Blended Intensive Program: Sustainability, Finance and Taxation
40 students, 7 lecturers, 7 universities, 7 weeks - one shared European experience
We successfully concluded our Erasmus+ Blended Intensive Program (BIP) “Sustainability, Finance and Taxation” at Otto-von-Guericke-Universität Magdeburg. As the first Blended Intensive Program ever hosted by our university in Magdeburg, this project was something very special for us and we are incredibly proud of what we achieved together.
Over the past seven weeks, 40 students and 7 lecturers from 7 European universities in France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Poland, Portugal and Romania came together through the EU GREEN Alliance to discuss some of the most pressing challenges in sustainability, finance and taxation.
Our journey started with a virtual lecture series covering topics such as:
- Sustainable Finance for Retail Investors
- Green Finance
- ESG Risk Management in Financial Institutions
- Carbon Taxation and EU ETS
- Corporate Governance
The virtual phase was followed by an intensive week in Magdeburg. The focus of this week was a business simulation game in which students managed automotive companies facing the challenges of sustainable transformation. Working in internationally mixed teams, students developed corporate strategies, balanced financial and sustainability objectives and experienced firsthand the complexities of managing companies in a rapidly changing business environment.
In addition to the Business Game, participants had the opportunity to:
• Discuss current research in sustainability and taxation
• Visit Investitionsbank Sachsen-Anhalt and learn about sustainable funding programs
• Visit ENERCON and gain insights into renewable energy production and wind turbine manufacturing
• Explore Magdeburg through a city rally and various social events with fellow students from across Europe
What made this program truly special was not only the academic exchange but also the international collaboration. Students from different countries, cultures and academic backgrounds worked together, exchanged ideas and built friendships that will hopefully last far beyond this week.
A big thank you to all students, lecturers, partner universities and colleagues who contributed to the success of this program. We are particularly grateful to Investitionsbank Sachsen-Anhalt and ENERCON for providing valuable practical insights and helping to bridge the gap between academic knowledge and real-world challenges.
We are already looking forward to future collaborations and future editions of the BIP in Magdeburg.
