How can Sustainability become a practiced responsibility in companies? And what can a sustainable concept for the recruitment of professorial personnel at institutions of higher education look like? Answers to these questions were the focus of the conference "Zukunft im Tandem: Sustainable Management in Economy, Business and Higher Education", which recently took place at Aalen University of Applied Sciences. The conference brought together representatives, representatives from higher education, research and economy, business and promoted the exchange on sustainable development in companies and universities.
Close cooperation, cooperative venture, partnership, collaboration
One special field of the "Future in Tandem" conference was the innovative model of the tandem professorship. It makes it possible to take up a professorship at Universities of Applied Sciences, even if the necessary professional experience is still lacking. During the tandem professorship, the tandem professors teach and conduct research at the institution of higher education while gaining professional experience at a cooperating company. "The close cooperation, cooperative venture, partnership, makes it easier to dovetail research and industry," explained Prof. Dr. Anja Dieckmann, Vice-Rector at Aalen University of Applied Sciences, explaining the model and adding: "Current developments and problems from the companies flow directly into our university research. Conversely, research results can be tested for practical suitability and further developed much earlier. This direct transfer can be an enormous benefit for both sides."
Insights into the professorship model
Prof. Dr. Simone Philp, Tandem Professor for Sustainable Strategic Management at Aalen University of Applied Sciences and at Paul Hartmann AG, gave insights into this professorship model and its effect on academic and entrepreneurial developments. This was accompanied by an exhibition of posters of her students' projects. Michaela Sieger, Head of Sustainability at Paul Hartmann AG, joined the event online and presented the sustainability strategy of the global medical technology company. She emphasized the relevance of responsible healthcare solutions and explained how ecological, economic and social criteria are integrated into Strategic Management. Prof. Dr. Martin Müller from Ulm University rounded off the program with a technical classification and an outlook on future requirements for sustainable Strategic Management.
Valuable perspectives for the tandem professorship
The degree was concluded with an open exchange and a networking session in which representatives from the institution of higher education and companies contributed their experiences, assessments and expectations to the discussion. "The exchange showed how important continuous collaboration, cooperation is for the further development of sustainable management concepts. They open up valuable perspectives for the tandem professorship - both for the institution of higher education and for practice," summarized Carolin Gentner, operational project manager, project coordinator, head of the project FH-Personal, after the event (allgemein).
The event (Allgemein) was part of the joint activities to strengthen sustainable economy, business and science cooperation. It was organized and funded as part of the "FH-Personal" project. The aim of the project is to qualify junior researchers in the early stages of their careers and recruit them as academic staff/faculty (US).
