Professional Exchange and Networking Event on “integrated management systems”

Schellecke Logistics SE, DVB, Deutsche Bahn AG, StudierendenWERK Berlin, Fraunhofer Institutes, Digades GmbH, BioNTech Site Services, Borkum Environmental Agency, SachsenEnergy, OneTrust, Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences…

Sustainability Analyst, Head of Integrated Management, SHE Manager, Climate Protection Manager, Sustainability Manager, Associate Consultant, Senior Consultant, Head of Group Sustainability Management, Specialist in Environment, Energy, and Sustainability, …

… these are just a few examples of the professional fields and companies where graduates of our Master's degree programmes in“integratedmanagement” and“integrated management systems”work.

On October 28–29, 2022, they all returned to Zittau for the first professional exchange and networking event for our degree programs. These programs have been in place since 2015, and to date, five cohorts of students have successfully completed their studies. The entire team responsible for integrated management systems (TIMS) was also on board.

During the event, exciting questions surrounding the topic of integrated management systems and the graduates’ day-to-day professional lives were addressed:
Who does what, and why? What professional experience has been gained in the field of management systems? What are the perennial challenges and current trends in the day-to-day professional lives of those working in integrated management systems (IMS)?

The interactive exchange was facilitated using a variety of professional methods, such as group exercises on sustainability or supply chain due diligence in companies, speed interviews on “top and flop” projects, as well as personal discussion rounds with table talks on: key performance indicators, corporate climate goals, approaches to integrating various management systems, and best practices in communication. The intensive professional and personal exchange proceeded almost without interruption and provided valuable insights for participants’ own professional practice.

In addition to this exchange, there was also valuable input on the current projects of the HSZG’s TIMS, which were presented via through keynote presentations and a poster exhibition, such as“SME Climate Deal—Companies on the Path to Climate Neutrality, ” “Trend-Oriented Integrated Management Systems,” and“Climate Management at HSZG.” The dual study program in “integrated management systems”also sparked interest among the graduates, as they, too, need to recruit new staff.

The campus tour—which, of course, was a must—took us to the Co-Creation Lab Celsiuz, where Martin Kunack gave an engaging and very convincing explanation of its development history and purpose, as well as its current and planned uses. A visit to Building VI and the facilities used for classes and exams was, of course, a must, as was the tour and hike through the Zittau Mountains.

There aren’t many occasions where so many IMS experts gather at the same time—people who, on the one hand, have gone through the same academic training and, on the other, have matured professionally very quickly in a short period of time—to now engage in an open, warm, serious, and respectful professional exchange about current challenges in IMS.

It quickly became clear that this type of networking event and professional exchange should now be held regularly to further promote collaboration and the transfer of expertise among our IMS experts and with TIMS.