyclists accepted the invitation from Prof. Dr. Schönfelder and celebrated the 20th anniversary of the sporting event. 19 International A M E R I C A N B OY S : F I V E A U G S B U R G S T U D E N T S I N D E T R O I T Erasmus+- meetings in Brussels: Together with representatives of other Bavarian universities of applied sciences and members of the EU parliament, Prof. Dr. Wolfram Schönfelder and Ingrid Hahn- Eisenhardt discussed problems and solutions of the new Erasmus+- programme in Brussels. In the photo (left to right): the assistant of the MEP Markus Ferber Madlen Hüttenrauch, Dr. Hanns Sylvester from DAAD, International Coordinator of the Faculty of Business Prof. Dr. Schönfelder, the head of the International Office at the Augsburg University of Applied Sciences Ingrid Hahn-Eisenhardt, and her colleague at the Kempten University of Applied Sciences Bernd Holzhauser. C O M PA C T C O U R S E S A N D SUMMER SCHOOL In July, students took part in a Trading Summer School at the University of Cosenza. The reason behind this was the cooperation with Directa, a day trading broker from Italy. The first Summer School took place in Augsburg in 2014. This time, under the Calabrian sun, the students again dealt with all aspects of trading and were also able to gain initial practical experience thanks to the sponsor. In September, 16 students travelled with Dott.ssa Francesca Angrisano to the partner university Abat Oliba in Barcelona. During a two-week compact course in Business Spanish 3, they developed their language skills and enjoyed a diverse agenda with visits to the companies Freixenet and Desigual as well as excursions in the Catalonian metropolis. In the compact course 3 for Business Italian in Genua, great importance was placed on contact with local companies and institutions. Together with Dott.ssa Laura Marini, the students visited the largest shipbuilding company in Europe, Fincantieri. They also went on a discovery journey through the port town and tried out their Italian on location while talking to students. Information: Dott.ssa Angrisano, Dott.ssa Marini Paramount Machining Solutions is a supplier with headquarters in Detroit. Competition in this industry is hard, and the automotive and non-automotive markets important for Paramount are changing constantly. Change processes are therefore necessary in order to remain a top company. Five Business Administration students of the Augsburg University of Applied Sciences supported the US company in this task. Max Glink worked on the business plan for the next five years. Markus Küpfer helped in the implementation of the so-called “Paramount Production System”. Andreas Miller worked in the Sales department during the development of a new process sequence. Felix Rimmele took on tasks in the finance department of the company. Markus Wojtczyk prepared a re-certification audit in quality management with his colleagues. All five were able to gain very valuable experience in change management tasks. Incidentally, the students’ level of English was also given a big boost. Information: Prof. Dr. Freiboth I N T E R N AT I O N A L M A R K E T I N G : PA C K A G I N G A N D L U X U R Y B R A N D I N G Lecturers from partner universities introduced two particularly interesting aspects of international marketing to the International Week. Prof. Dr. Manfred Uhl welcomed Anu Kurvinen, Senior Lecturer at the Saimaa University of Applied Sciences in Lappeenranta, Finland. Using specific customer examples, the former manager of Stora Enso explained the significance of product packaging for the brand experience to Business Administration students of the advanced module “Marketing Management International”. Michela Ornati, lecturer at the Scuola Universitaria Professionale della Svizzera Italiana (SUPSI) in Lugano, introduced the exciting industry of luxury goods to students of Industrial Engineering in the lecture “Introduction to marketing management”. She placed a focus on an interesting question of brand management: can there be compatibility between luxury brands and sustainability? Information: Prof. Dr. Uhl DOUBLE DEGREES This is what winners look like. The following students received a double degree during the graduation ceremony in summer: Katerina Dhana, Ramy el Mogy, Angela Kress and Kathrin Schauppel. Prof. Dr. Wolfram Schönfelder (right) and Prof. Dr. Manfred Uhl (left) were two of the first to congratulate them. Prof. Dr. Schönfelder (centre) was there when Eva- Maria Pielmeier, Franziska Stiegelmair, Christian Hecker and Hannah Hornung (from left) defended their Bachelor theses at the University of Lulea in Sweden. With this, they successfully completed a study programme at two universities and achieved a double degree. 