Reinhard Kunz and Johannes Siebert receive MCI professorships

2017-12-04

The Entrepreneurial School^® Innsbruck, honors Dr. Reinhard Kunz and Dr. Johannes Siebert with the title of Professor

In appreciation of their achievements in research and teaching, as well as of their exemplary translation of research results into practice, the Entrepreneurial School® recently conferred the title of Professor to Dr. Reinhard Kunz and Dr. Johannes Siebert. In his laudatory speech, MCI Rector Andreas Altmann referred to the profound academic qualifications, excellent teaching skills, and substantial professional experience, as well as the extraordinary achievements by which the two have earned themselves this distinction.

After the completion of his doctorate in 2012, Dr. Reinhard Kunz worked as an assistant professor in media management, with a focus on sports media, at the University of Bayreuth. During the five years of his assistant professorship, he developed a particular interest for digital business as well as marketing and sales management. His research primarily deals with the management of digital media and technologies, marketing management in sports media, and business model innovation in the context of digitization. Kunz has published numerous works and participated in many conferences. He has won a number of impressive prizes, such as, most recently, the Emerald Literati Network Awards for Excellence, which he received for his publication titled “Sport-related branded entertainment: the Red Bull phenomenon”. He did research in Connecticut, USA, and Melbourne, Australia. He was appointed by MCI at the end of 2016. Since August 2017, he has been a professor in marketing and sales at the Department of Business & Management.

In his inaugural address, which he held in English, Kunz offered an insight into his previous research and teaching activity under the title of “Digital strategies: new technologies, business model innovation, content marketing”. On the basis of three different studies, he explained the relevance of digital strategies to companies. He pointed out three aspects in particular, namely the consumers’ acceptance of digital technologies based on the example of virtual reality, the role of strategic orientation in innovating business models, and the content marketing strategy based on the example of Red Bull.

CV of Reinhard Kunz

Dr. Johannes Siebert is a leading expert in behavioral operations research and decision-making. He obtained his postdoctoral habilitation degree from the University of Bayreuth in November 2015. His research focuses on investigating the human and organizational behavior of decision making and developing methods for individual or corporate decision makers to make informed decisions. In his inaugural address titled “Improving individual and organizational decision-making behavior”, Johannes Siebert presented his most recent research and relevant projects on this topic.

Siebert is known for his extraordinary international network and his brilliant work as the chair of several international research associations. As part of third-party funded research projects, he advised the CEO of one of Germany’s major energy suppliers on how to strategically handle the nuclear power phase-out. In the US, he assisted the California Department of Transportation in identifying criteria for the allocation of funds for road construction. He further helped the Pentagon develop effective measures for the protection of the civilian populations in the Middle East and the Western world, based on the goals of the ISIS Terror Group. Since August 2017, Siebert has been working full-time in research and teaching as a professor in supply chain management at the Department of Business & Management.

CV of Johannes Siebert

Together with Deputy Head of Academic Council Claudia Mössenlechner and Professor Maria Rabl, deputy head of the Business & Management Department, MCI Rector Andreas Altmann handed over the certificate of appointment.

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Further information:

Wirtschaft & Management for Professionals Bachelor’s degree (in German)
Business & Management Bachelor’s degree (In English)
International Business & Management Master’s degree

Press contact
Ulrike Fuchs
+43 512 2070-1527
ulrike.fuchs@mci.edu

Digital Business MBA starting this Autumn

Master's degree program by MCI and IPA - Entrepreneurial School® and Investment Punk Academy Gerald Hörhan join forces - strong online focus - studying in Innsbruck, Vienna, Frankfurt, Munich and BerlinExciting news at MCI: The Entrepreneurial School® will be offering two new Executive Master’s Programs as of fall 2018 in cooperation with Investment Punk Gerald Hörhan. The two part-time programs are targeted toward high achievers seeking leadership positions in the new economy. MCI will be accepting 60 students for these programs and has already received over 200 inquiries.The "Digital Business MBA" and "Master of Science Digital Economy & Leadership" study programs are designed to give students the skills needed in the modern digital workplace and digital enterprise development: skills which currently few people have. Therefore, the programs include modules on topics such as Online Marketing, Data Science, Machine Learning, Blockchain Technology, IT Security, Data Management and Data Protection, Venture Capital and Corporate Entrepreneurship.The Digital Business MBA is an international program focusing on the development and management of digital business models. The MSc in Digital Economy & Leadership deals with leadership psychology, organizational psychology and the psychology of markets. It is a German-language, reflexive program that examines organizations from an inside perspective.The innovative degree programs provide a high percentage of online/mobile learning and can be completed without having to stop working or reducing to part-time hours. Synchronous and asynchronous e-learning elements as well as compact attendance periods are combined in an innovative way (blended learning) and ensure maximum flexibility in terms of time and place. Most of the program can be done online. Based on the MCI blended learning concept, a combination of video courses, online teaching materials, and online live chats and discussions is available. In addition, there are face-to-face events for networking, lectures and group challenges, from Thursday to Saturday, two to three times per semester. These attendance periods are planned to be held in Innsbruck, Vienna, Frankfurt, Munich and Berlin.MCI Rector Andreas Altmann explains: "Digitalization is not only changing the economy and people in a dramatic way, it is also changing the higher education landscape. In this context, MCI is playing a pioneering role together with Gerald Hörhan.""Our mission is to provide as many people as possible with economic and digital knowledge, so that they can succeed and live in financial freedom. Being able to offer academic degree programs to our clients has been a big goal for me, and we have been very committed to it. I am pleased that in MCI Management Center Innsbruck we have selected an innovative institution of higher education as a partner with whom we can offer digital education on an academic level, " adds Gerald Hörhan, founder and CEO of the Investment Punk Academy.Together they put it in a nutshell: "Everyone is talking about digitalization. We - the Investment Punk Academy and MCI - are already training people now."Investment Punk AcademyThe Investment Punk Academy, the leading German-language online financial training platform, is designed for people who want to evolve and make a difference. Online courses, seminars, lectures and a forum help people with their careers, whether it's building their own business or investing their money efficiently.The digitalization offensive of the MCIMCI launched an exemplary digitalsization offensive a few years ago. As of autumn 2018, a total of eight (!) online study programs will be available, three of which will be aimed at further education. The proportion of online students will increase from the current 8% to 20% over the next three years.Further information:Digital Business MBADigital Economy & Leadership MScInvestment Punk Academymba.investmentpunk.academy{phocagallery view=category|categoryid=1350}Press contactMag. (FH) Ulrike Fuchs+43 512 2070-1527ulrike.fuchs@mci.edu

