For Dr Florian Perst, this is already the second award in a row: After achieving 10th place last year, he is now among the three best tutors.

2,404 votes for dedicated tutors

A total of 195 nominations were received for 101 tutors. 58 tutors from 31 institutes and universities qualified for the voting phase, in which 2,404 votes were cast. The categories evaluated were "Subject-matter expertise & comprehensibility," "Support & accessibility," and "Motivation & commitment."

Gerrit Stephan from the ATN Academy took first place, followed by Petra Reuter from the Koblenz Chamber of Industry and Commerce Academy in second place. Dr Florian Perst completed the top three.

Quick feedback and an open ear

Dr Florian Perst has been working as a tutor in the Marketing & Management department at IU since 2022. He wants to be readily and reliably available to his students.

"I know from my own student days how valuable quick feedback is for being able to move forward immediately. That's why I try not to keep my students waiting for long. Seeing that my enthusiasm for teaching resonates with my students means a lot to me, and that's exactly why I enjoy this job so much. I will definitely remain true to my motto, 'Teaching is passion.'"

The renewed nomination and ranking demonstrate how much students and alumni appreciate this commitment.

About the “Tutor of the Year” award

The title "Tutor of the Year" is awarded annually as part of the EDUCATION. DIGITAL. NETWORKED. study prize by the German Association of Distance Learning Providers (Bundesverband der Fernstudienanbieter e. V.) in cooperation with Fernstudium Direkt, the comparison portal for continuing education and studies. The award recognises tutors working in state-approved distance learning courses or accredited distance learning programmes. The selection highlights the crucial importance of professional learning support in distance learning and provides a platform for those who guide learners professionally, personally, and with motivation on their educational journey.

Unlike previous research, which has largely been based on surveys and self-reported data, this study examined students' actual usage behaviour.

"Previous research on AI learning assistants has relied primarily on relatively small-scale surveys. Our study is the first to demonstrate, how students actually use an AI learning companion such as Syntea, based on real usage data. In doing so, we provide a robust empirical foundation for the further development of AI-supported learning assistants while also making an important research contribution to the use of AI in higher education," explains lead author Prof. Dr.-Ing. Kristina Schaaff, Professor of Digital Transformation with a focus on AI at IU International University of Applied Sciences.

Analysis shows: AI usage follows students' study patterns

Among other findings, the analysis revealed the following:

• Syntea is widely used: Around 58 per cent of the students included in the study used Syntea during the observation period.
• The use of Syntea reflects students' different study and life circumstances: Whilst most interactions take place during weekday daytime hours, part-time students are more likely to use the AI learning companion outside regular working hours, particularly in the evenings and at weekends.
• Students across all age groups use the AI learning companion: Around 64 per cent of Generation Z students (born 1997–2012) use Syntea, compared with around 50 per cent of Generation X students (1965–1980) and 38 per cent of Baby Boomers (1946–1964).
• Women use Syntea slightly more frequently than men (59 per cent compared with 55 per cent).
• Syntea is used particularly intensively in the subject areas of Psychology & Education and Marketing & Communication.

The findings show that AI-supported learning does not take place in isolation from students' everyday study experience, but rather reflects their individual life circumstances. Part-time students, for example, tend to use Syntea more frequently in the evenings and at weekends, whilst full-time students predominantly use the AI learning companion during weekday daytime hours.

"The findings clearly demonstrate that AI-supported learning has become part of everyday student life at IU. Particularly interesting is the fact that some of the results contradict our original assumptions – for example, the high level of usage among older students. Insights like these can only be gained through the analysis of real usage data and help us to further develop Syntea in a targeted way," says Quintus Stierstorfer, Senior Director AI Product, inventor of Syntea and co-author of the study.

Findings feed directly into the further development of Syntea

For IU, study findings such as these also provide a concrete mandate for further development. Syntea is continuously refined on the basis of scientific evidence, real-world usage data and student feedback.

In the future, Syntea – which has recently evolved from an AI assistant into a Learning Companion – will be enhanced with multimodal capabilities, particularly for visually oriented degree programmes, enabling it to support students in an even more personalised way. In addition to taking account of students' different life circumstances, Syntea will increasingly offer personalised learning dialogues tailored to individual career goals and interests, thereby strengthening the practical relevance of higher education. Accompanying research¹ shows that this approach can increase both student satisfaction and engagement.

About the study

The study Using AI-based Learning Assistants in Higher Education: A Large-Scale Descriptive Analysis was presented at the AIET 2026 (Artificial Intelligence in Education Technologies) conference, held from 29 to 31 July 2026 in Zagreb, Croatia (https://www.aiet.org/).

The authors are Prof. Dr.-Ing. Kristina Schaaff, Dr Valerie Hekkel and Quintus Stierstorfer from IU International University of Applied Sciences. The study is based on anonymised log data from more than 77,000 distance-learning students (cleaned dataset: 76,000) who were enrolled in Bachelor's or Master's degree programmes at IU in February 2025.

The full study is available free of charge via arXiv:
https://arxiv.org/pdf/2607.08748

The study will also be published by Springer Professional.

About Syntea

Syntea is the AI-powered Learning Companion of IU International University of Applied Sciences. It accompanies students throughout their entire degree programme, helping them to better understand learning content, prepare for examinations and achieve their individual learning goals. The Learning Companion answers subject-related questions, explains complex concepts, supports learning organisation and provides personalised exam preparation. Through individual feedback and support tailored to personal learning goals, Syntea promotes self-directed and flexible learning. The current version is used by students on average four times longer than its predecessor and was awarded the Gold Award at the QS Reimagine Education Awards in December 2025.

Further information:
https://www.iu.de/en/syntea/

¹ Mehlan, R., Hess, C., Stierstorfer, Q., Schaaff, K. (2026). Personalized Knowledge Transfer Through Generative AI: Contextualizing Learning to Individual Career Goals. In: Schlippe, T., Cheng, E.C.K., Wang, T. (eds) Artificial Intelligence in Education Technologies: New Development and Innovative Practices. AIET 2025. Lecture Notes on Data Engineering and Communications Technologies, vol. 279. Springer, Singapore.
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-95-4423-3_5

Erfurt, 16 April 2026. IU International University of Applied Sciences is the first university in Germany to systematically and measurably integrate a self-developed competency model for the AI-driven world of work into its curriculum. This model is based on the "Job Readiness Framework", which specifically prepares students for the professional use of AI and structures their competency development in five measurable levels. Thus, graduates can demonstrate their ability to confidently and purposefully deploy AI in work contexts. According to an international comparative study¹ by IU with 4,063 participants, 55.8 per cent of recruiters prefer this type of qualification over traditional skills tests.

Following an initial pilot phase beginning in April 2026, the Job Readiness Framework will systematically be offered across all IU disciplines and degree programmes, in both distance learning and dual study formats. It is therefore intended for students from all disciplines, ranging from IT and social work to design. While the existing subject content will remain unchanged, it will be systematically complemented by the application of AI, the development of practical competencies, and practice-oriented decision-making formats.

The holistic framework specifically strengthens human capabilities such as judgement and critical and creative thinking. Humans excel in these areas over AI, and it is precisely for this reason that these competencies are crucial for meaningfully steering AI in professional contexts. In an increasingly AI-driven global labour market, they are the key to success.

Framework aims to close AI competency gap

"Technology is developing faster than people can be upskilled," says AI expert Prof Dr Kamal Bhattacharya, Vice-Rector Research and Transfer at IU and professor for computer science.

"Only months often separate new generations of powerful AI models, whilst university curricula develop over years. This creates a growing gap between technological development and human competency – this is what we want to close," Bhattacharya continues.

The need for action is clear: in its 'Future of Jobs Report', the World Economic Forum (WEF) identifies skills gaps as the greatest barrier to business transformation (63 per cent of employers worldwide). Simultaneously, the WEF projects that 39 per cent of all core skills will need to be newly acquired by 2030.

With the Job Readiness Framework, students learn, amongst other things:

• To structure problems analytically
• To develop creative solutions
• To critically evaluate AI results
• To decide which tasks can be delegated to AI – and which cannot

The aim of the approach is to develop students from mere users to active designers in human-AI collaboration. They learn not only to use AI as a tool but to integrate it as a partner in work processes.

International survey confirms relevance

To validate the developed framework, IU conducted an international survey¹. Between 2 and 16 December 2025, a total of 4,063 working individuals – including 702 recruiters – aged 18 and above were surveyed in Germany, Canada, the USA, the United Kingdom and France.

Companies see clear benefits particularly in recruitment: 55.8 per cent of recruiters surveyed indicate they prefer AI-related competency credentials over traditional skills tests.

Overall, the approach is widely approved of: 61.5 per cent of respondents rate the IU framework as more effective than comparable models from other organisations, and 79.9 per cent consider it to be substantively complete.

The approach of defining competencies not as long lists of individual skills, but as "Professional Modes", is particularly well-received. IU understands these to be overarching ways of thinking and working that are applied in different professional situations and systematically developed.

The future competencies most frequently cited by respondents are creative thinking (56.6 per cent), analytical thinking (53.6 per cent) and empathy and active listening (46.9 per cent).

