Climate change, scarcity of resources, social responsibility – today’s challenges require new ways of thinking and creative solutions. This is precisely where the Sustainability Management module at Hof University of Applied Sciences comes in. It is more than just a lecture – it is a lively learning project in an international environment, with real practical relevance and the aim of shaping a more sustainable future.
Students from the business administration courses at Hof University of Applied Sciences – including numerous international participants – and HZ University (Netherlands) work together to develop ideas and solutions on how companies can operate more responsibly. The focus is not on gray theory, but on specific practical tasks.
At the heart of this year’s module is a cooperation project with the Held Group – a company in the textile and clothing industry based in Münchberg, which is internationally successful with various textile products and solutions alongside the fashion brands FRANK WALDER and TUZZI. The students work in interdisciplinary and intercultural teams to analyze sustainable concepts using the company as an example and to develop new ones – from the optimization of existing processes to new business models. They are supported by the supervising lecturers Tina Wiegand (Hof University of Applied Sciences), Sylvia Schouwenaars-Hilt, Ad de Wit and Marc Nohlmanns (HZ University).
The project started in April with an intensive week at Hof University of Applied Sciences, during which the students were not only introduced to their teams and topics, but also immediately developed their first concept ideas. A particular highlight of this week was the visit to the Held Group’s headquarters: during a detailed tour of the company – from product development to logistics – the students gained important insights that they needed for their project work. They also received background information and technical insights into the textile laboratories at the Münchberg campus
But cultural exchange was not neglected either: an excursion to the German-German Museum in Mödlareuth or relaxed evenings at the Untreusee ensured that international teams became real communities.
After this intensive face-to-face phase, the collaboration continued digitally. The students coordinate regularly, develop their ideas further and receive ongoing feedback from their supervising teachers. In this way, they also learn how networked work works across national borders – a skill that is becoming increasingly important in the globalized world of work.
The Hof student group is currently at HZ University in Vlissingen, the Netherlands, to finalize and present the project results.
The result is a project that reaches far beyond the lecture hall. It is an example of what teaching can look like today: practical, international, networked and, above all, meaningful. Students not only learn how sustainable business works – they actively help to shape it. A real model for success – for the university, for the companies involved and, above all, for the students, who experience how commitment, creativity and team spirit can make the world a better place.
