02.12.2012 Views

"Knowledge. Transfer. Application." (pdf) - Steinbeis-Hochschule ...

"Knowledge. Transfer. Application." (pdf) - Steinbeis-Hochschule ...

"Knowledge. Transfer. Application." (pdf) - Steinbeis-Hochschule ...

SHOW MORE
SHOW LESS

Create successful ePaper yourself

Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.

<strong>Knowledge</strong>.<strong>Transfer</strong>.<strong>Application</strong>.


Contents<br />

02<br />

04<br />

06<br />

08<br />

10<br />

12<br />

14<br />

16<br />

17<br />

18<br />

The SHB today<br />

<strong>Knowledge</strong>.Education.Future.<br />

Focus<br />

Potential.Competence.Personality.<br />

Structure<br />

Entrepreneurship.Organization.Success.<br />

Concept<br />

Theory.Projects.Practice.<br />

Teaching<br />

Bachelor.Studies.Master.<br />

Research<br />

Problem.Research.Solution.<br />

Professional training<br />

Qualification.Training.Implementation.<br />

<strong>Application</strong>s<br />

University.Admission.Studies.<br />

Context<br />

Experts.Network.<strong>Steinbeis</strong>.<br />

History<br />

Tradition.Progress.Future.<br />

01


02 | SHB today<br />

<strong>Knowledge</strong>.Education.Future.<br />

Germany’s path in the coming years hinges on the technological<br />

capabilities of its economy. Working in partnership<br />

with companies to foster transfer, <strong>Steinbeis</strong> provides<br />

support in core areas of technology and know­how:<br />

research and development, consulting, evaluations and –<br />

underpinning all of this – education. Founded in 1998,<br />

<strong>Steinbeis</strong> University Berlin offers a family of transfer­<br />

oriented educational programs designed to answer the<br />

needs of today’s knowledge society.<br />

Corporations looking to build on their successes realize that achieving this goal in an<br />

increasingly global and competitive environment comes down to one factor: marketdriven<br />

innovation which is actually put into practice. Being innovative entails the<br />

ability to marry experience with the latest insight and know-how, and show the courage<br />

to break new ground – often along unconventional lines. To do this, businesses need<br />

people who think and act professionally, and on their own two feet. People who don’t<br />

just carry out the task at hand, but actually pinpoint creative solutions, without the<br />

support of others – despite the undefined nature of the problem or business decision. In<br />

a nutshell, what it takes – beyond knowledge and qualifications – is the right competence.<br />

In a market environment where the rate of change is constantly increasing, and<br />

nothing is cast in stone, competence is a key to entrepreneurial success.<br />

Developing competence takes training and professional development in a way that<br />

dovetails theory with practice. <strong>Steinbeis</strong> University Berlin (SHB) brings learning closer<br />

and closer to the business process, thus providing professionals – at all life stages,<br />

from a variety of career paths – with an opportunity to keep learning, over and beyond<br />

purely theoretical training. Constantly focusing on transfer, we open the door to<br />

deep knowledge and the very latest insights from theory and practice.


To transfer knowledge successfully, to facilitate instruction and learning beyond<br />

conventional boundaries, the right structures need to be in place. Life-long learning<br />

and learning in parallel with employment aren’t empty words at <strong>Steinbeis</strong> University<br />

Berlin – they are at the very heart of everything we offer. Our programs carefully<br />

balance the objectives and organizational pressures of companies with the compatibility<br />

of work and education.<br />

Our Project Competence study programs, for instance, rise to the challenges posed by<br />

a knowledge society. At any given time, we have around 5,000 students working on<br />

business projects in parallel to their <strong>Steinbeis</strong> University studies. During their studies,<br />

they are supervised by our professors and teaching staff, who are also active members<br />

of the business community. This allows the knowledge imparted by our staff to fuel<br />

new knowledge and insight – and this, in turn, circulates at the student’s place of<br />

work, to be applied directly to breakthrough solutions, products and services.<br />