20 International W E LC O M E : G U E S T S F R O M U S A Summer semester 2015 was all about exchange with American universities of applied sciences. The Faculty of Business hereby intensified its international networking and followed its strategic objective of strengthening relationships with partners in the United States. Michael Hartmann Ph.D., lecturer at the Faculty of Business and an American himself, had established numerous contacts Prof. Dr. Jerome Christia beforehand and thereby created links to the professors at the Augsburg University of Applied Sciences. Belle Woodward, Associate Professor of Information Systems Technologies at the Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, came to develop an exchange programme together with Vice-President Prof. Dr. Gordon Rohrmair. Dr. Mahesh Srinivasan, Associate Professor at the University of Akron in Ohio, taught about supply chain management and operations management as a guest lecturer. He was accompanied by 19 students, who ensured an American atmosphere on the campus. Plans for a future Summer School are already in place. Dr. C. Bulent Aybar, Professor of International Finance from the Southern New Hampshire University, was on board in the English-language Master in International Business and Finance. Dr. Jerome Christia, Associate Professor for Marketing at the Coastal Carolina University in South Carolina, took over classes in marketing management. Ultimately, students, professors, and the universities involved benefitted from the intensive exchange in seminars, workshops and lectures. Information: Michael Hartmann, Ph.D. U N C H A R T E R E D T E R R I TO RY : C E NTRAL ASIA Particularly in management marketing, it is important to have a good understanding of markets and customers. The knowledge/ emotion approach, a modern learning form for international marketing, assumes that cultures and economic areas need to be understood in not just a rational manner, but also an emotional manner. While the specifics of many world regions have been researched for international marketing, the central Asian republics have been largely ignored. The Faculty of Business has now established additional contacts. Prof. Reinhold Krämmel, honorary consul of the Kyrgyz Republic in Bavaria and Thuringia, organised a meeting with Prof. Ph.D. Dr. Aliya Balapanova. She teaches at the National University in Almaty, Kazakhstan, where she is responsible for international relations, and is very interested in working together. Methods of cooperation were Front from left: Prof. Reinhold discussed. Krämmel, Prof. Dr. Aliya BalaInformation: panova with husband. Back from left: Prof. Dr. Uhl, Prof. Dr. Prof. Dr. habil. Kellner Kellner, Dean Prof. Dr. Feucht. S I L I C O N VA L L E Y : B E N C H M A R K ? The business region of Augsburg has taken steps towards becoming a centre for resource Prof. Dr. Kellner and Romi Randhawa (CEO Cancom efficiency and HPM Networks in Fremont/ thus ensuring California). economic growth and full employment. As part of the research project “Implementation management”, Prof. Dr. habil. Klaus Kellner travelled to California in order to discuss with experts and insiders whether the Silicon Valley could serve as a model for the further development of our region. Bill Sauter, outstanding expert on the Silicon Valley, sees this region as the “best epicentre for technology, innovation, fundamental research, creativity, education and talented people in the world”. Romi Randhawa, Managing Director of Cancom HPM Networks in Fremont/California, shares this opinion and adds “a lot of people want to work here, but very few make it. It is very hard to be successful here, but it’s very lucrative”. The further course of the study will determine the extent to which the Silicon Valley could be suitable as a benchmark for our business region. Information: Prof. Dr. habil. Kellner B R U S S E L S : E U I N S T I T U T I O N S U P C LO S E Prof. Dr. Julia Wicke took the over 30 students in her “European Union Law” subject with