MCI Winter Program 2018

This February we are delighted to welcome 35 students from our partner universities at our Winter program.Initiated in 2017, this program is gaining popularity among our partners and this year MCI boasts in hosting students from its longstanding partners in Australia, China, Czech Republic, Great Britain, Hungary, Finland, France, Italy, Lithuania, Malaysia, Mexico, Philippines, Poland, Slovenia, Taiwan, Turkey, Uruguay, USA and Vietnam.Unique in its nature, this four-week compact Winter program entails a blend of engineering and business disciplines as well as various modes of teaching giving students the opportunity to take courses from either one discipline or mix and match them. Students enjoy the campus experience with face-2-face as well as get a taste of online classes.The courses taught this year are: Business Ethics; Digital Entrepreneurship; Innovation & Start-ups; Beverage Technology; Biotech Product Operations; Renewable Energy; Robot Operating System and Water Pollution Control.For further information check our website at: https://international.mci.edu/en/students/mci-winter-program{phocagallery view=category|categoryid=1349}

MCI as condiment specialist: Product development for the global brand Develey

The Entrepreneurial School® cooperates with leading manufacturer in specialty condiments – synergies through transfer of knowledge, joint research, development & innovation.Everything started with a conversation about good food and seasonings. This was when Katrin Bach, program director at Management Center Innsbruck (MCI) first met Bernhard Burger, head of product development at Develey. The discussion quickly expanded and lead to the question of what actually makes great seasonings. Is it taste, easy use, a fair retail price or a manufacturer’s competitive edge based on know-how, expertise and efficiency? Both production and consumption have to be factored into the equation, as well as the entire value chain and the product’s environmental impact.This is where MCI’s services meet Develey’s demands. MCI’s Master’s Program for Food Technology & Nutrition deals exactly with these issues. The cooperation focuses on analyzing and further developing recipes and processes to produce mustard and mayonnaise. Through this cooperation, Develey gains access to the analytical knowledge of MCI’s researchers as well as their specialized know-how on raw materials, such as mustard seeds. MCI students, on the other hand, benefit from working on real products and the production processes of a leading European company.Develey is a Bavarian manufacturer of condiments based in Unterhaching near Munich with a 170-year tradition of pioneering spirit and innovative drive. Its success is built on two pillars: its medium-sized family business structure as well as innovation and growth. The company has become globally known for its cooperation with McDonald’s since the early 1970s. In Austria, the most popular Develey brand is Mautner Markhof, which operates as an independent subsidiary. Develey believes in sustainability and “thinking for generations”. It holds the ZNU Standard certification and has been awarded multiple times for its sustainability concept. In Germany, Develey has six locations with a total of 2,000 employees. Develey also has production sites in France, Russia, Poland, Austria, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Turkey and Tennessee (USA).Within the MCI Master’s Program for Food Technology & Nutrition, students acquire profound knowledge on food and nutrition, production technologies and processes. They learn how to identify and characterize nutrition-relevant properties and understand the various effects of different foods. The aim of the program is to empower graduates to contribute substantially to the economic development of companies in the food sector. In the course of their studies, students gain valuable hands-on experience by working on industry and research projects.MCI program director Katrin Bach considers this cooperation a perfect addition to the Master’s program: “Our students can directly apply their theoretical knowledge to practice while acquainting themselves with a highly interesting medium-sized manufacturing company located right on their doorstep.”Bernhard Burger, head of product development at Develey, is pleased to have found MCI as a like-minded academic partner: “We immediately got along well with the MCI team and quickly saw that MCI researchers clearly understood our products and processes and were able to seamlessly integrate their knowledge.”Monika Bauer, head of process development, adds: “What’s exciting and enriching for both sides is that we have been able to accompany several students working on project papers or final theses. We benefit from their findings and meet interesting young people. In turn, they get to work on topical issues that are actually implemented. It’s a win-win situation for everyone.”Further information and links:DeveleyCareer at DeveleyMCI Master’s Program for Food Technology and NutritionMCI research focus Agro & Food Technology{phocagallery view=category|categoryid=1348}Press contactMag. (FH) Ulrike Fuchs+43 512 2070-1527ulrike.fuchs@mci.edu