Prof. Dr. Dr. h. c. mult. Johann Löhn<br />

President, <strong>Steinbeis</strong> University Berlin


04 | Focus<br />

Potential.Competence.Personality.<br />

Skills and competence development: the goal of <strong>Steinbeis</strong><br />

University Berlin. <strong>Knowledge</strong> and training fuel potential,<br />

from which skills and competence stem. However, it<br />

takes a lot more for employees in the workplace to be<br />

in a position to think, act and solve problems under<br />

their own steam. It takes emotional intelligence,<br />

personality in a broader sense. Skills and competence<br />

are the trans formation of pure learning into individual<br />

emotions, motivations and success!<br />

In a knowledge society, employees find themselves less and less pre-occupied with the<br />

need to carry out clearly defined tasks. Simply performing duties, based on strictly laid<br />

down qualifications, is becoming a thing of the past. What businesses require today is<br />

a workforce that is action-oriented, even in times of uncertainty. Markets are undergoing<br />

continual change. And the only real constant is change itself. The experts and<br />

people that get things done are the ones that remain adaptable under such circumstances<br />

– the ones that take responsibility for their actions, have an ability to think<br />

laterally, and are capable of working independently or as part of a team.<br />

The key challenge is to take the lessons learned on degree or professional development<br />

programs and apply them to the vocational environment. This often goes wrong,<br />

because too much emphasis is placed on developing technical, “hands-on” skills.<br />

What it really takes to develop competence are personal, action-based, social skills.<br />

These put employees in a position to do more than carry out specific duties. These<br />

programs prepare them for a variety of roles and positions, providing them with the<br />

tools to cope – at any time – with unforeseen circumstances. So the key issue is not<br />

to focus on usable skills and capabilities, but to adapt the focus of conventional education<br />

to more modern-day tangible requirements.


From its inception, the SHB has understood the logical consequences of all these<br />

developments, marrying classroom learning with projects carried out within a company.<br />

We believe that knowledge cannot be imparted solely within the four walls of a classroom,<br />

but by facilitating learning processes – and allowing theory to merge seamlessly<br />

with practice – and cross-fertilize. This is the underlying concept of all our degree<br />

programs. Each revolves around a live transfer project within a company. So each<br />

project has a clearly defined goal, but each student must decide – depending on the<br />

specific needs and situation – which paths to tread in pursuing the right solution and,<br />

ultimately, which techniques to apply. Without a doubt, the process is never simple. Nor<br />

does it necessarily follow a straight line. However it does result in the development of<br />

tangible skills and competences. This benefits the company and student alike.<br />

05


06 | Structure<br />

Further information:<br />

www.steinbeis-hochschule.de<br />

› Organization<br />

Entrepreneurship.Organization.Success.<br />

Our university ticks like a business, entrepreneurially.<br />

The <strong>Steinbeis</strong> <strong>Transfer</strong> Institutes (STI) that belong to the<br />

SHB are managed as a “business within a business”.<br />

So each institute operates as a customer­oriented<br />

service provider, reacting quickly with its offering to<br />

the fast­moving nature of business. Our institutes can<br />

only be deemed successful as businesses if we enjoy<br />

strong demand for our programs and degrees, and<br />

there is need for our transfer­based research. The SHB<br />

is funded solely by fees charged for projects and degree<br />

programs. It receives no backing from the State.<br />

The SHB is a private university based in Berlin. It is a subsidiary of the <strong>Steinbeis</strong><br />

