30 years of partnership of MSB (Münster Business School) with UEK (Uniwersytet Ekonomiczny w Krakowie) was celebrated with a joint interdisciplinary project

15 May 2019 | Münster/Krakow

The cooperation between the Münster School of Business (MSB) and the Cracow University of Economics in Poland in its 30th year is living. During the many years of partnership, the two Universities collaborate on several levels: Student and academic exchange, joint research applications, University-Business Cooperation (UBC) just to name some of the joint topics driven by this cooperation.

As a young scientist, Janusz Teczke held a visiting professorship in Münster. His initiative has led to the cooperation between our Universities and, above all, to friendships between people. He was the one who started the cooperation between the University in Krakow and Münster University of Applied Sciences in 1989 - at a time when the cold war was still ongoing and when it was most challenging to overcome the reservations between East and West. The cooperation already implemented on a small case what took many more years on a political level: international understanding and exchange between Poland and Germany. Sadly, last year we had to mourn Professor Teczke's death. To pay respect to our esteemed colleague all guests observed a minute's silence for the distinguished fellow.

Nowadays the cooperation is going to new hands. From Prof. Janusz Teczke to Dr Halina Lyszczarz and from Prof. Thomas Baaken to Dr Kerstin Kurzhals. To express their willingness and intention to keep the cooperation as fruitful and vivid as it has been over the last 30 years, delegates of both Universities signed a "Documents of Intention" to further collaborate and to continue and deepen the relationship in the future.

As part of this encounter of the anniversary celebration, 12 students from UEK visited MSB from the 13^th to the 19^th of May to work on a joint, interdisciplinary project as part of a german-polish seminar lead by Dr Kerstin Kurzhals. The project was conducted for the company Mellificia Blends GBR, which is a start-up company based in Münster specialized in honey-based and coffee liqueurs and just recently launched a new product "ERNST Doppelwachholder" to the spirit market. The Science-to-Business Marketing Research Centre (S2BMRC) of Münster University of Applied Sciences (MUAS) developed together with the International Management & Logistic students of Cracow University of Economics (UEK) and students from the master`s programme International Sales & Management of MUAS innovative marketing and distribution concepts. The research findings provide evident marketing strategies for an innovative product. The project did not only give the opportunity to gain and deepen knowledge in the marketing discipline and its practical application to a real business case but moreover fostered the development of soft skills by working in intercultural and cross-disciplinary teams in an international context.

A return visit of students and delegates from MUAS to Krakow in conjunction with an anniversary conference on the topic of "Management science and the challenges of digitalization" is planned for 3 - 7 December in Krakow.