Three questions for “People With An Agenda”
“Our approach to innovation is designed to equip students to face the challenges of the future and to motivate them to innovate and act sustainably.”
HTA Innovation Professor Dr Holger Günzel, Eng.
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Holger Günzel
What innovations in Education are you developing, and what motivates you to do so?
Holger Günzel: In recent years, the Teaching of business processes has evolved from a primarily economic perspective – such as improving efficiency – towards digitalisation through the increased use of technology and environmental considerations, taking sustainability concepts into account. The question is how to foster an understanding of these topics, whilst also adequately developing students’ skills.
Through the development and use of GreenTechLabs in academic teaching, students experience and learn about new topics in a constructivist learning environment. In this context, various media are also tested, ranging from H5P and role-playing games to VR. Furthermore, theoretical knowledge is consolidated in often interdisciplinary projects with external cooperation partners in the Co-Innovation Lab, where students develop digital solutions to real-world business problems. Thanks to the wide range of projects and the colleagues involved, this approach is constantly being refined. Many approaches and concepts also emerge from the collaboration within the ‘Digital Green Tech 4 Future’ innovation group at HM.
In what way does your innovation help students to become responsible designers of the future?
Holger Günzel: These approaches are intended not only to foster a deeper understanding of the link between ecology and economics in the context of digitalisation, but also to equip students to face the challenges of the future and to motivate them to innovate and act sustainably.
How can other lecturers benefit from your innovation?
Holger Günzel: The content and methods of the Green Tech Labs, as well as the approach used in the Co-Innovation Lab, are available to all lecturers. Furthermore, Prof. Lars Brehm and I are available to support train-the-trainer activities.
Your teaching philosophy at HM in three words:
Digital, forward-looking, practically-oriented.
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Holger Günzel studied at the Friedrich-Alexander University of Erlangen-Nuremberg. He worked as a senior manager and consultant at IBM Germany. Since 2007, Günzel has been Professor of Process and Information Management and Digitalisation at the HM, and, together with Prof. Dr Lars Brehm, is the Supervisor of the Co-Innovation Lab (www.co-inno-lab.org) and Learning Lab Digital Technologies (www.ll4dt.org) teaching platforms. His research focuses on digitalisation and sustainability in business processes. Günzel is also Head of Degree Programme for the MBA in Green Economy and Digital Innovation.