Foundation. We owe the name of our university to Ferdinand von <strong>Steinbeis</strong>, the first<br />

promoter of business in the old German state of Württemberg. <strong>Steinbeis</strong> was in charge<br />

of the central office for trade and industry when, as early as the 19th century, he first<br />

started promoting applied innovation and “dual education”. It was <strong>Steinbeis</strong> who developed<br />

the ground-breaking concept of business-oriented technology transfer, which<br />

was finally put into practice many years after his original idea.<br />

To maintain a constant focus on customer needs, the SHB endeavors to remain as<br />

flexible and free from red tape as possible. So as many decisions as possible are made to<br />

lower down the hierarchy. The aim of the SHB head office is to provide an organizational<br />

framework for the lower-level network of institutes, each of which is responsible for<br />

its own actions as an entrepreneurial unit. These institutes offer a broad selection of<br />

customized, specialized services aimed at providing practice-based specialist and<br />

management training. The professors and part-time lecturers who work for the SHB<br />

come either from a university background or the world of business. All teaching staff are<br />

regularly audited. As well as ensuring that we maintain our high standards, this allows<br />

us to adapt our offering to the changing requirements of businesses and students.


<strong>Steinbeis</strong><br />

<strong>Transfer</strong> Centers<br />

<strong>Steinbeis</strong>-Stiftung (StW)<br />

<strong>Steinbeis</strong> GmbH & Co. KG für Technologietransfer (StC)<br />

<strong>Steinbeis</strong> R&D<br />

Centers<br />

<strong>Steinbeis</strong> Enterprises<br />

<strong>Steinbeis</strong> Consulting<br />

Centers<br />

University Council<br />

Representatives of Industry,<br />

partner universities and the SHB<br />

<strong>Steinbeis</strong> <strong>Transfer</strong> Institutes (STIs)<br />

Schools and Institutes<br />

engaged in R&D and<br />

teaching<br />

<strong>Steinbeis</strong> <strong>Transfer</strong><br />

Institutes at <strong>Steinbeis</strong><br />

University Berlin<br />

Institutes offering<br />

training courses<br />

and other programs<br />

<strong>Steinbeis</strong><br />

Shareholdings<br />

President<br />

SHB GmbH<br />

Central<br />

administration<br />

A number of our institutes have merged into Schools within the SHB organization.<br />

To leverage synergies and offer packages by specialist area, these institutes join forces<br />

to offer educational services and transfer-based research from a single source. The<br />

aim of this is to focus the competences of professors, researchers and teaching staff<br />

on specific solutions, thus catering to a broad spectrum of specialist fields.<br />

The SHB training and education portfolio ranges from certification courses to bachelor’s<br />

and master’s degrees, culminating in state-approved qualifications. Further, we offer<br />

talented university graduates from a scientific background the opportunity to study<br />

towards a doctorate. All of our training programs and degrees are aimed at people in<br />

employment. They are also available to employees wishing to re-enter higher education.<br />

As proponents of life-long learning, we believe in providing participants with a variety of<br />

options to gain additional qualifications and build on their knowledge, always in keeping<br />

with their needs. Because our focus remains squarely on the actual requirements of<br />

business, the SHB has earned a name for itself among German universities as an independent<br />

service provider with its own educational program. The second area of emphasis<br />

for us – over and above continuing professional development – is transfer-related<br />

research. This allows us to apply the very latest academic research findings to actual<br />

business situations, very much in keeping with the <strong>Steinbeis</strong> philosophy of targeted<br />

knowledge transfer.<br />

07


08 | Concept<br />

Theory.Projects.Practice.<br />

The dovetailing of theory and practice – frequently<br />

demanded by education experts – has been reality at<br />

our university since its inception. We offer executive<br />

and employee training and degree programs culminating<br />

in findings that have a direct bearing on a business’<br />

success. Students work with a company on a live project<br />

which is implemented directly at the workplace. The<br />

SHB philosophy is ground­breaking, not only because<br />

of the subject matter, but also because of the process.<br />

Classic degree programs bring together two parties: students and university teaching<br />

staff. The difference with our Project Competence Concept is that it directly involves a<br />

third party: companies. It’s the companies that lay down key topics from the business.<br />