These can be directly mapped to the four "Professional Modes" of the Job Readiness Framework: Creative Problem Solving, Continuous Learning, Strategic Collaboration with humans and AI, and Responsible Decision-Making.

Measurable competency levels

The Job Readiness Framework structures these capabilities in a five-level competency model (from level 0 to level 4).

The framework's objective is for all IU students to reach the maximum level 4 by graduation.

"Every student leaving a university should be able to demonstrate a traceable assessment of their own AI competencies," demands Dr Sven Schütt, CEO of IU.

A recent IU survey² shows that IU students are already better equipped with AI skills today than students at other universities: 83 per cent of IU students and graduates agree with the statement that they have learnt the meaningful deployment of AI tools at IU. By comparison: at other private universities, the figure is 70 per cent, and at state universities it is 67 per cent.

"The results show: our efforts are working. With our AI-powered learning companion Syntea, students have been training reflective engagement with AI for years," emphasises Schütt.

Pilot phase already launched

The practical implementation of the Job Readiness Framework has already begun. Since early April, initial project courses have been running on the IU distance learning platform. These include 'Social Entrepreneurship' and 'Customer Journey', each with over 100 students, 'Business Start-up', with over 400 students, and 'Business Model Development', with over 50 students.

In some of these pilot courses, AI-assisted research forms part of the assessment: students compare different AI models, critically analyse their results and justify their selection, thereby learning when and how AI can be meaningfully deployed.

By the end of the year, the Job Readiness Framework will be available for courses across all degree programmes. Its modular design means it can be adopted incrementally by other universities and organisations without the need to rebuild the curriculum, providing a practice-oriented framework for systematic preparation for an AI-driven world of work.

Press enquiries for interviews
For interviews and background discussions, Dr Sven Schütt, CEO of IU International University of Applied Sciences, and Prof Dr Kamal Bhattacharya, Vice-Rector Research and Transfer and Transfer at IU, are available.

Contact:
Press Office – IU International University of Applied Sciences
Email: presse@iu.org
Phone: +49 (0)173/7426 113

¹ The results are based on an international comparative study conducted by IU International University of Applied Sciences. Between 2 December and 16 December 2025, a total of 4,063 individuals aged 18 and above were surveyed across five countries: Germany (n = 850), the United States (n = 802), the United Kingdom (n = 811), France (n = 800), and Canada (n = 800). Participants included recruiters, executives, education professionals, and employees in general. All respondents were either employed or self-employed at the time of the survey. Data was collected via an international online panel (Cint) using a standardised online questionnaire.

² The “University Experience Study 2026” was conducted by Kantar Profiles between 27 August and 20 October 2025. A total of 4,004 students and graduates from public and private universities were surveyed, including 1,597 alumni, with the sample being representative in terms of age and gender. The target group comprised alumni from the past five years, current students, and dropouts. The study was commissioned by IU International University of Applied Sciences and conducted independently by Kantar Profiles in accordance with its internal quality standards.

Methodology: To ensure the highest possible comparability between universities, three different comparison approaches were used:
(a) “Public universities vs. private universities (excluding IU) vs. IU”,
(b) “IU vs. benchmark”, and
(c) “Public vs. private universities”.

In (a), IU is compared separately with public and private universities. Individuals studying or having studied at IU are considered as a distinct group and are not included within the category of private universities.

In (b), public and private universities are grouped into a single cohort and compared against IU students and alumni.

In (c), all public and private universities are grouped together in each category (including IU).

Erfurt, 5 March 2026 – Whilst general AI tools only provide short-term benefits, pedagogically designed AI leads to sustainable learning gains – according to the OECD Digital Education Outlook 2026. IU International University of Applied Sciences has now further developed its AI-powered learning assistant Syntea into such an effective learning system: a comprehensive learning companion for over 80,000 IU distance learning students.

Syntea, which was awarded the Gold Award at the prestigious QS Reimagine Education Awards in London in December 2025, aims to provide individual support throughout the entire course of study – through increased motivation, structured learning planning, greater confidence in handling learning content, and organisational relief. This applies particularly to students who pursue their studies alongside work, family or other commitments. The fact that Syntea has become a central point of contact in everyday student life is also demonstrated by the latest usage data: the new version in the form of the learning companion is already being used four times longer on average than the previous version.

With this further development, Syntea now provides continuous support to IU students in their everyday learning:

Learning tailored to individual sweet spots: Whether commuting with a podcast, between meetings in dialogue with Syntea, or in the evening at the desk with visual explanations – students can choose how they learn best: Those who think visually receive diagrams and charts; those who learn through application receive practical tasks.

Interacting by voice and learning interactively: In the new Syntea version, students can now also upload their own documents for Syntea to analyse; and interaction – as with ChatGPT, for example – is also possible via voice input. Unlike conventional AI models that only provide answers, Syntea asks targeted follow-up questions – as in a real conversation. This helps students sharpen their thinking and actively identify knowledge gaps.

Finding one's own rhythm: Syntea recognises students' current status and suggests the next meaningful learning steps. On request, they receive a reminder of upcoming learning units via push notification or WhatsApp – in this way, students keep their studies continuously in view even with changing everyday demands.

Less administration, more learning: Syntea now also consolidates study organisation – from retrieving relevant documents and downloading certificates to planning the next learning steps. This saves valuable time in often already full daily schedules between work and learning.

This combination of flexible learning formats, dialogue-based interaction, adaptive support and organisational assistance enables the over 80,000 IU distance learning students to make continuous progress even with irregular learning times – without losing the thread or having to laboriously catch up.

(A detailed overview of all functions and learning benefits can be found in the annex below.)

Survey confirms: better exam preparation and deeper understanding

Initial results from a survey¹ among IU distance learning students and Syntea users show that the comprehensive learning companion approach works: More than 70 per cent of respondents respectively indicate that with the newer Syntea version they:

• feel better prepared for exams,
• achieve a deeper understanding of learning content,
• and learn more effectively than with traditional formats.

Dr Sven Schütt, CEO of IU International University of Applied Sciences, says: "Syntea has fundamentally changed the way many of our students learn. This is also confirmed by the positive feedback from students. At the same time, through daily use of Syntea, they learn to use AI competently and reflectively. That's a clear advantage in the job market."

How the new Syntea feels in everyday student life

Bianca Kroll, Bachelor degree student in Social Media at IU:
"The new Syntea has completely changed the game for me. Previously, learning was more like a compulsory programme – reading scripts, highlighting, hoping something sticks. Since Syntea has been involved, it feels like interactive tutoring."

Nadine Zettl, Medical Assistant and Bachelor degree student in Health Management at IU:
"Without Syntea, I would actually have had to drop out. Learning with just scripts doesn't work for me when you're constantly interrupted by childcare and daily life. With Syntea, I can pick up again at any time without having to spend ages reading up on where I left off. With three children, I would have been desperate."

Developed for the reality of distance learning students

The challenge that Nadine Zettl describes is real: Nearly a third of IU distance learning students have children in their household according to an IU first-semester survey³, and more than half work full-time alongside their studies.

The fact that Syntea is so closely oriented to everyday life is also due to the way it was developed: Since its inception in early 2022, the platform has been further developed under the leadership of Quintus Stierstorfer, Senior Director AI Products at IU International University of Applied Sciences, together with teaching staff and through continuous feedback from students:

"From the very beginning, our aim was to design learning in a way that fits into different life realities," explains Stierstorfer.

"Many use it regularly for precisely this reason – because it actually helps them to progress with their studies reliably and more efficiently even under challenging conditions such as professional or family commitments. Syntea thus plays a central, complementary role in teaching by optimally supporting self-directed learning processes," Stierstorfer continues.

Annex: new features in detail

The new Syntea is now available to all IU distance learning students as a standalone platform at syntea.com². Students can now use it for almost all learning tasks: from creating flashcards to preparing for exams.

The following functions have been specifically optimised for study purposes and combine multimodal formats (text, audio, visual explanations) with dialogue-based micro-apps that can be flexibly integrated into everyday learning. All functions are based on the latest AI language models, which means they are at a performance level otherwise reserved for paid Pro versions.

Learning support and deepening

• Exam trainer: Knowledge testing through questions on various course sections with direct evaluation and overview of learning progress; the trainer helps students realistically assess their level of preparation. To increase exam confidence and minimise exam anxiety and procrastination, a mock exam mode including an exam readiness indicator is currently being rolled out.
• Learning dialogue: Understanding-oriented learning based on the Socratic method through open questions that promote critical thinking and gradually unlock complex content. It also strengthens the ability to articulate thoughts clearly and precisely – both in exam situations and in professional communication.
• Extended question-and-answer function: Answers course-related and general questions using constantly updated AI language models.
• Interactive online script: Supplements existing online scripts with comprehensible explanations, summaries and clear classification of learning objectives.
• Progress indicators: Make learning status transparent – students see where they stand, which provides more confidence and is intended to reduce exam anxiety and procrastination.

Exploration and introduction

• Exploring new topics: Enables low-threshold entry into new content before targeted deepening or learning.
• Course overview: Provides compact orientation at the beginning of a course on structure, requirements and next steps.

