aktualisiert am EMPOWERMENT

Education & Research

(c) Leuphana Universität Lüneburg

(c) photo credit: Leuphana Universität Lüneburg

I have been investigating, designing, and facilitating project-based sustainability as well as entrepreneurship courses at Leuphana University of Lüneburg, Germany, both within the Leuphana Semester (bachelor level) and the Leuphana Sustainable Entrepreneurship Certificate (master and doctoral level).

What a student wrote about the last course „Growing Together“ reflects my approach to education:

„The retreat has been a transformative experience, providing the clarity and inspiration needed to create my vision and the steps needed to achieve the vision of (…). The insights gained and connections made during the retreat will serve as a strong foundation for the successful implementation and growth of this initiative, but also for my continued personal growth.“ – A.

„I value the course’s emphasis on creating a supportive community. Fostering a collaborative and encouraging atmosphere helps to feel more confident in taking risks and exploring new ideas.“ – A.

„I am inspired by the concept that effective sustainability transformations require collective leadership. This course reinforces the importance of building and participating in strong, collaborative communities to achieve shared sustainability goals.“ – A.

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My course portfolio

Summer term 2024:

„Growing Together“

Course vision: A healthy, nourishing food forest, where plants provide services for each other, which allows each single plant to grow, unleash its potential, and ultimately bear fruit. (metaphorically speaking)

  • Encounter yourself and one another [it takes a community to raise an idea/list]
  • Come closer to own ideas AND their realization [implementation competency]
  • Realize own learning objectives [self-efficacy, ownership, attitude]
  • Develop an entrepreneurial mindset and useful competencies

The course “Growing Together” allows students to deeply engage with oneself within a learning community to explore one´s own entrepreneurial potential. Inspired by Theory U and the often-cited quote of Bill O´Brien “The success of an intervention depends on the interior condition of the intervenor”, this course starts with the exploration of one´s own “interior condition” (intrapersonal competency) as a foundation for entrepreneurial action (e.g. interpersonal & implementation competency). The course gives space to the verbalization, exploration, development, and refinement of (own) ideas that want to be realized.

The course takes place in the shape of an intensive 3-days-retreat, drawing on experiential learning theory and the concept of the flipped-classroom. This means that the course is highly dependent on students´ pre-retreat preparations and willingness to engage in offered learning opportunities. The course includes phases of individual work and plenary sessions, input, reflection, and experiences and takes place in- and outdoors. 

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Summer term 2023:

  • „Impact NOW! Innovation Hub Management.“
  • „From walk and talk to WALK THE TALK. Cultivating an entrepreneurial mindset.“

These two courses took place in cooperation with the transformation::spaces for future-oriented learning (Transformations::Räume für zukunftsorientiertes Lernen).

Artefacts of the course „From Walk & Talk to WALK THE TALK. Cultivating an entrepreneurial mindset.“, inspired by Photovoice method.

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Summer term 2022:

„#CSX: Community Supported Economy. New entrepreneurial narratives in words and deeds.“

Preliminary access to the co-created book here.

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Winter term 2019/20 – 2022/23:

„Und weil sie nicht gestorben sind… Geschichten der Nachhaltigkeit in Film, Literatur und Medien“ (facilitated both in English and German)

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Winter term 2021/22:

Sustainability Barometer. Focus: Social Sustainability.

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Articles, chapters, and contributions