These ultimately define the nature of the projects that form the backbone of our degree<br />

programs. This allows students to make direct use of the knowledge they gain during<br />

their <strong>Steinbeis</strong> studies – through the transfer process – and thus deepen their understanding<br />

of business. Theory and practice interplay, continuously. Learning is targeted<br />

and specific. The ultimate outcome is then competence, over and beyond specialist<br />

knowledge. In other words: students develop the ability to solve problems by thinking<br />

on their own two feet – and rise to real business challenges.<br />

The independent, application-based research carried out at the SHB contributes to the<br />

general level of knowledge. As part of the Project Competence philosophy, research<br />

also provides a foundation on which to share knowledge. The SHB’s research ensures<br />

that the theory taught in the classroom relates to actual business issues while reflecting<br />

the latest scientific insights.<br />

An important aspect of SHB degrees is the parallel supervision given to students.<br />

Course participants are supported on the one hand by teaching staff at the university,<br />

and, in so far as the resources are available, by a supervisor at the company, i.e. a kind<br />

of mentor. This ensures that as students complete their project, they really do develop<br />

new skills on a technical, personal and interpersonal level. Our Project Competence<br />

Concept thus facilitates learning processes by applying knowledge to specific areas.


The starting point for all degree projects at the SHB is a live problem facing the company.<br />

The projects have a defined goal, matched to company needs, and this dictates the specific<br />

path followed by the degree. During the degree, the companies’ employees receive a<br />

scientifically sound and methodical education from us, tailored to the needs of actual<br />

business and thus providing a foundation for innovation, competitive advantage and<br />

profit growth.<br />

Companies facing a particularly specialized issue are also given a chance to forge contacts<br />

with students outside the business. The SHB has a comprehensive pool of applicants<br />

from which it can draw a suitable candidate with an exact match to company requirements.<br />

The candidates – who can come from Germany or elsewhere – start by working<br />

at the company for the duration of their studies. This approach has proven extremely<br />

successful as an instrument of personnel development: the majority of our students<br />

stay on at the company where they carried out their project. Because this education<br />

philosophy centers on actual needs, in the long term it builds on the know-how of the<br />

companies and the students, opening up many opportunities in global competition.<br />

<strong>Knowledge</strong><br />

Company<br />

Business practice + <strong>Application</strong><br />

Problem<br />

Project<br />

SHB Institute Student<br />

Coaching Training<br />

Theory + <strong>Transfer</strong><br />

Solution<br />

Competence<br />

<strong>Steinbeis</strong> University Berlin (SHB)<br />

Further information:<br />

www.steinbeis-hochschule.de<br />

› University › PKS<br />

09


10 | Teaching<br />

Bachelor.Studies.Master.<br />

<strong>Steinbeis</strong> University Berlin offers bachelor’s and master’s<br />

degrees to people who have already embarked on a<br />

working career but wish to gain a more advanced university<br />

qualification. By consistently focusing on the<br />

needs of business, we provide companies with exactly<br />

what they’re looking for: training that reflects the true<br />

nature of business, training that dovetails with careers –<br />

including education as a fresh start.<br />

Company projects form the backbone of every degree program at the SHB. These projects<br />

act as a bridge between knowledge and methodologies and they are based on a specific<br />

challenge facing the company. The first task for the students is to agree the aims of the<br />

project and decide which methods they want to apply to the problem. Next, they also have<br />

to identify gaps in their knowledge. Working on a live project ensures that the students


“keep their feet on the ground” so to speak, focus on real business issues, and that they<br />

make decisions independently and pinpoint solutions. This approach – drawing on the<br />

knowledge imparted in seminars, and thus facilitating learning and doing – fosters competence.<br />

Based on this unique Project Competence Concept, our degree programs lead to<br />

state-approved bachelor and master qualifications.<br />

The topics dealt with on our bachelor degree programs range from business administration<br />

and management to technology. To take a bachelor’s degree, participants<br />

must have at least two years’ work experience or training, plus the equivalent of a<br />

German Abitur (high school diploma) or Fachhochschulreife. It is possible to do the<br />

bachelor’s without an Abitur (or equivalent) if, for example, the student can point to<br />

sufficient vocational training or business experience. Independent of their actual academic<br />

and vocational backgrounds, all candidates are put through an assessment center.<br />