Organisation and documentation

• Document search: View and reflect on previous grades and centrally retrieve study certificates and certificates – for less administrative effort.
• Central overview: Consolidates all learning and organisational functions in one place; additional services are being added gradually.
• Documenting learning progress: Automatic documentation after each quiz and dialogue with overview of progress in the course.

Additional formats

• Podcasts (Beta): Dialogic audio format for reviewing and contextualising existing course content – ideal for learning on the go, for example.
• Feedback function: Students can provide feedback on the use of Syntea and actively contribute to its further development.

ABOUT SYNTEA

Syntea is the in-house learning AI of IU International University of Applied Sciences and has been supporting all online students in distance learning since the end of 2023. The platform was specifically developed for distance learning students who organise their studies flexibly and independently alongside other commitments such as work and family. Syntea supports them in their self-learning phases with time- and location-independent learning formats – without compromising on academic depth or competence orientation. Use is voluntary for students and not exam-relevant. In future, Syntea is also to be available via native app on mobile devices.

Syntea was awarded the Gold Award in the category "AI in Education by Higher Education Institutions" at the QS Reimagine Education Awards & Conference 2025 in London in December 2025. This award is regarded as one of the world's most prestigious prizes for innovation in higher education. Syntea had previously received several international prizes in the field of AI and higher education – for example at the Global EdTech Awards in 2024.

Previous IU press releases on Syntea: https://www.iu.de/en/news/?h=1&t=syntea

¹ Between December 2025 and January 2026 and ongoing, Syntea users were surveyed in a voluntary short survey on the benefits of the new Syntea version. The samples varied by question/answer: Deeper understanding of learning content (n = 230), More effective learning (than with traditional formats) (n = 349), More confidence in exams (n = 264)

² Note: The syntea.com interface is only accessible to Syntea users by entering student login credentials.

³ The data are from an IU first-semester survey of 2,272 distance learning students who began their studies between October 2023 and March 2025 (survey period: February 2024 to May 2025).

Image material on speakers

• Dr Sven Schütt, CEO of IU International University of Applied Sciences
• Quintus Stierstorfer, Senior Director AI Products at IU International University of Applied Sciences

Press enquiries for interviews or live demos

Dr Sven Schütt, CEO of IU International University of Applied Sciences, and Quintus Stierstorfer, Senior Director AI Product, are available for interviews and background discussions. We can also organise a live demo of Syntea or a press briefing on request.

Additional image material is available on request.

Press Contact:

André Adler
Press Office – IU International University of Applied Sciences
E-mail: andre.adler@iu.org
Telephone: +49 (0)173/7426 113

Jenny Elisa Pabst, from Hamburg, investigated in her master's thesis at IU International University of Applied Sciences how Hamburg daycare center directors promote the diversity skills of their teams with regard to the inclusion of autistic children. Pabst will receive the IU Diversity Award 2025 for this work. This award is presented twice a year by IU and recognises outstanding theses that address diversity, equal opportunities, and social participation in a scientifically sound and practically relevant manner.

“With her work, Jenny Elisa Pabst makes an important contribution to the further development of inclusive practices in early childhood education. Her findings illustrate the key role that managers play with regard to inclusion and how they can contribute to it. Her work combines in-depth expertise with great professionalism and empathy,” explained Ariane Weber, staff member in the Equal Opportunities Office of IU International University of Applied Sciences and project manager of the IU Diversity Award, justifying the jury's decision.

Inclusive daycare centers need strong leadership.

The award-winning master's thesis by Jenny Elisa Pabst focuses on how managers in daycare centers can specifically promote the diversity skills of their staff in order to enable inclusive and discrimination-sensitive practices. The focus is on the inclusion of autistic children, who in everyday daycare life still face structural barriers as well as normative and sometimes discriminatory notions of "disability" and "autism."

The results of the master's thesis clearly show that daycare center directors play a key role . They act as multipliers between children, staff, the sponsoring organisation, and families, and can make a significant contribution to an inclusive organisational culture. At the same time, it becomes clear that Germany still has considerable ground to make up in implementing the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities – particularly in the areas of accessibility and structural support.

Nevertheless, Pabst observes a positive development: "Societal understanding of autism and neurodiversity is growing noticeably."

Science, practice and personal perspective

Jenny Elisa Pabst's motivation for her thesis grew over several years. Even during her bachelor's degree in social work, she worked continuously in educational settings with neurodivergent children, completed internships, and participated in university research projects on equal opportunities for preschool children. She subsequently continued this commitment as a manager in an inclusive preschool. Currently, Pabst works in the preschool provider advisory service of the Hamburg BSFB (Association for Social Services and Family Support), advising preschool providers and childcare facilities, including on the topics of inclusion and autism.

Her empirical study is based, among other things, on interviews with daycare center directors who, despite high motivation, are often limited in their work by restricted time, personnel, and financial resources. These lack of resources can ultimately lead to barriers in the care of autistic children in daycare centers and restrict their access to childcare services. The work gains particular depth through its own neurodivergent perspective, which is reflected upon and professionally integrated into the research.

“What’s special about this work is the consistent connection between scientific findings and professional practice,” says Pabst. “My goal is that research doesn’t just sit on a shelf, but provides concrete support to children, families, professionals, and organisations.”

As part of her master's thesis, Pabst collaborated with daycare center directors from six of Hamburg's seven districts, whom she does not professionally supervise. She will strategically share the insights gained within her professional field and apply them in her consulting practice so that as many Hamburg daycare centers, children, and families as possible can benefit.

Studying as a solution for self-realization

Jenny Elisa Pabst comes from a non-academic background and is therefore particularly proud of her master's degree in "Pedagogy, Educational Counseling, and Leadership," which she was able to finance in part with a Germany Scholarship. Distance learning at IU gave her maximum flexibility to combine work, family, and studies. Thanks to modern digital teaching methods and additional courses for acquiring future skills, she is now also considered an "AI expert" on her team.

“Special thanks go to my programme director, Karin Thiel. The professional exchange with her, as well as with numerous other lecturers and fellow students, was incredibly helpful in my successful graduation,” said Pabst. She doesn't rule out pursuing a doctorate in the future, but above all wants to remain in the field and actively contribute to quality development in childcare.

About the IU Diversity Award

IU International University of Applied Sciences has been awarding the IU Diversity Award twice a year since 2018. The jury consists of a ten-member team of staff members from various departments. IU students have the opportunity to submit their bachelor's or master's theses. In 2025, in addition to Jenny Elisa Pabst, Alina Klein from Bochum also received the award for her work on improving the treatment of queer refugees in Germany. The IU Diversity Award aims to contribute to raising public awareness of diversity research and includes a prize of 500 euros. Further information on equality and diversity at IU can be found at: https://www.iu.de/en/university/diversity/

Erfurt, 4 June 2025. Creativity, critical thinking, and teamwork are essential future-proof skills, particularly in light of the rapid transformations driven by digital technology, artificial intelligence, and contemporary media. The bachelor's degree programme in Culture and Media Education, offered by IU International University of Applied Sciences (IU) as a distance learning course, teaches precisely these skills in the context of cultural education, media knowledge and practical pedagogical experience. As future educators, it enables students to categorise media and cultural content in a social context, understand cultural forms of expression and adopt different perspectives. 

"Using digital media requires more than just technical skills," explains Professor Jule Korte, head of the bachelor's degree programme in Culture and Media Education at IU. "A reflected understanding of their significance for individual, cultural and social processes is crucial." 

Graduates should foster media literacy and encourage active cultural participation 

The professional fields of future graduates of this degree programme include, for example, media educators in schools or daycare centres, or educational staff in cultural mediation. For example, they support children, young people, adults and people with disabilities in consciously and creatively utilising cultural and media offerings, reflecting on content and developing their own point of view. "Our aim is to train the active creators of tomorrow. This means: professionals who are able to convey media culture as something that can be shaped collaboratively as part of their educational work. They also learn to promote diversity, enable social participation and thus also strengthen democratic values to a certain extent," says Korte. 

Online vs. offline - media and reality merge 

"For young people, the boundaries between digital and analogue life have long since disappeared. One striking example is trends such as TikTok dance videos, in which dances from video games such as Fortnite are adopted, performed and in turn shared via TikTok. Current studies also show that the distinction between online and offline worlds no longer really works for children and young people," explains Korte. "As future professionals, our students should not judge young people's living environments and their media practices, but above all understand and actively help to shape them. Media skills are an important topic here, but not the only one," continues Korte. 

Strongly practice-orientated - flexible study options 

The degree programme is particularly practice-oriented thanks to the project courses that conclude each semester. Whether lighting design in exhibitions, conception of cultural festivals or media projects in schools and daycare centres: students analyse and design real settings and gain professional experience - often in cooperation with institutions in which they are already working. In longer projects, they have the opportunity to go through all stages of media-cultural educational work and reflect on them with the lecturers of the degree programme. 

The degree programme is aimed at both first-year students and professionals in the education, media and culture sector, as well as anyone who would like to work in this field. The degree programme is flexibly structured as a distance learning course: Digital scripts, videos, podcasts and various part-time options enable individualised learning paths. Students at IU also have the personalised AI learning assistant Syntea at their side, for example for targeted preparation for exams. 