her on a trip to Brussels. Aside from the usual visitor tours, the participants from eight nations received an intensive insight into the work of numerous EU institutions. They visited the European Commission and met the Director of the Legal Service of the Council of the European Union. The EU delegate Markus Ferber from Bobingen near Augsburg also took the time to discuss current challenges of the European Parliament with the international student group. When he found out that a number of American guest students from the University of Akron, Ohio, were present in the company of Prof. Dr. Mahesh Srinivasan, he spontaneously switched to English and confidently addressed the topic of European-American relationships. Information: Prof. Dr. Wicke 21 Interview W I T H C H R I S T I A N G E B L E R , P R E S I D E N T O F T H E A S S O C I AT I O N “ TA L E N T E F Ü R D I E R E G I O N ” A N D A L U M N U S O F T H E FA C U LT Y O F B U S I N E S S Mr. Gebler, you have had an impressive career. Would you like to fill us in on the most important positions? An internship at HILTI was the beginning. I started off in a red car as a sales representative in Munich and three years later I was head of sales, leading a team on the wine route. Four years after that, I received the opportunity to develop and expand the market organisation of Oman/ Arabia as CEO. That was huge, of course. After changing to the logistics sector, we moved to Dubai, from where I was responsible for business with the countries in the Gulf and Near East regions. After six years in the Middle East, I returned home. You studied Business Administration at the Augsburg University of Applied Sciences. Did your degree programme prepare you for professional life? We learned to work independently and in a project-oriented manner. You take that experience with you. You recognise many aspects of your study course in the working world, which is helpful. And you learn new things as well. You also learn that workdays aren’t always 9 to 5. Looking back, I actually would have liked an entire degree in sales. Which specialisations did you choose, and what memories do you have? It quickly became clear to me that the “diplom” specialisation at the time, International Management, was just right for me. I always wanted to get out into the big wide world. My study periods in Modena and Groningen were therefore very valuable. I got to know people as a student who are still on my side as real friends and supporters today – both alumni and professors. As for memories, I remember that we had a lot of exams in the fourth semester. We studied like mad. It’s crazy what you can achieve when you put your mind to it. The international aspects play a very important role in study courses today. What intercultural experiences did you gain as CEO in the Arabian region? What is business with customers in the Middle East like? Particularly in Dubai, you can find every nationality in the world. Each one thinks, lives and works differently. I remember it well. All my “ESTABLISH A STRONG NETWORK.” senses were stimulated: hearing, seeing, feeling, tasting and smelling different things. People in the Middle East just tick differently. Trust and integrity are extremely important. Fast decisions, getting to the point quickly or being impatient do not work there. The feedback culture is also very different to that in Germany. A lot of confidence, perhaps too much, is placed in a German person in particular. There is little or no criticism. That makes it important to have good people by your side who will be honest with you. You are now also the president of the association “Talente für die Region”. Within a very short time, you have succeeded in getting many prominent personalities on board. What prompted you to do this? Initially, very personal experiences. When you’re abroad, you miss your family and friends and wonder about your own roots. In addition, I had the experience that although the expatriate systems in many companies work well, returning home is often more difficult than expected. In addition, we need to avoid a lack of skilled and management personnel in our region. We want to encourage today’s students and later alumni to branch out, but not cut ties. We want to bind talented young people to the region and build a bridge for those who would like to return home. What tips would you give