Depending on the degree they are interested in, they may also have to demonstrate<br />

an ability for foreign languages. The qualifications awarded at the end of our bachelor’s<br />

program are a Bachelor of Arts, a Bachelor of Engineering or a Bachelor of Science.<br />

Our master’s degree programs are targeted at two types of students. First there are the<br />

highly motivated graduates, who are typically looking to kick-start their career by learning<br />

from actual business practice. Then there are those from a technical background who<br />

wish to gain more qualifications. Typically this latter group has already gained work<br />

experience and applicants are looking to take the next step in their careers. The degrees<br />

we offer span a variety of topics and fields. The qualifications awarded at the end of our<br />

master’s program are a Master of Business Administration, a Master of Science, a Master<br />

of Business Engineering or a Master of Arts. Applicants for a master’s degree also have to<br />

pass an assessment center, and, depending on the program, a language test.<br />

To take any of the degrees offered by the SHB, students must have a company project<br />

plus a contract of employment at a company or similar organization.<br />

Further information:<br />

www.steinbeis-hochschule.de<br />

› Degrees<br />

11


12 | Research<br />

Further information:<br />

www.steinbeis-hochschule.de<br />

› Degrees › Doctorate<br />

Problem.Research.Solution.<br />

Competitive transfer, the sharing of academic knowhow<br />

with partners in trade and industry, is a guiding<br />

principle throughout the <strong>Steinbeis</strong> network. When people<br />

conduct research at our university, their projects center<br />

on tangible business issues. If researchers at the SHB<br />

need support, they have the whole <strong>Steinbeis</strong> <strong>Transfer</strong><br />

Network to tap into, spanning scientific expertise,<br />

personal supervision and a treasure trove of proven<br />

transfer experience.<br />

Falling under our areas of research are special projects that can go towards a <strong>Steinbeis</strong><br />

University doctorate. As in other areas, studying towards a Ph.D. at the SHB is<br />

based on the concept of transfer-oriented project skills. As an integral part of this<br />

approach, research projects are commissioned and sponsored by a company or similar<br />

organization. As with the bachelor’s and master’s degrees, our aim with the Ph.D.<br />

program is to give professionals already progressing in their career an opportunity to<br />

hone their skills by carrying out independent work in an in-depth scientific discipline.<br />

Apart from providing the company with a vehicle for educating their employees,<br />

research which is based on an actual business situation and transfer builds on knowhow<br />

in a very systematic way. This nurtures innovation, ultimately culminating in<br />

heightened competitiveness. This is also because we only support Ph.D. projects<br />

where we perceive palpable potential to pinpoint a professional solution to a<br />

business-related issue. The research project provides a framework for the dissertation.<br />

This is underpinned by regular dialog with supervisors on the status of the project<br />

and periodical academic colloquia to monitor progress. The schools and institutes<br />

offer a wide variety of topics for students to examine for their Ph.D., allowing<br />

candidates to specialize in a spectrum of fields.<br />

To study for a Ph.D., students must have an excellent academic record, including a<br />

master’s or a comparable diploma-based degree in business administration or<br />

business and engineering. Prior to their master’s, students must have completed a


achelor’s. As well as academic qualifications, students have to work at a company or<br />

other institution. Finally, students must pass aptitude tests and have an admissible<br />

research project. Admissions are vetted by our professors, based on a checklist that<br />

has to be submitted in advance. A Ph.D. based on the Project Competence Concept<br />

lasts a minimum of three years. Always maintaining strong links to business, research<br />

is carried out in keeping with transfer principles and each project is supervised professionally.<br />

All Ph.D. research carried out at the SHB is based on an applied business issue. The<br />

approach taken in arriving at the solution always adheres closely to actual practice,<br />

in keeping with high academic standards. This, once again, is in the spirit of the<br />

original <strong>Steinbeis</strong> aim of making the latest scientific insights from research and<br />

development available to the wider business community.


