Review

Reflections on the future of Austria and Europe. Dr. Ludwig Scharinger, entrepreneur, founder, visionary (and more) On 6 May 2013 Dr. Ludwig Scharinger, the legendary Raiffeisen manager from Upper Austria, was invited by the Entrepreneurial School® Management Center Innsbruck to give a talk as part of the MCI Alumni & Friends lecture series. The former bank manager made it clear right from the start that the European debt and financial crisis is first and foremost a “crisis of uncertainty.” People are confused, and as a result necessary measures to boost the economy are not implemented. Yet we need to be careful about how to apportion the blame, as owing to the “crisis of uncertainty” the clear distinction between investment and speculation tends to become blurred. “Greed eats brains,” Scharinger commented on specific types of stock exchange transactions, referring to high-risk speculation as the driving force behind financial crises. According to Scharinger, however, investments made by a conscientious businessman should not be regarded as speculation, and it is important to differentiate between banks which cater to the needs of the real economy on the one hand and various investment banks and financial services providers with a penchant for speculation and a careless approach to handling money on the other. At the same time Scharinger pleaded for “more Europe” as well as uniform regulations and procedures for everyone, and not for the financial market only. According to the former CEO of Raiffeisen-Landesbank OÖ AG, Europe lacks actual leadership, a genuine control center: “Where is the red telephone for real emergencies, and who is there for the Americans or the Chinese to talk to about issues concerning the EU?” The lecture was chaired by Prof. Dipl.Kfm. Bernd Kirschner. {phocadownload view=file|id=4321}{phocagallery view=category|categoryid=717}

Prof. Dr. Christian Keuschnigg, Director of the Institute for Advanced Studies, Vienna As part of the MCI Alumni & Friends lecture series, the economist Prof. Dr. Christian Keuschnigg was invited by the Entrepreneurial School® in cooperation with Industriellenvereinigung Tirol to present his views on the topic “The future of the welfare state.” Keuschnigg, who is originally from Tyrol, was appointed Director of the Institute for Advanced Studies in Vienna in June 2012. At the beginning of his lecture the speaker emphasized the strong position of the welfare state in Austria. “The most important achievement of the welfare state is security,” Keuschnigg said, referring to the citizens’ fundamental need for security. In his opinion the essential responsibilities of the welfare state are social insurance (accident, health, unemployment insurance) and pension insurance as the free market is unable to cope with the relevant complex challenges. Keuschnigg repeatedly emphasized the importance of education in a welfare state: the higher the educational attainment of the population, the higher the level of employment, and the better educated people are, the less likely they are to be on sick leave, and the higher is their life expectancy. “If people live longer they are able to work longer,” according to Keuschnigg. To put it in a nutshell: the better educated the population, the stronger the welfare state. The lecture was chaired by MCI’s Rector Dr. Andreas Altmann.{phocadownload view=file|id=4273}{phocagallery view=category|categoryid=713}

Ralph A. Cossa, President, Pacific Forum CSIS, Honolulu/Hawaii On 29 April 2013 the Entrepreneurial School® Management Center Innsbruck invited Ralph A. Cossa, the renowned expert on Asia, to give a talk as part of the MCI Alumni & Friends lecture series. Cossa, a native of Hawaii, emphasized the remarkable development China has undergone over the past few decades. After having studied China and the developments in the country for more than forty years, Cossa regards the resultant changes as largely positive. Nevertheless in his summary he pointed out that social issues constitute the greatest challenge for the People’s Republic, a challenge to be faced by 1.3 billion Chinese citizens. According to Cossa, “the major issue is to leave poverty behind.” The lecture was chaired by Floo Weissmann, the senior foreign editor of the daily newspaper Tiroler Tageszeitung.{phocadownload view=file|id=4294}{phocagallery view=category|categoryid=714}