Only a few universities in Germany offer this focus 

With its undergraduate bachelor's degree programme in Culture and Media Education, IU is one of the few universities in Germany to offer this combination. The degree programme complements IU's broad portfolio in the field of education – including general education theory, childhood studies, inclusive pedagogy, health education, and nursing pedagogy. 

Study programme with research contact 

Professor Jule Korte heads IU Research Centre for Cultural Education and Digitality together with other colleagues and incorporates current research directly into teaching: "We report on our research in courses and students also take part in our lecture series - this is very well received by the students. Many of them say in their first semester that their view of media culture has differentiated and changed," says Korte. 

Information on the Culture and Media Education degree programme can found at:
https://www.iu-fernstudium.de/en/bachelor/culture-and-media-education/

Hanover, 16 May, 2025. The winners of the IU Innovation Award 2025 have been announced: The most innovative theses in the field of construction and real estate were honoured on May 14 at this year's Real Estate Arena in Hanover. Students and graduates from eleven different German universities submitted their bachelor's or master's theses. Three of the four award-winning projects were created by students at IU International University of Applied Sciences – a strong signal for the academic standards and practical training provided.

Innovative solutions for the property and construction industry

First place, endowed with 2,500 euros, went to Aslinur Semizoglu from Aschaffenburg University of Applied Sciences. Her empirical analysis of the need for change in the future office real estate market thoroughly impressed the jury.

Sabine Feidiker, a bachelor's student in construction project management at IU International University of Applied Sciences, was delighted to take second place and receive 1,500 euros. She impressed with her work on the building physics potential of greening buildings.

Third place went to Moritz Bergmann, a master's student in real estate management at IU, with his analysis of the political regulation of the European Green Deal. His work was awarded 1,000 euros.

The additional special prize of 750 euros went to Fabian Rass, a bachelor's student in architecture at IU. He impressed the jury with his conceptual work on iconographic approaches in the construction of a visitor center for Neuschwanstein Castle.

Florian Ebrecht, professor at IU and initiator of the Innovation Award, emphasised: "The award once again underscores the diversity and relevance of our students' research in Germany. Topics such as sustainability, regulation, and architectural innovations reflect the current state of the real estate industry and demonstrate how much we need new approaches and food for thought."

With the IU Innovation Award, IU International University of Applied Sciences promotes creative, scientifically sound solutions to current challenges. Bachelor's and master's theses that stand out through innovative approaches or practical implementations were eligible for submission. This year, the real estate industry was the focus of the Innovation Award: The award sought pioneering innovations and new perspectives in the areas of decarbonisation, smart energy solutions, neighborly cooperation, and new levels of service and communication. The award was initiated in cooperation with the meravis real estate group, which provided the total prize money of 5,750 euros.

Research & Innovation outside of work

The three IU award winners earned their award-winning degrees via distance learning. The resulting flexibility not only gave them sufficient time for professional and personal commitments, but also gave them the freedom to develop innovative solutions. The distance learners received support through personal mentoring from their instructors and the help of digital systems, such as the AI learning assistant "Syntea," to personalise their learning experience in the best possible way and promote individual growth.

The winners and their projects

1st place (2,500 €)

Aslinur Semizoglu
Aschaffenburg University of Applied Sciences

“Empirical analysis of the need for change in the office real estate market of the future to derive a recommendation for action”

Semizoglu impressed with her practical relevance and the central conclusion that office space must become more flexible, sustainable and digital.
 

2nd place (1,500 €)

Sabine Feidiker
IU International University of Applied Sciences, Bachelor of Arts Construction Project Management

“The building physics potential of greening buildings”

Feidiker came to the key conclusion that greening buildings improves thermal and sound insulation, but that care and maintenance costs are critical success factors.
 

3rd place (1,000 €)

Moritz Bergmann
IU International University of Applied Sciences, Master of Science in Real Estate Management

“Political Regulation of the European Green Deal – Impact of Sustainable Modernisation Measures on Tenant Acceptance”

Bergmann examined the impact of building renovations resulting from the EU Green Deal. His conclusion: Successful renovations depend on communication and financial compensation models.
 

Special prize for excellent work (750 €)

Fabian Rass
IU International University of Applied Sciences, Bachelor of Arts Architecture

“Welcome to Wonderland – A Visitor Centre for Neuschwanstein Castle”

Rass's bachelor's thesis focused on the design of a visitor centre for Neuschwanstein Castle based on iconographic approaches. He focused on a solution that conveys the history, magic, and identity of the residence.
 

Further information on the IU Innovation Award can be found at: https://www.iu.de/lp/iu-innovationspreis

ABOUT THE MERAVIS REAL ESTATE GROUP

The meravis Real Estate Group is a nationwide real estate service provider based in Hanover and Hamburg. For over 75 years, it has managed approximately 12,650 of its own residential and commercial units and has developed over 23,500 residential units. Its portfolio includes residential buildings, student apartments, hotels, retirement homes, and commercial properties. The company, with approximately 220 employees, is managed by Matthias Herter and Prof. Dr. Florian Ebrecht. Its future goals include sustainable, digital residential neighbourhoods, including through its own PropTech platform Spiri, as well as through initiatives in New Work, sustainability, and digitalisation.

Education as a bridge to reintegration

Through this cooperation, members of the BDV eV gain easier access to IU's more than 250 accredited degree programmes and approximately 500 continuing education programmes. Most of these are available via online teaching, independent of location and time, and can be individually tailored to personal learning needs.

"With our educational concept, we want to make a decisive contribution to giving these committed individuals the opportunity to develop professionally and shape their personal futures individually. For IU, it is not only an obligation but an honour to be available as an educational partner for those affected," says Prof. Kurt Jeschke, Academic Director IU Corporate & Upskilling.

Barrier-free access and targeted support

IU's educational offerings are characterised by technological innovation, flexibility, and barrier-free access. The distance learning and myStudium formats, as well as the upskilling programmes, are particularly well-suited, due to their digital nature, to provide deployment-disabled soldiers with easy access to qualifications.

IU also offers individualised compensation programmes to ensure equal opportunities for students with disabilities. The consultation hours for compensation programmes are available for booking and provide support with the formal application process and advice on suitable compensation programmes and options. The offerings are complemented by mentoring formats, study coaching, and a moderated online community for students with disabilities.

Pilot phase and quality assurance

The cooperation measures will initially be implemented as part of a pilot phase with selected participants. Continuous monitoring and evaluation will ensure that support services are further developed in line with needs. The goal is to establish a sustainable model that can be implemented nationwide.

Common mission: access to education for all

On March 11, 2025, representatives of IU and BDV eV signed the framework cooperation agreement at the Cologne campus.

"Education is the key to a self-determined life after service. We are pleased that IU accompanies our veterans on their path to a civilian future – with respect, flexibility, and concrete prospects," said Andreas Eggert, Secretary General of the BDV eV.

The BDV eV is a central organisation dedicated to the needs of soldiers injured in combat and has been described by the Research Service of the German Bundestag as a "driving force for German veteran culture". The association focuses on giving those affected a voice and promoting their reintegration into the labour market. This is done through psychological, medical, and legal support—and, thanks to its cooperation with IU, now also through educational programmes and professional development.

Since its founding, more than 10 million soldiers have served in the Bundeswehr. Approximately 462,000 of them have been deployed abroad in more than 50 countries to protect democratic values. Various studies indicate that up to 20 percent of these deployed personnel return with a health impairment.

A significant proportion of veterans suffer physical and/or mental disabilities as a result of their service. These include impairments of hearing or vision, mobility, and psychological distress, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

These people also have a right to education, further training and participation in order to reorient themselves and integrate into civilian life.

A resolution of the German Bundestag of 25 April 2024 expressly reaffirms the recognition and appreciation of soldiers injured in operations.

Erfurt, 16 April 2025. Since February, students at IU International University of Applied Sciences (IU) have been able to study Applied Linguistics with a Bachelor of Arts degree. The new distance learning programme, which enables students with the appropriate qualifications to transfer to a master's degree course, provides a solid education in the humanities. Through projects and optional internships, students gain an understanding of everyday working life during their studies - for example in communication professions.  With the new Applied Linguistics course, IU is the first distance learning university in Germany to offer an innovative programme that combines literary and linguistic knowledge with practical skills for the future.

”In Germany, Linguistics has so far only been offered in classroom teaching at around 50 state universities. The focus has mostly been on imparting theoretical knowledge, meaning that students have rarely come into contact with professional practice. The bachelor's degree programme in Applied Linguistics, on the other hand, focuses on teaching future skills. This means that students are specifically prepared for the labour market during their studies,” explains Ersin Münüklü, Professor of Modern German Literature and Head of the Applied Linguistics programme at IU International University of Applied Sciences. “The first few weeks have already shown that the concept is very popular. Many students expressed their satisfaction at being able to flexibly combine traditional Linguistics content with practical skills in a distance learning programme.”

Close practical relevance and use of innovative technologies

In Applied Linguistics, students not only learn about the literary and linguistic content and concepts of the traditional Linguistics degree programme, but also about professional practice. Technological developments such as artificial intelligence and innovative scientific research methods play an important role here, which are introduced in various courses and facilitate and enrich the study of Linguistics. ”By no means all students of Linguistics opt for teaching and stay at the university. For decades, professional fields such as journalism, cultural management, public relations and marketing have been attractive for Linguistics students, as they require a keen sense of language,” explains Ersin Münüklü, head of the degree programme.

