Practice as principle: how HWZ has been bridging study and business for 40 years

This article is part of the content series marking the 40th anniversary of HWZ. Through this series, we aim to showcase the diversity of stories from our university and highlight the topics and individuals that have shaped, and continue to shape, HWZ.

When the first students of the part-time HWV began their studies in the 1980s, one thing was clear from the outset: business cannot be learned from books alone.

The lecturers came from businesses, public administrations and organisations, bringing their professional experience directly into the classroom. Many of the study materials were developed by the lecturers themselves and are continuously updated to reflect current developments in the economy.

The then rector made use of his network in business and politics to attract experts for teaching and to foster exchange with companies. Many of the students in the first cohorts came from banks or insurance companies, and a large number of employers provided financial support for their studies. The fact that around 90 percent of tuition fees were covered by companies demonstrates the high level of trust in this practice-oriented educational model, even at that time.

What began with great commitment and comparatively modest resources quickly developed into a hallmark of the university: a programme of study that consistently combines theory and practice.

Practical experience as an integral part of your studies

Today, practical relevance is structurally embedded within HWZ degree programmes. Projects with companies, practice-oriented seminars, as well as national and international study tours, enable students to apply theoretical content directly to real-world issues.

An example of this is the Project Management Seminar the degree programmes Bachelor Business Communications and Bachelor Digital Business & AI. During a four-day intensive seminar, students work on specific challenges faced by a company, organisation or public institution. They analyse the initial situation, develop possible solutions and formulate practical recommendations.

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Students enrolled on the part-time Bachelor Business Communications develop in the communications management module an integrated communications strategy for companies and organisations. These strategies are often of such high quality that clients are able to implement elements of them directly within their own operations.

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Even in the Bachelor in Business Administration real-life cases play a central role. Students specialising in Digital Business & AI develop a concrete business case for the implementation of artificial intelligence within a company. The best capstone project is awarded a prestigious prize at the end.

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Such projects are not only an important part of the degree programme. They also provide companies with valuable impetus and fresh perspectives on current developments.

Lecturers as a bridge between the university of applied sciences and professional practice

A central element of this practice-oriented study model is the teaching staff. From the early years of HWZ, deliberate efforts were made to recruit experts from the business sector for teaching roles.

This principle remains in place to this day. A large proportion of lecturers at HWZ continue to be actively engaged in business – as managers, entrepreneurs, consultants or specialists in their respective fields. They bring up-to-date experience from transformation projects, strategic decision-making or digital innovations directly into their teaching.

This creates a learning environment for students in which theoretical models are directly linked to practical experience. Classroom discussions often draw on real-life situations from businesses, and many examples are taken directly from current business practice.

This creates an ongoing exchange between the university and the business sector, from which all parties benefit.

A partnership with industry

Practice-oriented education can only succeed through close collaboration with businesses and organisations. Many partners from industry, public administration and non-profit organisations contribute their questions and challenges to projects or teaching sessions, thereby enabling a direct transfer between academic study and professional practice.

This collaboration creates a clear win-win situation:

• Students work on real projects and learn to analyse and solve complex challenges in a business context.

• Company gain new perspectives, innovative ideas, and access to committed young professionals.

• Lecturers in turn, they are able to bring current developments from their professional practice into their teaching and reflect on them together with students.

For HWZ, this collaboration is more than just a didactic concept. It is part of the institution’s ethos: studying should always be a dialogue with professional practice.

A thank you to our partner companies

Behind every practical project, study tour and case study are organisations and individuals who contribute their time, experience and questions.

Many companies have been partnering with HWZ for years, or even decades, and help to ensure that students gain real insights into business challenges.

We would like to thank all the companies, institutions and (partner) organisations that make this collaboration possible and thereby make an important contribution to practice-oriented education at HWZ.