o.Univ.Prof. Dr. Helga Fritsch, Vice-Rector and designated Rector of Innsbruck Medical University Within the framework of TGKK Akademie, which has been hosted by MCI Management Center Innsbruck in collaboration with the Tiroler Gebietskrankenkasse for some years now, o.Univ.Prof. Dr. Helga Fritsch, the Vice-Rector and designated Rector of Innsbruck Medical University, gave a talk on the subject “The Medical University in the light of performance specifications and society’s expectations” on 23 April 2013. With 3,000 students, 1,800 members of staff and an annual budget of 140 million euros Innsbruck Medical University is the foremost medical institution in western Austria and has acquired international renown for its scientific achievements, as a medical school, and in terms of patient care. Medical top results are achieved in close collaboration with Universitätsklinik Innsbruck/Tiroler Krankenanstalten GmbH. 40 teaching hospitals, 90 in-patient units (including 16 intensive care units) and 60 outpatient departments treat some 50,000 in-patients and nearly two million outpatients each year. The issues addressed by the designated Rector in her talk included, among others, scientific advances, patient care, the quality of teaching, international reputation, the regional mandate, and the efficient use of resources. The event was chaired by FH-Prof. Dr. Siegfried Walch, Head of MCI’s Nonprofit, Social & Health Care Management/International Health Care & Social Management program department. Information on TGKK Akademie: TGKK Akademie is a comprehensive further education and development program for employees of the Tiroler Gebietskrankenkasse (Tyrolean regional health insurance, TGKK), which is integrated into the strategy development project TGKK 2015 and is realized in collaboration with the Entrepreneurial School®, MCI Management Center Innsbruck. In line with the concept of TGKK Akademie, the individual courses and seminar modules are complemented by a series of lectures by health service executives, with the aim of communicating a comprehensive view of the health care system and discussing current developments and international challenges in a dialogue with major system partners. {phocadownload view=file|id=4222}{phocagallery view=category|categoryid=709}

 Rohstoffe in der (bio)pharmazeutischen Industrie.Dr. Andreas Premstaller, Sandoz, Head of Site SchaftenauDen Agrar- und Ernährungsektor nachhaltig gestalten.Eine Welt von 9 Milliarden Menschen ernähren.Dr. Franz Fischler (EU-Kommissar a.D. & Präsident Europäisches Forum Alpbach) Die Einladung des MCI Studiengangs Lebensmittel- & Rohstofftechnologie zum Best Practice Vortrag von DR. ANDREAS PREMSTALLER, Head of Site bei Sandoz Biopharmaceuticals, und DR. FRANZ FISCHLER, EU-Kommissar für Landwirtschaft a.D. und Präsident des Forum Alpbach, lockte am 22. März 2013 zahlreiche Wirtschaftsvertreter/-innen, Praxispartner/-innen sowie Studierende in den Technik-Standort des MCI ("Alte Hauptpost"). Beide hochrangigen Vortragenden näherten sich aus unterschiedlichen Blickwinkeln dem Thema „Agrar- und Rohstofftechnologie im Fokus“ und lieferten interessante Einblicke und Diskussionsanregungen. Dr. Premstaller berichtete in Fallstudien über den Einfluss von Rohstoffen in den verschiedenen Bereichen der (bio)pharmazeutischen Industrie - Rohstoffe als Bestandteil von Fermentationssubstraten, Materialien zur Aufreinigung der Produktlösung oder Filtermaterialien. Im Anschluss daran beleuchtete Dr. Fischler in seinen Vorträgen die Notwendigkeit der nachhaltigen Gestaltung des Agrar- und Ernährungssektors und zeigte die Ernährungsproblematik einer 9-Milliarden-Menschen-Gesellschaft auf, der man sich in den kommenden Jahrzehnten stellen wird müssen. Mit Best Practice Vorträgen bieten die einschlägigen Studiengänge des MCI Management Center Innsbruck immer wieder eine hochkarätige Wissens- und Diskussionsplattform für eine aktive und verantwortungsvolle Gestaltung unserer Zukunft. Im Rahmen von Vorträgen und Diskussionen werden aktuelle Fragen aufgeworfen und Lösungsansätze sowie Erkenntnisse aus Wirtschaft und Wissenschaft präsentiert. Die Vorträge sind als „offene Lehrveranstaltung" konzipiert und dienen der Vernetzung und dem Austausch zwischen Studierenden, Absolventen/-innen, Dozenten/-innen sowie Freunden und Partnern des MCI. {phocadownload view=file|id=4134}{phocagallery view=category|categoryid=707}