14 | Professional training<br />

Further information:<br />

www.steinbeis-hochschule.de<br />

› Training courses<br />

Qualification.Training.Implementation.<br />

Learning has long been a central element of professional<br />

life in today’s knowledge economy. In fact, it’s the only<br />

means by which companies and their employees can<br />

respond to the ever­changing challenges posed by the<br />

global market. To meet the demands of professionals, the<br />

SHB offers certification courses for additional qualification<br />

– part­time training that is rooted in transfer<br />

and a real­world business context.<br />

Our <strong>Transfer</strong> Institutes are always rubbing shoulders with businesses and key market<br />

stakeholders. So they’re familiar with needs across a range of industries. What’s more,<br />

our Institutes have flat hierarchies, allowing us to react quickly to changing requirements<br />

and tailor our certification courses accordingly. Featuring both self-learning<br />

and on-site components, these opportunities for continuing professional education<br />

are designed around working professionals – specialists and executives with or<br />

without an academic degree. Training can be provided at the SHB or the place of work.<br />

Thanks to our extensive network of <strong>Transfer</strong> Institutes, we can cover an array of<br />

management and technology topics, delivering food for thought and cutting-edge<br />

expertise that always keep business application in the spotlight. With our certification<br />

courses, we pursue the same goals that we have for our degree programs: to impart<br />

and build on business-relevant knowledge and know-how. <strong>Knowledge</strong> and putting<br />

into practice always go hand in hand.


16 | <strong>Application</strong>s<br />

The SHB: a head office and<br />

<strong>Transfer</strong> Institutes that<br />

operate independently<br />

Prerequisite for studying at<br />

the SHB: work experience<br />

Admission: application<br />

interview and aptitude test<br />

Further information:<br />

www.steinbeis-hochschule.de<br />

› Degrees › <strong>Application</strong>s<br />

University.Admission.Studies.<br />

Students interested in courses at the SHB can apply<br />

at any time. Working professionals can obtain all the<br />

information they need directly from their desired place<br />

of study: each <strong>Transfer</strong> Institute has its own application<br />

process and will answer any question about specific<br />

degree programs and training courses.<br />

Our university is governed by the President and the University Council. The university<br />

head office is responsible for overall administration. It is also responsible for overseeing<br />

the <strong>Transfer</strong> Institutes, which may operate independently in terms of financing and focus,<br />

but are legally considered dependent. This unique model ensures that the Institutes keep<br />

their educational programs aligned with market needs. Revenue is generated through the<br />

fees charged for degree programs and certification courses as well as payment for projects,<br />

consulting work and research. The SHB does not rely on government subsidies.<br />

The Project Competence model is the cornerstone of our degree programs. Professors<br />

and lecturers make up our full-time and part-time teaching staff. Their perspective<br />

does more than maintain customer focus. They help us maintain our quality standards<br />

and continue to tailor our programs to today’s companies and students.<br />

People interested in enrolling at the SHB should already be able to point to work<br />

experience. A university-track secondary education is not an across-the-board<br />

prerequisite. We will, for example, consider applicants who can demonstrate work<br />

experience paired with vocational training. Every candidate, however, must have held<br />

a position at a company or within a working organization.<br />

The application process at each School and Institute consists at least of an interview and<br />

aptitude test. Candidates must already be in employment and commit to completing<br />

a project at their current company. Students will be assigned at least one supervisor<br />

for their project: a member of the teaching staff at the <strong>Transfer</strong> Institute. A colleague<br />

at their place of work frequently assumes the role of secondary supervisor and will be<br />

certified as such by successfully completing SHB training.


