Leading with Future Skills, BIP ID: 2024-1-DE01-KA131-HED-000204730-4

BIP Coordination: Heilbronn University of Applied Sciences, D HEILBRO01

BIP Partners (3): ICN Business School, F NANCY37 (France); Zagreb School of Economics and Management, HR ZAGREB06 (Croatia); Kozminski University, PL WARSZAW21 (Poland)

This innovative Blended Intensive Programme was designed to support master's students in developing the leadership competencies required to succeed in an ever-changing, technology-driven, and increasingly interconnected world.

The Blended Intensive Programme “Leading with Future Skills” was successfully implemented as planned. The virtual and physical mobility phases took place according to schedule, and all planned learning activities, workshops, excursions, and collaborative project work were carried out as intended. The programme combined theoretical content with practical application and enabled participants to actively engage with current leadership challenges in a digital and rapidly changing environment.

A total of 31 students participated in the programme, including 27 mobile participants from three partner universities. The teaching team consisted of five professors and two academic staff members. Together, they successfully delivered the programme after the originally designated academic coordinator had to withdraw her participation at short notice. Collaboration among all partners throughout the preparation, implementation, and follow-up phases of the BIP was consistently smooth and highly constructive.

The planned learning outcomes were successfully achieved. Through lectures, workshops, case studies, self-reflection exercises, and international teamwork, participants developed a comprehensive understanding of leadership in the context of digital transformation. Particular emphasis was placed on future-oriented competencies such as digital leadership, the responsible use of artificial intelligence, self-leadership, resilience, inclusive leadership, and adaptive decision-making.

As a final collaborative assignment, international student teams designed and facilitated 30-minute interactive leadership workshops addressing a specific leadership challenge in a digital and uncertain environment. This task required students to translate theoretical concepts into practice while creating innovative, participant-centered learning experiences.

Student feedback was overwhelmingly positive. Participants particularly appreciated the interactive teaching methods, the international learning environment, and the opportunity to collaborate with students from different countries and academic backgrounds. The only aspect that received some critical feedback was the visit to the “AI x Business” conference, where the limited number of English-language sessions was perceived as somewhat restrictive. Based on this feedback, the conference component will be reviewed and, if necessary, adapted or replaced in future editions of the programme.

The programme also strengthened cooperation among the partner institutions within the EUonAIR Alliance and the NICE Network, contributing to the further development of joint international educational activities. The teaching materials, experiences, and methodological approaches developed during the BIP will be used in future collaborative initiatives. Additional BIPs within the alliance are already being planned, and the partners intend to further expand their cooperation.

Furthermore, there are plans to offer “Leading with Future Skills” again in future programme cycles, building on the highly positive experiences and outcomes of its first implementation.