The Applied Linguistics programme also includes study projects, linguistic exercises and optional internships. This gives students an understanding of the reality and requirements of professional practice during their studies, making it easier to enter the labour market later on.

Distance learning offers a high degree of flexibility beyond traditional degree programmes

The bachelor's programme in Applied Linguistics also offers the best conditions for students who are already working and would like to continue their education: In addition to a full-time option, there is also a choice of two part-time options, allowing students to organise their studies flexibly. They receive comprehensive support - from specialist advice on course content and support with final theses to live consultation hours. Interactive live sessions via video conference also enable direct dialogue with lecturers and fellow students. The digital learning platform myCampus, which is also available as an ‘IU Learn’ app on mobile devices, gives students access to all learning materials - including digital scripts, learning videos and podcasts. myCampus also serves as the starting point for Syntea, an AI-supported learning assistant that students can use to prepare specifically for their exams, for example via an exam trainer.

Information on the AppliedLinguistics programme can be found here.

Erfurt, Germany, 29 January 2025. AI expert and IU advisory board member Sascha Lobo recently emphasised the importance of "AI tools such as learning agents for learning processes" as the key to the digital revolution An AI agent is an intelligent system that independently takes on tasks, optimises workflows and makes proactive recommendations based on user data. Recently OpenAI presented an AI agent for ChatGPT, Microsoft also introduced agents for Microsoft 365 Copilot at the end of 2024.

Now, Germany's largest university is also implementing its own developed AI agent in teaching: IU has enhanced its AI learning assistant Syntea, introduced in 2023, with AI agent functions to make learning even more personalized and promising for its students. While Syntea previously provided individualized learning feedback to IU students, it now takes it a step further by dynamically adapting its didactic methods to the students' learning styles – for example, by suggesting suitable learning methods or setting proactive reminders for necessary learning phases.

IU has successfully piloted the new agent functions in Syntea and plans to roll them out in the first online courses of its distance learning programme by the end of the first quarter of 2025. This positions IU International University as one of the first organisations in Germany to develop its own AI agent and among the first German universities to integrate an agent-based AI learning assistant into teaching. 

"Our goal is to continuously enhance the learning experience for our students by leveraging the new opportunities AI provides," says Dr. Sven Schütt, CEO of IU International University of Applied Sciences.

"With the introduction of AI agent functions to Syntea, we are ushering in a new era of learning. Syntea now independently thinks ahead, proactively suggesting the next learning steps while constantly evolving. It flexibly adapts to each student's unique learning style, offering personalised learning methods and proactive support. Unlike a standard learning assistant, we now provide our students with a fully tailored, future-focused learning environment," continues Dr Sven Schütt, CEO of IU International University of Applied Sciences.

Syntea independently suggests suitable learning methods

Unlike the previous approach, where fixed learning processes were prescribed, the new agent-based Syntea adapts dynamically to students' learning objectives. It independently determines which method is best suited to each student—whether it’s a training session, a quiz, a Socratic dialogue, or even playful elements like an escape game. Additionally, Syntea can proactively remind students of study times and tasks, with notifications sent via push messages or WhatsApp if desired.

"Our goal is to make the learning process as personalised as possible by proactively engaging with students," explains Quintus Stierstorfer, Director of Synthetic Teaching. “Syntea selects the most suitable methods based on each student's individual needs.”

Session feedback agent and multimodal learning

A key innovation is Syntea's ability to provide real-time feedback during the learning process. An AI agent evaluates every interaction between Syntea and the student, delivering personalised recommendations for the next session. This enables students to tailor their learning experience—whether by tackling simpler tasks, exploring new formats, or adjusting the content to fit their needs.

Additionally, Syntea now integrates multimodal elements seamlessly into its interactions. Text, video, images, and interactive applications work together harmoniously within the learning experience. This variety not only enhances engagement but also ensures a richer and more immersive understanding of the material.

Administrative tasks can now be completed directly in Syntea

In addition, everyday student life is made easier by integrating administrative tasks—from course planning to organizing semesters off. Syntea simplifies administrative processes with proactive notifications and personalized support. Even more complex tasks, such as planning module combinations or applying for semesters abroad, are supported by interactive and user-friendly features within Syntea.

“The integration of these services into Syntea offers a seamless experience, allowing students to spend less time on organizational matters and more time focusing on their academic goals,” says Stierstorfer.

About Syntea

Syntea is an AI-supported learning buddy that was specially developed by IU International University of Applied Sciences to meet the needs of its students. It supports the achievement of learning goals, adapts to the learning pace and rhythm of the individual, continuously tracks learning progress and helps to identify and close knowledge gaps.

Further information at: https://www.iu.de/en/syntea/

Previous press releases published by IU International University of Applied Sciences on Syntea: https://www.iu.de/news/en/?h=1&t=syntea

Erfurt, 10 October 2024: Following its foundation in June 2024 with its focus on IT and technical subjects, the IU Copilot School featuring Microsoft (IUCP) welcomed its first students at the beginning of September. Now, IUCP will be expanding its range of courses to include ten new degree programmes in the fields of business and management, marketing and communication, human resources and law as well as design and media; these include programmes such as Business Administration (B.A.), Social Media (B.A.), New Work (B.A.) and UX Design (B.A.). The IUCP is thus pursuing the goal of making AI-supported learning interdisciplinary and accessible to a larger, AI-savvy target group. 

The IU Copilot School focuses on a holistic educational approach that enables students to combine the proven advantages of the IU distance learning programme, such as full flexibility, with the potential of the AI productivity tool Microsoft 365 Copilot. In the future, IUCP will offer more than 250 practice-oriented online programmes (bachelor's and master's) that impart state-of-the-art knowledge in forward-looking subjects such as Applied Artificial Intelligence as well as in subjects that are always in high demand, such as Business Administration or Social Media. 

AI skills for students of all disciplines 

The long-term goal of the IU Copilot School is for all students to study at a standardised AI competence level in the future. This includes even students who are not from IT or AI-related fields, ensuring that they also have access to essential AI skills.

"Key competences such as AI prompting, digital problem-solving skills and data analysis will soon be just as indispensable as today's MS Office skills. IU is a leader in teaching these future skills. Future graduates of the IU Copilot School who master these skills will gain a significant competitive advantage on the labour market," says Dr Sven Schütt, CEO of IU International University of Applied Sciences. 

Integrated in the future: Microsoft 365 Copilot and AI Learning Buddy 

Microsoft 365 Copilot helps students to largely automate repetitive tasks such as creating tables of contents and references. Copilot can also summarise content from lectures or live events (Teams meetings) and translate texts. The functions are integrated directly into MS Office applications, offering a simplified user experience so that students can create templates directly in Word or receive programming suggestions for external programmes such as Python in Excel. 

IU's personalised learning buddy, Syntea, will also soon be seamlessly integrated into Microsoft 365 Copilot. Syntea provides students with targeted support with knowledge tests, exam training and questions about course content. In the future, IUCP students will be able to use both AI tools in combination with MS Office to achieve their study goals even more efficiently. 

Overview of all ten new Bachelor's and Master's programmes by subject area: 

Business & Management 
• Business Administration | 180 ECTS | German | B.A. 
• Master of Business Administration | 90 ECTS | German & English | MBA 
• International Management | 180 ECTS | German & English | B.A. 
• Master of Business Administration | 60 ECTS | German & English | MBA 
• AI in Business | 180 ECTS | English | B.Sc. 
 

Marketing & Communication 
• Marketing | 180 ECTS | German | B.A. 
• Social Media | 180 ECTS | German | B.A. 
 

Human Resources & Law 
• New Work | 180 ECTS | German | B.A. 
 

IT & Technology 
• Business Informatics | 180 ECTS | German | B.Sc. 
 

Design & Media 
• UX Design | 180 ECTS | German | B.A. 

Further information on the IU Copilot School featuring Microsoft can be found at: 
https://www.iu-copilot.org/en/lp/copilot/ 

Press release on the founding of the IU Copilot School featuring Microsoft dated 26 June 2024: 
https://www.iu.de/news/en/iu-international-university-of-applied-sciences-launches-iu-copilot-school-featuring-microsoft/

"The third-place award is a wonderful confirmation of my work and motivation to always give my best. In my work, I attach great importance to imparting knowledge in an understandable and practical way, creating an inspiring learning environment, and supporting and encouraging my students on their individual educational paths," says Prof. Dr Katharina Peinemann.

The competition was fierce: A total of 70 nominated tutors, including 14 from IU International University of Applied Sciences, competed for more than 3,000 votes in the online voting. "Based on their nominations alone, they are all among Germany's most popular tutors," said Mirco Fretter, President of the German Association of Distance Learning Providers. The voting remained exciting until the very end. Ultimately, the average score achieved through positive evaluation statements determined the ranking.

Further information on “Tutor of the Year 2025” can be found here.

Prof. Dr Katharina Peinemann

has been working as a tutor in the Department of Social Work at IU International University of Applied Sciences since 2022. With her comprehensive academic and practical expertise, she supports students in exploring the complex topics of social work. In her free time, Prof. Dr Peinemann enjoys traveling and engaging in sports.