Experts.Network.<strong>Steinbeis</strong>.<br />

A subsidiary of the <strong>Steinbeis</strong> Foundation, our university<br />

is part of the <strong>Steinbeis</strong> <strong>Transfer</strong> Network’s worldwide<br />

pool of experts. Founding <strong>Steinbeis</strong> University Berlin<br />

was the next logical step in integrating genuine transfer<br />

with training and employee development. It also perfectly<br />

encapsulates the Foundation’s raison d’être: to<br />

place current research at businesspeople’s fingertips.<br />

The <strong>Steinbeis</strong> name is synonymous with efficiently and<br />

effectively blending theory and practice, science and<br />

business as well as the tangible transfer.<br />

Established in today´s form in 1983 in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, the <strong>Steinbeis</strong><br />

<strong>Transfer</strong> Network has evolved into a powerhouse for competitive knowledge and technology<br />

transfer. Thanks to our decentralized organization and flat structure, we respond<br />

quickly to companies’ needs, unburdened by bureaucracy. When technology sources<br />

are made available, we strictly adhere to the rules of the marketplace. Each transfer<br />

project lends the company that commissioned it tangible competitive advantages.<br />

With an offer spanning consulting, research and development, training and employee<br />

development alongside evaluation and expert reports, more than 800 Centers belong<br />

to the <strong>Steinbeis</strong> <strong>Transfer</strong> Network. And more than 5,500 employees manage their own<br />

projects. In fact, over 800 of these employees are professors from partner universities,<br />

universities of applied sciences and research establishments. As a collection of specialists,<br />

our Centers cover the entire range of technological and management-related fields.<br />

Our Center directors – usually professors – strongly support our transfer principles.<br />

The <strong>Steinbeis</strong> <strong>Transfer</strong> Network is financially independent and works in partnership<br />

with experts at universities, universities of applied sciences, universities of cooperative<br />

education and research establishments. Since each Center operates as a profit center,<br />

directors and employees adopt the role of “transfer entrepreneurs” for the entire Stein -<br />

beis company, never failing to place top priority on customers and business success.<br />

Further information:<br />

www.stw.de<br />

Context | 17


18 | History<br />

Tradition.Progress.Future.<br />

Without applied knowledge and education, we will not be<br />

em powered to become the people and entrepreneurs we strive to<br />

be. And today’s knowledge­based society will not see the economic<br />

growth and prosperity we desire. Since 1998, the SHB has been<br />

blending theory with practice, championing training and employee<br />

development as one of the cornerstones of comprehensive<br />

knowledge and technology transfer.


Opening of <strong>Steinbeis</strong><br />

University Berlin<br />

The SHB is granted the<br />

right to award doctorates<br />

2011: nearly 5,000<br />

employed professionals<br />

are enrolled at the SHB<br />

The groundwork for a <strong>Steinbeis</strong> academy dedicated to the principles of competitive<br />

transfer was laid in 1994. The specific idea of a private <strong>Steinbeis</strong> University soon<br />

followed. The circumstances at the time, however, were not quite right to embark on<br />

the undertaking. Time passed, and coincidentally, lines of communication were<br />

established with the Berlin Senate Department of Science and Education, such that<br />

soon all signs in Berlin were pointing to a start in the near future. In a matter of<br />

weeks, <strong>Steinbeis</strong> received state approval to move forward with its private university.<br />

The university opened its doors in the autumn of 1998 offering the MBE (Master<br />

of Business and Engineering). A total of 36 students enrolled in the program. Now in<br />

business, the university began executing its mandate through the Project Competence<br />

Degree. Even at this stage, thanks to careful and entrepreneurial planning, the SHB<br />

was funded solely through tuition fees and project revenues. Since the inception of<br />

the SHB, Prof. Dr. Dr. h. c. mult. Johann Löhn has served as president.<br />

1999 saw the introduction of the MedienMBA, the first MBA for senior managers<br />

working in the German media. In 2000, the SHB added another string to its bow:<br />

MBA degrees for non-German executives and German fast-track employees. In 2001,<br />

the SHB launched its first bachelor’s degree, thus allowing working professionals<br />

without graduate qualifications to study at a university level. The degrees are rounded<br />

off by specialized seminars and training courses in the key skills areas of technology,<br />

management and business – all adding to the richness of the curriculum. The pivotal<br />

role in the SHB’s astounding growth in the following years was played by the singular<br />

