Bridging the gap between theory and practice: THI Business School welcomes international business schools

The THI Business School at Technische Hochschule Ingolstadt (THI) hosted the third international "Round Table for Business Practice Research and Education". Around 40 participants - including deans and professors from business schools in 14 countries in Europe, the USA and Africa - came together in Ingolstadt to shape the future of practice-oriented business education. The aim of the two-day event was to network business schools worldwide more closely with practice-orientated research and Teaching. The event was supported by the AACSB (Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, www.aacsb.edu), the world's leading accreditation organisation for business schools.

International impulses and high-calibre practical presentations

The roundtable focussed on the exchange of proven methods and the development of new approaches for application-oriented pedagogy. The close cooperation with industry was particularly emphasised. Experts from Audi, Airbus Defence & Space and MediaMarktSaturn gave exclusive insights into dual education models and innovation projects in case study presentations. Here, participants were shown how academic research can be directly incorporated into industrial processes - for example in the area of AI-supported shop floor optimisation.
A highlight of the programme was the "Industry Immersion" on the second day: a guided tour of the Audi production plant in Ingolstadt gave participants an interesting insight into modern automotive production.

Commitment to international top quality

The Dean of the THI Business School, Prof. Dr Bernd Scheed: "With this event, the THI Business School is underlining its goal of becoming more firmly anchored in the international education landscape". Prof. Dr. Christian Locher, Dean of Studies Accreditation at THI Business School and organiser of the event, emphasised its strategic importance during the event: "With its AACSB accreditation, THI Business School stands for Studium und Alumni;Teaching at the highest international level. We are therefore very pleased to promote the global exchange between leading institutions and to shape the future of practical education together."

About the Round Table

The initiative was launched in 2024 (after stops in Pforzheim and Apeldoorn) to increase the visibility and impact of practice-oriented research. In Ingolstadt, the course has now been set for further consortia formations and European research projects. The success of the format is reflected in its growing internationality: while six nations were represented at the beginning, the network grew to partners from three continents by this year's event in Ingolstadt.