Erfurt, Germany, 29 July 2024. Top athletes from all over the world will be competing at the Olympic Games in Paris. The German team comprises a total of 427 athletes. Of these, 211 are women and 216 are men. More than 30 of them are studying at IU International University of Applied Sciences (IU), the largest university in Germany with more than 130,000 students. Among them are German football stars such as Giulia Gwinn, Klara Bühl, Sydney Lohmann, Lea Schüller and Nicole Anyomi.

The everyday life of professional athletes is strictly organised: daily training, regular competitions and frequent stays at home or abroad. If you want to continue your professional education alongside your passion for sport, you need a flexible study programme that meets your individual needs and can be optimally combined with sport. IU offers precisely this flexibility: students can choose from over 200 study programmes in distance learning, organise their learning time freely and study from any location via interactive online courses - an advantage that is particularly important for working people and competitive athletes.

Four Olympians share their tips on how they successfully balance their studies at IU with their careers in professional sport.

Simon Batz, long jump, IU student in the sport management B.A. distance learning programme

Simon Batz will be competing in the long jump in track & field at the Olympic Games. The 21-year-old IU sport management student recently won the German championship title with a jump of 8.18 metres. When asked how he masters the dual role between sport and studies, he says: "The fact that IU gives you the opportunity to stretch your studies and be flexible with the content means I can combine my studies well with sport. The fact that I can take my exams anytime and anywhere is particularly helpful. For example, despite a training camp in the USA lasting several weeks with a six-hour time difference, I was able to write my exams without any problems."

Mona Mayer, Athletics, IU student in the communication psychology B.A. distance learning programme

Mona Mayer is competing in Paris in track & field in the 4x400 metre women's and 4x400 metre mixed events. Mayer is also studying communication psychology at IU. When asked what excites her most, both in life and in sport and studies, she says: "What excites me most are the challenges that my studies, life and sport have in store for me. They allow me to improve and surpass myself. I'm constantly getting to know myself anew."

Katharina Filter, handball, IU student in the medical technology B.A. distance learning programme

Handball player Katharina Filter will be goalie for the German national handball team at the Olympic Games. As a professional athlete, she has also achieved great success in beach handball in the past. In January 2023, she began a distance learning programme at IU and has been studying medical technology ever since. She reveals: "It's easy for me to combine this with my sport because I can attend lectures when I have time or take breaks when major tournaments are coming up."

Camilla Kemp, surfing, IU student in the sports management B.A. distance learning programme

Camilla Kemp is the first German surfer to take part in the Olympic Games in Paris. The surfer is also completing a distance learning course at IU in the sports management programme. The 28-year-old explains how her studies are helping her to develop outside of sport: "My distance learning programme has helped me to acquire a wide range of skills both inside and outside of my sport, which will help me both now and in the future. I have learnt to manage my time better and that it is possible to study and be a professional athlete at the same time." She advises people who are faced with difficult decisions, for example because they are considering a distance learning programme, to “[...] set clear goals, work hard and always believe in yourself.”

Dr. Carmen Thoma, COO of IU International University of Applied Sciences, says: “We are particularly proud that over 30 members of the German Olympic team are studying distance learning at IU alongside their intense sporting commitments. Their ability to combine high performance in sport with academic success reflects the commitment and flexibility we encourage and support at IU. It is impressive to see how they pursue and master their sporting and professional goals in parallel. This remarkable achievement illustrates not only the individual strength and discipline of the athletes, but also the high quality and adaptability of our educational programme. We wish all the athletes every success and good luck at the Olympic Games.”

Flexible learning for working people and professional athletes at IU

IU offers its students maximum flexibility in all programmes: distance learning students can choose from over 200 courses, organise their learning time freely and study via interactive online courses regardless of time and place, which is particularly advantageous for working people and professional athletes. They have access to one of the largest online libraries with over 14,000 courses and use innovative learning tools on the Virtual Campus and in the "IU Learn" app. Examinations can be taken online or at the nearest examination centre. In addition, students have access to the personalised AI learning buddy Syntea, which supports them in achieving their learning goals through interactive and dialogue-based learning.

For all those who prefer a degree programme with attendance components, IU offers further study formats at over 35 locations in Germany. For example, practice-integrated dual study courses.

All information about studying at IU can be found at: iu.org

Erfurt, 9 July 2024. IU International University of Applied Sciences (IU) is strengthening its position as one of the innovation leaders in the development of new and highly specialised degree programmes in the field of future technologies such as artificial intelligence with the introduction of the new master’s degree programme in Machine Learning Modelling. The 60 ECTS degree programme will start in 2025 and interested students can apply now. Machine learning modelling is available as a flexible course that can be taken full-time or part-time; the courses are taught in English. This degree programme is a ground-breaking course in the field of machine learning, and IU is one of the first German-speaking online universities to provide it. 

The World Economic Forum's Future of Jobs Report 2023 reports that artificial intelligence and machine learning professions are among the top ten professions in the world with the highest growth rate, surpassing professions in fintech or data analysis. 

This professional field is mainly important for industry: as a part of artificial intelligence, machine learning creates algorithms that can find patterns in huge amounts of data - also known as big data - and produce innovative solutions based on them. This helps companies receive useful insights from big data and enhance their decision-making processes. Uses can be seen in different sectors such as production, logistics, finance and health management. Such AI and data-driven processes are especially useful in complex situations that are hard for humans to comprehend.

"AI architects are graduates of this degree programme. Their main skill is to apply a specific algorithm model to a specific case study," says Prof. Dr Visieu Lac, Professor of Finance and Machine Learning and programme director of the machine learning modelling course at IU International University of Applied Sciences. 

"Low-code/no-code cloud platforms offer a variety of algorithms and models to use today. Large Language Models-based code generation can produce hundreds or thousands of lines of code. Choosing the right model for the specific case and adjusting the codes properly is crucial. This demands a basic comprehension of the problem and the algorithm - and we train students to reason this way," says Prof. Dr Tianxiang Lu, Head of the M.Sc. DevOps and cloud computing (management) programme at IU International University of Applied Sciences, who advised on the development of the new machine learning modelling course.

"Graduates can pursue various career paths in different industries: for instance, as a machine learning engineer, they design the decision tree of an on-board computer so that the AI draws precisely the right inferences in the critical nanosecond based on the data at hand," says Prof. Dr Lu. Alternatively, they can also take on the role of MLOps engineers who focus on the connection between machine learning and DevOps. 

State-of-the-art course content such as deep learning 

Students in the degree programme mainly learn how to select the appropriate method or architecture for different scenarios. The programme, which is taught in English, consists of modules such as Machine Learning, Deep Learning, Reinforcement Learning, Leveraging Data Sources & Data Mining, Data Warehousing, Pipelines and Orchestration, and a final project on Machine Learning Libraries. These modules give students a thorough knowledge of the latest trends and technologies in machine learning and equip them with the skills they need for the modern workplace. 

Students also gain practical knowledge through projects, assignments and presentations that allow them to show their abilities. 

Graduate in two semesters - completely flexible, digital and AI-supported 

The Machine Learning Modelling master's degree programme at IU International University of Applied Sciences is an advanced master's degree with 60 ECTS or 60 CP. It is designed for professionals in the field of machine learning who have at least one year of work experience and a bachelor's degree in a STEM field or a similar technical background. Moreover, it is suitable for anyone who wants to further their education while working, without pursuing a full master's degree, as well as candidates who do not plan to do a PhD or have a bachelor's degree with a high number of ECTS credits (240/210 ECTS). 

With the IU distance learning programme, students can study in a completely flexible way, i.e. without any constraints of time or location, through interactive online courses. It provides innovative learning tools that are accessible on an online campus and in IU's own app "IU Learn". Exams can be done flexibly online or at the closest exam centre. Additionally, students have access to the personalised AI learning companion Syntea, which helps them reach their learning objectives through interactive and dialogue-based learning. 

An online application for IU’s machine learning modelling programme is now possible; there is no application deadline; the course is NC-free. 

Forward-looking study programmes - with support 

The machine learning modelling degree programme is a new addition to IU's variety of forward-looking degree programmes and enhances IU's reputation as one of Europe's top educational institutions for cutting-edge degree programmes, especially in the area of artificial intelligence. IU's extensive selection of degree programmes allows students to gain deep knowledge and hands-on experience in one of the most exciting fields of technology. 

An overview of all degree programmes in the field of future technology at IU International University of Applied Sciences can be found here: https://www.iu.de/en/bachelor/it-technology/ 
 

IT and technology-related subjects such are also offered at the new IU Copilot School featuring Microsoft: https://www.iu-copilot.org/en/

Erfurt, Germany, 14 Mai 2024. IU International University of Applied Sciences (IU), the largest university in Germany, is launching its first nationwide out-of-home campaign today. This was developed in close collaboration with the Jung von Matt agency group, which is largely responsible for the creative concept. Already seen as a test run in North Rhine-Westphalia at the beginning of this year, the campaign is now being rolled out across Germany. The aim is to appeal to people who are considering studying, but are undecided, or are not yet familiar with the IU. The IU offer is presented as a flexible, personalised course of study that can be integrated into any stage of life. The campaign will be rolled out across the whole of Germany with four specifically staged motifs and will reach major cities such as Berlin, Hamburg, Hanover, Frankfurt, Munich, Dresden and Leipzig with around 50,000 posters. 

