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Students of the Masaryk Institute of Advanced Studies Can “Experience the World of Business” for the Third Time Since 2022
The Masaryk Institute of Advanced Studies once again welcomed a group of students from partner universities as part of the International Project Workshop (IPW). This year’s theme was “Experience the World of Business.” This marks the third successful year of the project, where students can explore the operations of large companies, apply knowledge gained from lectures in practical settings, and develop teamwork and cross-cultural understanding skills.
IPW is an established elective course open to Czech and international students studying economically oriented programs at all levels. The project involves two partner universities: Hochschule Zittau/Görlitz from Germany and École La Mache Lyon from France. Six teams of students from all three universities collaborate on project tasks set by six partner companies. Cofidis, Total Energies, and Komerční Banka are returning partners from previous years. New partners for this year’s IPW include Škoda Group, Siemens Energy, and Renault Trucks.
This year’s edition began on 7 October at the CTU Rectorate, where not only the students but also their tutors (two from each university) and the project coordinators met. The morning program was mainly focused on teambuilding activities; as Vincent Montenero, the project guarantor, mentioned: “The right team dynamic is one of the fundamental pillars of a successful project.”
The importance of team spirit and cooperation of students in a multicultural environment was also highlighted by Vladimíra Dvořáková, the director of MIAS, who traditionally opened the afternoon part of the program. “In the present time, when we are all facing many different challenges, a project where students learn responsibility towards their team, their university, and partners is a great benefit,” Dvořáková mentioned. In addition to wishing the students success, she also thanked all the partner companies involved in the project for their participation and financial support, without which the project would have been difficult to implement.
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- Vladimíra Dvořáková – Director of MIAS
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- Vincent Montenero – IPW guarantor
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As always, official representatives from both home countries of the partner universities were invited to the meeting. The invitation was accepted by the Commercial Counsellor of the French Embassy in Prague, Mr. Louis de Fouchécour, and his German counterpart, Anne Glumm, who is the Head of the Department of Economics, Climate, and Science at the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany. The European Union, whose support was crucial for the event, was represented by Mr. Martin Svášek, Press Attaché of the European Commission Representation in Prague.
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- Louis de Fouchécour
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- Anne Glumm
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- Martin Svášek
Then, representatives from all participating companies took the stage. Mr. Martin Kurka introduced Cofidis. His presentation sparked interest, especially among students focusing on marketing, a central topic this year.
Renault Trucks was represented by Veronika Mašková Hrušková, the Director of the PR Department, alongside her colleague Ondřej Kostelník, who presented the new era of electric vehicles.
In her presentation, Karen Göpfert, a representative of Siemens Energy from Germany, outlined the current challenges facing the energy industry and highlighted the potential of small nuclear power stations using modern technologies.
Jan Švehla introduced Škoda Transportation, focusing on the company’s past and roots as a flagship of the Czech economy and its future utilizing new technologies to contribute to efficient and environmentally friendly public transport.
In addition to Siemens, another company focusing on energy is Total Energies. Mr. Josef Boubín mentioned in his presentation that Total Energies has undergone dynamic development in recent years and has evolved into a modern multi-energy company.
Petr Vonka concluded the event from Komerční banka, who discussed consumer credit.
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- Martin Kurka – Cofidis
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- Veronika Mašková Hrušková – Renault Trucks
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- Josef Boubín – Total Energies
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- Karen Göpfert – Siemens Energy
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- Jan Švehla – Škoda Group
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- Petr Vonka – KB
All IPW participants then gathered one more time in the evening for an informal banquet, which took place in a tranquil spirit due to the busy program of the following days.
Another essential item on the agenda of the first joint week was the visit to companies on Tuesday. This allowed the teams to soak up the companies’ atmosphere and meet their tutors, who will help them keep on track during the project. Their first task will be to evaluate and approve the implementation plan the students will present to them before the end of the week.
Team Renault in the Company
On Friday, the students from the partner universities will return home, and further work will be done remotely. In December, they will meet again at the University of Görlitz to present the results of their work to a jury of academics and company representatives.
The whole team involved in implementing IPW now hopes that this year’s edition will again be a success and bring valuable experience to all participants.