Project Competence Degree that requires each student to complete a project of practical<br />

relevance at their place of work.<br />

In late 2003, the SHB was granted the right to award doctorates, making it a fully -<br />

fledged university. Aimed at people in employment, the Project Competence Doctorate<br />

is based on the principles of “dual education” in the same way as the degree<br />

programs. The candidates’ research project acts as a foundation for their dissertation.<br />

This development helps real-world research evolve into another USP for the SHB.<br />

2008 saw the first annual Stuttgart Competence Day organized by the SHB. This<br />

symposium investigates the issue of competence from a variety of perspectives. Prof.<br />

Dr. Annette Schavan, the Minister of Education and Research, remains the sponsor of<br />

the event to this day.<br />

In 2011, the SHB family includes nearly 5,000 students and more than 4,500<br />

alumni. The university maintains its strict quality standards thanks to roughly 1,000<br />

lecturers and project managers. The SHB also joins forces with high-profile partners<br />

(in science, academia and the corporate world) to impart knowledge in the classroom,<br />

in research and during transfer.<br />

Further information:<br />

www.steinbeis-hochschule.de<br />

› University › History<br />

19


20 Publication details/getting in touch<br />

<strong>Steinbeis</strong>-<strong>Hochschule</strong> Berlin<br />

Gürtelstrasse 29A/30<br />

10247 Berlin | GERMANy<br />

Phone: +49 (0) 30 - 29 33 09 - 0<br />

Fax: +49 (0) 30 - 29 33 09 - 20<br />

E-mail: shb@stw.de<br />

www.steinbeis-hochschule.de<br />

Editing:<br />

Anja Reinhardt, <strong>Steinbeis</strong>-Stiftung<br />

Original German text:<br />

Knut Köstergarten, Bremen | <strong>Steinbeis</strong>-Stiftung, Stuttgart<br />

Photography:<br />

Frank Pusch, Bremen<br />

iStockphoto.com: © Nikada (title), © Angela Bell (p. 5), © Steve Froebe (p. 15)<br />

photocase.com: © Roodini (p. 10), © kalachakra (p.13), © designritter (p. 18)<br />

Concept and design:<br />

<strong>Steinbeis</strong> <strong>Transfer</strong> Center<br />

i/i/d Institute for Integrated Design<br />

Am Speicher XI<br />

Abteilung 7, Boden 3<br />

28217 Bremen | GERMANy<br />

Overall production:<br />

Straub Druck+Medien AG<br />

Max-Planck-Straße 17-19<br />

78713 Schramberg | GERMANy<br />

3rd revision 2011<br />

145496-2011-03


Founded in 1998, <strong>Steinbeis</strong> University Berlin (SHB) is a<br />

state-approved private university that offers students<br />

and companies practice- oriented, extra-occupational<br />

higher education based on the project competence<br />

concept, leading to nationally recognized qualifi cations.<br />

The research carried out by SHB focuses on issues with<br />

practical applications. The SHB portfolio of courses<br />

ranges from certifi cation courses to degrees and doctoral<br />

programs. <strong>Steinbeis</strong> degrees are based on the German<br />

dual study system and run in parallel to full-time<br />

employment. Students manage and implement projects<br />

in the company sponsoring their studies.<br />

SHB is an enterprise in the <strong>Steinbeis</strong> Network, an international<br />

service provider in tangible, implementationoriented<br />

knowledge and tech nology transfer. Specialized<br />

in chosen areas, <strong>Steinbeis</strong> Enterprises’ portfolio of services<br />

covers consulting; research and development; training<br />

and employee develop ment as well as evaluation<br />

and expert reports for every sector of technology and<br />

management.<br />

www.steinbeis-hochschule.de<br />

<strong>Steinbeis</strong> University Berlin<br />

Gürtelstraße 29A/30<br />

10247 Berlin | Germany<br />

Phone: +49 (0) 30 - 29 33 09 - 0<br />

Fax: +49 (0) 30 - 29 33 09 - 20<br />

E-Mail: shb@stw.de

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!