Alexander Krösser, Chief Marketing Officer at IU International University of Applied Sciences, explains: "With our campaign, we are aiming to fundamentally change the perception of higher education. I firmly believe that studying at IU is a flexible and accessible choice for everyone's professional and personal development, even under challenging life circumstances such as a demanding full-time job, multiple jobs, the responsibilities of self-employment, family obligations, financial obstacles or the lack of academic role models in the family. Anyone who takes a bold step and begins their academic education with us will find that IU is the right choice. This is proven every day by more than 130,000 students, who each master their own challenges in daily life and are nevertheless successful in their studies."

In North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW), a test campaign ran at the beginning of the year with over 11,000 posters, including around 2,000 large-format motifs, 1,000 Mega Lights, 7,500 City Lights and 500 Premium Lights. In addition, the first campaign videos were played on YouTube from December 2023.

In view of the promising results, IU decided to roll out the campaign throughout Germany. The slightly adapted campaign aims to appeal to new target groups who are considering studying but are still undecided or are not yet familiar with the IU and its flexible study models. The campaign conveys the idea that studying at IU is not an unattainable option but fits well into every phase of life - regardless of whether the target groups have a high school diploma or not. 

About IU's out-of-home campaign 

The poster campaign can be seen throughout Germany from May to September 2024. Four creative poster motifs, each with its own claim, convey the message of a maximally flexible and customisable degree programme that can be integrated into any phase of life. The slogans are: 

• Erst einsteigen, dann aufsteigen – Mit deinem StudIUm. 
• Du verdienst mehr. Mit deinem StudIUm. 
• Mit einem StudIUm – von Quereinsteigerin zur Senkrechtstarterin. 
• Das StudIUm für alle, die auch ohne Rosen den Bachelor wollen. 

The motifs show emotional snapshots from the everyday lives of students who seamlessly integrate their studies into their lives. With the play on words "StudIUm", IU is positioning itself as a synonym for a future-orientated and flexible degree programme and establishing a strong brand association that inextricably links IU and studying. The campaign is accompanied by moving image content on various online platforms. Further campaigns focusing on storytelling are planned. 

IU wants to use the campaign to make its degree programme accessible to a wider audience and attract more students. The focus is on the accessibility and flexibility of IU study programmes. 

With the impressive story of Dominik Latussek, which was recently reported in the media, IU has already shown that it can successfully meet the challenge of reaching previously unreached target groups. Despite his difficult childhood and youth, Dominik worked his way up to a master's degree at IU under his own hardwork. Today, he works as a street worker in Duisburg-Hochheide and studies coaching at IU at the same time. His next big goal is to do a doctorate.

This first research tested whether the use of the AI-supported learning assistant Syntea, which was made available in almost all IU online courses in October 2023, influences the learning progress of distance learning students. 

Analysis by the IU research team shows that by using Syntea, the average time taken by IU distance learners to complete a course reduced by 27 per cent compared to baseline. This means that for a three-year bachelor programme students will be able to save almost 10 months of their study time. This is based on the assumption that this effect will be extrapolated on the total study time. 

Dr Sven Schütt, CEO, of IU International University of Applied Sciences, emphasises the importance of the study results:

“This landmark study underscores the revolutionary impact our AI learning companion Syntea is having on higher education. And as we continue to innovate, that impact will only increase. The findings suggest that education is on the brink of unprecedented improvement, paving the way for possibilities we couldn't have imagined just a year ago. Extrapolating this finding to the 15-year educational journey of the average bachelor student implies the potential to accelerate in average 4 years of education, opening up completely new opportunities to reshape our education system.” 

The research focused on the new Syntea feature, “Exam Trainer” which was released for several IU courses (around 40) in October 2023, continuing the history of the LLM (large language models) enabled innovation Syntea started in early 2022. In the future, it is planned that the trainer function will be available for half of IU’s courses. The trainer feature prepares students for the exam giving them the next exam-like question, thus providing personal feedback in the same style as you would have in the exam. By doing so, IU students receive a lot more feedback compared to students at other universities, which helps them progress faster.

(Source: D. Fabietti,  G. Nirmal, M. Möller, S. Schütt, H. Sommerfeldt, Q. Stierstorfer, M. Zakhvatkin (2024). ”Revolutionising Distance Learning: A Comparative Study of Learning Progress with AI-Driven Tutoring”, IU International University of Applied Sciences) 

The research paper “Revolutionising Distance Learning: A Comparative Study of Learning Progress with AI-Driven Tutoring” can be downloaded here. 

Press release on the Syntea rollout in October 2023.

About Syntea 

Syntea, the AI learning buddy developed by the IU, is designed for the students. Linked to the IU Learn app and available in almost all courses, Syntea offers an innovative learning experience. As a sophisticated, personalised AI learning assistant, Syntea responds to learners' needs and preferences. The AI learning buddy adapts to students' learning pace and rhythm, tracks their progress and helps them to identify and close knowledge learning gaps. 

Syntea comes with four main functions: Pre-Assessment to identify strengths and weaknesses, Question-Answering for immediate exam-relevant answers (after prior review by human teachers), Exam Trainer for personalised exam preparation and Deep Dialogue Learning for interactive dialogues to deepen understanding. 

The AI-supported learning buddy Syntea is now available as a public demo version in the ChatGPT store at the following link: https://chat.openai.com/g/g-P5olqoCPc-syntea

Further information on Syntea can be found at: https://www.iu.org/how-online-studies-work/syntea/ 
 

Erfurt, 31 January 2024. IU International University of Applied Sciences, Germany's largest university with over 130,000 students, is the best distance learning university in 2024 according to the Fernstudium Direkt (FSD) ranking. Students from more than 100 education providers in Germany were able to rate the courses and distance learning courses offered by their education provider on the Fernstudium Direkt comparison portal (fernstudium-direkt.de) from 01 January to 31 December 2023. A total of 3,720 evaluations were recorded for academic providers during this period. With an FSD score of 5.4386, IU clearly stands out from the other academic distance learning universities and takes first place for the first time. 

"Fernstudium Direkt's award as the best distance learning university is a confirmation of our efforts to make personalised higher education accessible to people all over the world. We are proud that our distance learning students are so satisfied with our constantly growing and future-oriented offering, which we are constantly adapting to the demands of the labour market. We will continue to pursue innovative ways to make education even more accessible, flexible and individual, so that people can find their own personal fulfilment and achieve their personal and professional goals," says Dr Carmen Thoma, COO for the online study formats at IU International University of Applied Sciences. 
 

A degree programme that adapts to life 

The high degree of flexibility of the distance learning programme at IU and the excellent compatibility with everyday professional, family and private life are rated particularly positively and frequently. 

Esther, a 43-year-old nursing education student, says: "I appreciate the high degree of flexibility, which can be easily reconciled with a dynamic family life and a demanding working day." 

Aron, 30, a distance learning student on the Bachelor of Data Science programme, also shares this experience: "My online studies at IU have exceeded my expectations, especially the flexibility of the study plan and the opportunity to take exams online are outstanding for me. The freedom to organise my own learning while taking into account work and personal commitments is a key advantage. I can plan my study time efficiently and feel well looked after thanks to the excellent digital resources and support system." 

Studying at the leading EdTech pioneer 

Digital learning tools and AI-controlled assistants such as the specially developed learning buddy, Syntea have long been an integral part of everyday life at IU. They improve the learning experience as well as the individual learning progress of each student, and through active use, provide them with the skills they will need in the future. IU International University of Applied Sciences also offers a wide range of innovative IT, AI and digital programmes that enable employees to become digital experts outside of their day-to-day work. Incidentally, IU students rated the "Content & Materials" category best in the FSD ranking. 

Rehana, 38, says of her distance learning Master's in Artificial Intelligence: "The programme is highly recommended and the learning curve is very steep. You acquire a wealth of skills and abilities in a very short space of time. The IU also offers students a great online library and free access to learning portals, where you can gain hands-on experience with maximum flexibility." 

Luisa, 25, Bachelor New Work adds about the learning materials: "I particularly liked the Teams Live Sessions and the Feed Course. They were personal, practical and gave me the feeling that my learning process was being supported individually. The scripts, the IU Learn app [...] and the video library were my reliable companions. The content was well structured and offered a balanced mix of practice and theory." 

For all those who prefer a degree programme with attendance components, IU offers further study formats at over 35 locations in Germany. For example, practice-integrated dual study programmes and programmes in “myStudium”, a model that combines online teaching and campus life. 

All information about studying at the IU at: iu.de 

All information on the FSD overall ranking at: 
https://www.fernstudium-direkt.de/siegel-bewertungen/siegel-2024/fernhochschulen 

ABOUT FERNSTUDIUM DIREKT 
Fernstudium Direkt (FSD) is an evaluation and comparison portal for academic distance learning programmes and further education courses. With currently 22,500 experience reports and numerous filter options, Fernstudium Direkt helps interested parties to find the right educational programme for them. In 2023, FSD had 900,000 visitors to its website www.fernstudium-direkt.de and around 2.1 million page views. 

