Students design university as a place of experience
Author: Sebastian Benad
Görlitz, January 2026 - What does university culture look like when it is not shaped top-down, but by students themselves? When theory is not only applied, but experienced collectively? The House of Managers 2026 (HoM26) was more than just a successful event - it was the visible expression of innovative, student-centered teaching at the Faculty of Managerial and Cultural Studies at Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences.
The event was conceived, planned and implemented as part of several modules from various degree programs - from tourism management to culture and management. Supported by Startnext crowdfunding and accompanied by lecturers from various disciplines, HoM26 became an impressive example of cross-module and cross-course project work with impact.
The idea for the House of Managers 2026 did not originate on the drawing board of an organizational team, but directly from teaching: students of Tourism Management developed the event concept as part of the event management course in the 5th semester - from the dramaturgy to the room design to the schedule planning.
At the same time, students from the 1st semester of culture and management in the project and event management module took on concrete implementation steps. In internal working groups, they planned
The project was accompanied by teaching staff from both courses, who consciously expanded their role: not only as examiners, but also as advisory coaches in a dynamic development process.
What began on paper became a living practice: responsibility was taken on, roles distributed, ideas concretized and challenges solved together.
The result: an afternoon in which the Görlitz Nostromo - an alternative event location with a subcultural character - became a real "faculty house": with a living room, kitchen, hobby cellar, children's room and bar. With a stage program, music, creative spaces, a specially designed escape room - and above all: with real encounters at eye level.
The digital infrastructure and financing of the event were also integral parts of the teaching. In the digitalization module (5th semester culture and management), students developed the accompanying event app: it bundled information on stations, schedule, room zones and interactive activities - and was actively used during the event.
At the same time, a crowdfunding campaign was launched on Startnext in the financing module of the same degree program, which not only raised funds but also activated the community: teaching staff, fellow students, alumni, family members and supporters from the region helped to make the project possible. The motto of the campaign was "we are family - feel at home" - a promise that was kept.
This offer was complemented by the accompanying Instagram channel, which provided insights into the concept and planning in advance, communicated participation opportunities and invited people to get involved via stories and posts. Even after the event, the channel remains a place for reviews, inspiration and exchange.
What remains? Certainly lots of memories - of line dancing together, the thrill of the escape room, the friendly atmosphere at the bar. But also: proof of how effective project-based teaching can be when it transfers responsibility and gives students real creative freedom.
The House of Managers 2026 embodies the goals of the F-MK faculty in an ideal way: interdisciplinary, practical, creative and inclusive. It shows what is possible when teaching not only imparts knowledge, but also creates spaces in which personality, perspectives and profession can develop.
Thanks to the collegial collaboration between lecturers from different disciplines and the close integration of theory and practice, the House of Managers has become a great teaching project - with an impact that goes beyond the day.