How demographic changes affect the conditions of work. Walter Huber, Corporate Vice-President Human Resources, Siemens AG Within the framework of the MCI Alumni & Friends lecture series Walter Huber, the Corporate Vice-President Human Resources of Siemens AG, was invited by the Entrepreneurial School® to hold a lecture on 12 March 2013 and give an insight into the company and, specifically, the human resources management policies of Siemens. Huber first highlighted the different needs of different employee groups, which he defined as traditionalists, baby boomers, generation X and generation Y respectively. In his opinion the most important objective in human resources management is to take into account each employee’s individual situation, and to adjust the conditions of work to these specific circumstances and needs. The generation Y (1977-2000) grew up in a world of technological innovations, which entailed massive changes in communication behavior, increased flexibility and mobility and new work methods and techniques. According to Huber, these advances are on the one hand a favorable development, from both the employer’s and the employee’s perspective, but on the other hand also entail certain negative consequences for the young generation. Being “online” all the time also means being exposed to a never-ending flow of information and the constant risk of overtaxing oneself. Employer attractiveness depends on four factors. In this regard leadership culture is of vital importance, Huber said, stressing the point with a quote by David V. Lorenzo: “People join companies but they leave managers.” This emphasizes that a bad leadership culture has a massive impact on the commitment and loyalty of employees: social skills are as important in a good manager as professional skills. In summarizing his lecture Huber also referred to the enormous burden of expectations managers have to face, and emphasized that today, more than ever, successful human resources management depends on tailor-made solutions to suit the specific situation and individual circumstances. The lecture was chaired by Hans Herbert Holzamer, freelance journalist, writer and lecturer at MCI. {phocadownload view=file|id=4162}{phocagallery view=category|categoryid=699}

Undersecretary Werner Gatzer, Federal Ministry of Finance, Berlin On 28 January 2013 the Entrepreneurial School® Management Center Innsbruck hosted another event in the MCI Alumni & Friends lecture series: Werner Gatzer, Undersecretary of the German Federal Ministry of Finance, had been invited to give a talk on the lessons to be drawn from the European financial crisis. The lecture was presented by Oliver Stock, editor-in-chief of Handelsblatt Online. In his introductory remarks the presenter described Undersecretary Werner Gatzer as a “tower of strength” in German financial politics, as in the course of his career as undersecretary he has worked with a number of different finance ministers and has been, and still is, confronted with politicians of all colors. Nevertheless Gatzer, a graduate of law school, has not yet tired of dealing with the intricacies of German budgetary planning on a day-to-day basis. In the course of the lecture it soon became clear that Werner Gatzer is an advocate of the EU and the euro. According to him, we are currently “not experiencing a euro crisis but a crisis of national debts,” and finding a way towards “more Europe” is vital in order to be able to take on the future together. Undersecretary Gatzer had no difficulty in identifying the lessons to be drawn from the financial crisis: we need to avoid excessive deficits, reduce national debts, create joint preventive and corrective financial market regulations, and improve the competitiveness of all EU member states. The word “together” was a key word in his lecture; in Gatzer’s opinion the lessons we have learned can only be put into practice by working together on a European level. “We can do it if we work together,” Gatzer said. He concluded his lecture by emphasizing again the importance of promoting “more” Europe, of vesting the European Union with more powers, rather than curbing its influence.{phocadownload view=file|id=3974}{phocagallery view=category|categoryid=690}

Stefan Baumgartner, Managing Shareholder, KapHag Beteiligungen GmbH, Berlin On 14 January 2013, as part of the MCI Alumni & Friends lecture series, Stefan Baumgartner, managing shareholder of KapHag Beteiligungen GmbH, was invited by Management Center Innsbruck to speak on the subject, “Go entrepreneurial! A wake-up call for universities and students.” KapHag Beteiligungen GmbH is a Berlin-based company that stands for innovation in the handling of real estate and represents a total investment volume of 3 billion euros. In his introductory remarks Baumgartner talked about his own educational career; drawing on his own experiences he developed suggestions and recommendations for universities and students. Collaborations between universities and business enterprises are of vital importance according to Baumgartner as they promote a practice-oriented approach and facilitate the creation of networks, two factors which may prove valuable assets in the students’ further careers. Additionally, some basic psychological knowledge and the “tools of the trade” of a salesman should be part of every education, given that all of us are faced with the need to “market” ourselves in our day-to-day professional lives. Mr. Baumgartner emphasized the importance of entrepreneurial thinking and suggested two approaches that might provide an opportunity also for young entrepreneurs in need of financial backing: first, to market ideas that contribute towards solving others’ problems, as a way to procure financing given that the partners would certainly be willing to make an investment in return for the solution of their problems; and secondly, to continue the ideas or life’s work of an entrepreneur who has no successor and would therefore be glad to find someone to “follow in his footsteps.” The lecture was chaired by Univ.Prof. DDr. Jürgen Huber, Head of the Department of Banking and Finance at Innsbruck University.{phocadownload view=file|id=3983}{phocagallery view=category|categoryid=689}

Celebrate with motivated people! Der Freitagabend des diesjährigen Alumni Weekends stand im Zeichen von Socializing & Networking: Beim Summerclubbing im Hofgarten feierten Absolventen/-innen, Studierende, das MCI-Team sowie Freunde und Partner des MCI bei Clubbing Sound und feinem Buffet bis in die Morgenstunden. {phocagallery view=categories|categoryid=730|imagecategoriessize=0}