to students today? Ask someone whom you really respect to act as your mentor and keep an eye on you. Listen to your heart, your gut and your head. Try to only do what makes you happy. Establish a strong network – starting during your studies. And have the courage to pack your bags and experience new things. Nobody can take this experience away from you. 22 Service C O N TA C T PA R T N E R S Dean: Prof. Dr. Michael Feucht Email: dekan@wirtschaft.hs-augsburg.de Vice Dean: Prof. Dr. Manfred Uhl Email: prodekan@wirtschaft.hs-augsburg.de Dean of Studies: Prof. Dr. Sabine Joeris Email: studiendekan@wirtschaft.hs-augsburg.de Secretariat: Ulrike Dichtl, Anni Kaiser and Eva-Maria Dalhoff Email: sekretariat@wirtschaft.hs-augsburg.de Internship Supervisor: Prof. Dr. habil. Klaus Kellner Email: praktikum@wirtschaft.hs-augsburg.de International Affairs: Prof. Dr. Anton Frantzke, Prof. Dr. Wolfram Schönfelder and Diana Wong Email: ausland@wirtschaft.hs-augsburg.de FA C T S Students at the Augsburg University of Applied Sciences: in the Faculty of Business (incl. IWI and MVM): 5995 1518 of which: Diplom Business Administration 2 BA Business Administration (BW) 532 BA International Management (IM) 431 BEng Industrial Engineering (IWI) 192 MA International Business and Finance (IBF) 86 MA Human Resource Management (PMG) 67 MA Marketing/Sales/Media (MVM) 121 MA Tax and Accounting (MSR) 49 International exchange programmes Students from foreign partner universities (incoming): 57 Students at foreign partner universities (outgoing): 89 Student representatives: Elisabeth Huber and Alexander Poclitariu Email: svwirtschaft@hs-augsburg.de www.hs-augsburg.de Advanced modules in BA International Management in WS 2015/16 • European Business Studies • Corporate Communication and Int. Business Profiling • Human Resource Management • Management Accounting • Supply Chain Management • Financial Markets and Institutions IMPRINT SITE PLAN Study Coordinators: Yvonne Berrens, MBA Ulrike Tielemann, Dipl.-Päd. Email: studiengang.wirtschaft@hs-augsburg.de Departmental Advisors: • BA Business Administration/ BA International Management: Prof. Dr. Nicolas Warkotsch Email: nicolas.warkotsch@hs-augsburg.de • BEng Industrial Engineering: Prof. Dr. Florian Waibel Email: florian.waibel@hs-augsburg.de • MA International Business and Finance: Prof. Dr. Thorsten Feix Email: thorsten.feix@hs-augsburg.de • MA Human Resource Management: Prof. Dr. Erika Regnet Email: erika.regnet@hs-augsburg.de • MA Tax and Accounting: Prof. Dr. Kalina Kafadar Email: kalina.kafadar@hs-augsburg.de • MA Marketing/Sales/Media: Prof. Dr. Manfred Uhl Email: manfred.uhl@hs-augsburg.de Advanced modules in BA Business Administration in WS 2015/16 • Change Management •Controlling • Entrepreneurship and Technology Management •Logistics • Product Management and Marketing Communication • Auditing and Accounting • Financial Markets and Institutions gP Business – Faculty of Business newsletter Hochschule Augsburg An der Hochschule 1 86161 Augsburg Source: Jürgen Hefele/Augsburg University of Applied Sciences Website Image film Facebook Publisher and person responsible acc. to German Press Law: Prof. Dr. HansEberhard Schurk, President of the Augsburg University of Applied Sciences Editor: Prof. Dr. Manfred Uhl, Faculty of Business Layout and publisher: mk publishing, Döllgaststr. 7– 9, 86199 Augsburg Picture credits: Augsburg University of Applied Sciences, Bettina Schmidt (title picture), Matthias Leo, MLP, other picture rights belong to the (named) authors and creators. Circulation: 3.000 copies (2.500 in German / 500 in English) © 2015 Augsburg University of Applied Sciences, Faculty of Business. All rights reserved. Reprinting in whole or in part only with approval from editor. Contributions bearing the name of the author do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editor or publisher. The editor reserves the right to revisions and abridgements. slandsreiseOptional: Au r icherung fü krankenvers im Jahr! nur 5,88 Euro Das MLP CampusGirokonto – 4%* p. a. Zinsen machen 100% Laune. Mit dem MLP CampusGirokonto macht der Blick aufs Girokonto ab sofort richtig Spaß: Sie erhalten 4%* p. a. auf Ihr Guthaben und genießen attraktive Leistungen, die Ihnen so viel finanzielle Flexibilität einräumen, wie Sie brauchen. Und das weltweit und kostenlos. 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