Flexible adaptation to the needs, life stories and mental states of dementia patients

Specifically, the prototype developed plays audio, video and photo formats. For example, those affected can call up personal pictures from their early youth or from their current family circle, listen to audio formats such as pieces of music or voice messages from grandchildren and watch documentary films about their own homeland or videos from the last summer party at the nursing home. The variety of available media is very flexible and can be customised to the needs, life stories and mental states of dementia sufferers. Those affected are playfully empowered to select and play media themselves. The aim is to arouse positive emotions and strengthen the memory and identity of those affected. Self-determined exploration can also promote dialogue processes and facilitate exchanges with caretakers and relatives. The prototype developed is to be used in nursing homes – in particular to improve psychological and social support services and strengthen active participation in the lives of dementia sufferers.

"This outstanding bachelor's thesis combines UX design with the diversity dimensions of "age" and "impairment" in a unique way. The thesis shows how versatile and relevant the UX Design degree programme is and how it can contribute to improving the lives of people in a wide variety of life situations. We were deeply impressed by Matthias' close connection to the field and her innovative spirit," says Nicola Schmidt-Geheb, Equality and Diversity Officer at IU. 

Her grandpa with dementia was her greatest inspiration

Matthia Leyendecker's motivation was a very personal one, as she herself reveals: "It took several weeks to find a topic for my bachelor's thesis. I wanted to do something meaningful, a tangible result was important to me. My grandad gave me the inspiration for it. We bought him a tablet and a senior mobile phone so that he could participate even more in family life. I was responsible for setting up the messaging services and the technical issues. I wrote operating instructions for him and realised how inaccessible mobile phones and tablets are for senior citizens. This gave rise to the idea of simplifying the whole thing technologically for the first time. When my grandad eventually developed dementia, it became increasingly difficult for him to use the technical devices. I then went in search of alternatives, but was unsuccessful. So, I came up with the idea of developing something for dementia sufferers myself, to give them something they could play with to activate their memory. It was also important to me to create something that people could use independently, i.e. without someone sitting next to them and having to guide them."

From carpentry intern to UX designer

Matthia Leyendecker's extraordinary educational path took her from a carpentry internship to a bachelor's degree in wood engineering to a master's degree in future design. At the same time, she began her distance learning programme in UX Design at IU, demonstrating her enormous versatility and commitment to innovative solutions. 

The award winner does not rule out the possibility of further developing her prototype and has already submitted several scientific papers to various conferences. In the meantime, she has accepted a job offer as a user researcher. "For now, I've studied enough, although I've always enjoyed studying. The IU degree programme particularly inspired me because of the practical work in the Creative Labs. There we had the opportunity to apply design techniques and theoretical knowledge in a three-month project and, for example, to carry out usability tests with real users. This phase was incredibly valuable for me, as it allows you to build up your own personal portfolio. Now I'm looking forward to applying the knowledge I've learnt and the skills I've acquired in the UX field in practice," says Matthia.

About the IU Diversity Award

IU International University of Applied Sciences, Germany’s largest university of applied sciences, has presented the IU Diversity Award twice a year since 2018. The jury consists of a ten-member team of employees from teaching, the examination office, equal opportunities office and other departments. IU students from Germany and abroad have the opportunity to submit their bachelor's or master's thesis. The IU Diversity Award is intended to contribute to raising public awareness of the research field of diversity and is endowed with a prize of 500 euros. For more information on diversity and inclusion measures at IU, please visit: iu.de/en/university/diversity/.

Erfurt, Germany, 7 November 2023. For the fourth time, IU International University of Applied Sciences (IU), the largest university in Germany, will present the IU Alumni Awards for exceptional careers, entrepreneurial success, sustainability and digital education projects of former students in the categories Professional Success, Entrepreneurship and Sustainability, as well as the Special Mention and Special Mention AI awards.

Category: Professional Success 
IU Alumni Award winner 2023: Stela Koleva 

The winner in the Professional Success category is Stela Koleva (M. A. General Management). The IU alumna from Prague has had a remarkable career within a very dynamic IT company and is now Vice President of a technology start-up:

Shortly after starting her management career as a supervisor at Concur - then still a start-up company that has since been acquired by SAP - she began her master's degree at IU. Within 5 years, she developed from the technical supervisor of a department with three employees to the strategic manager of a 300-strong team. She most recently served as both Vice President of SAP Concur Services and Support in the EMEA region for defining and implementing the EMEA support organisation, as well as Country Director for SAP Concur Czech for various branches in the Czech Republic with around 500 employees from up to 60 countries. Since May 2023, she has been Vice President Support and Services for Mews, a provider of technical hospitality systems. 

“With the award for Professional Success, we would like to honour Stela Koleva's steady career development within a growing IT company, especially with regard to our IU core aspects of flexibility and equality: She has managed to take on high management responsibility in a heavily male-dominated industry at an early stage, parallel to her distance learning programme”, the jury explained.

Category: Entrepreneurship 
IU Alumni Award winner 2023: Bastian Mahmoodi 

The IU Alumni Award 2023 in the category "Entrepreneurship" goes to IU alumnus Bastian Mahmoodi 
(B. A. International Management). With his business idea, he helps skilled workers migrate to Germany and places valuable talent from non-EU countries with small and medium-sized companies:

Based on the specially developed concept "Guided Immigration Made in Germany", the recruitment company VISABEE, founded by Bastian Mahmoodi in 2018, helps international talent from the medical sector to immigrate and find a job in Germany. VISABEE initially enables small and medium-sized companies to advertise jobs in VISABEE's international partner network and carries out an initial evaluation of applicants. As soon as employees and employers reach an agreement, VISABEE takes care of everything up until the arrival at the workplace - from the organisation of language courses via the partner Berlitz, to support in administrative matters. Soon, VISABEE plans to become active in the area of mobility in addition to its current focus on healthcare and to launch immigration concepts for professional drivers. A platform for simplified access for corporate customers is also being developed.

“By realising his business idea, Bastian Mahmoodi is building bridges between small and medium-sized companies and talented people from outside the EU, thereby helping to reduce the shortage of skilled workers in a socially very important area”, said the jury, explaining its decision.

Category: Sustainability 
IU Alumni Award winner 2023: Hendrik Marx-Altkuckatz 

This year's Sustainability Alumni Award goes to Hendrik Marx-Altkuckatz (M. A. Business Administration). The IU graduate drives projects in an internationally active company with a focus on the agriculture, construction and energy sectors that serve the goal of accelerating the decarbonisation of the group:

As part of BayWa's climate strategy, which is in his area of responsibility, he set up a system called "Internal Carbon Price" (ICO) together with the CFO, Controlling and other internal stakeholders, in which greenhouse gas emissions are priced internally. This calculated budget is used on an annual basis exclusively to finance measures that have a positive contribution to emissions, such as the switch to electric cars and more climate-friendly heating systems, various efficiency improvements to technical equipment, etcetera. The ICO is also used to calculate the carbon price. The special thing about this is that unlike other companies or the so-called "shadow price", they assign a direct monetary value to their emissions and reinvest them for a specific purpose. In this way, it has established a governance system that enables targeted investments throughout the Group and on the other hand, can ensure the fulfilment of the climate strategy. In addition, he is building up the business innovation "BayWa Carbon Services" as its head, which offers advice on implementing climate strategies and works with cooperation partners such as Siemens AG / SiGreen, CAS AG / Sust:ain Data, Vista GmbH and RSS - Remote Sensing Solutions GmbH.

"Hendrik Marx-Altkuckatz implements projects with a high sustainability claim and strong impact in a large company on an international basis", said the jury.

Category: Special Mention
IU Alumni Award distinction for Marcus Courvoisier

For the second time, IU is presenting the Special Mention award for a career in a field of work with a high social impact: 

this award goes to Marcus Courvoisier (B. A. Social Work), who took over the management of a youth centre immediately after completing his dual studies at a young age. After working as the Hamburg site manager of the daycare centre provider KMK kinderzimmer, he is currently in a management position as site manager at the Rudolf Ballin Foundation.

"With the Special Mention award, we would like to honour Marcus Courvoisier's rapid career and his professional commitment in an extremely important area for society", said the jury.

Category: Special Mention AI
IU Alumni Award distinction for Sven Steinert

For the first time, IU is presenting the Special Mention AI award for special projects in the field of artificial intelligence that aim to have a particular impact on our society: 

This award goes to IU graduate Sven Steinert (B. A. International Management), who, as Managing Director of his platform SUSTAINX, combines AI-based technology with collective intelligence from science and business in order to translate their sustainability ambitions into concrete measures. SUSTAINX is a sustainability platform and community with over 4,000 members that provides access to over 2,500 best practices and solutions, facilitates cross-functional collaboration in companies and enables cross-industry networking with sustainability thought leaders. The AI-based community solution offers members the possibility of structured knowledge transfer to find specific topics and suitable offers for solutions, to develop solutions together with other members and to discuss them - moderated by a specialist group for sustainability and consultants. 

"With his SUSTAINX platform, Sven Steinert is making an important contribution to promoting the networking of sustainability strategists and thus also the sustainable transformation in companies and institutions with the help of AI technology", said the jury.

Award ceremony in early 2024 

The Alumni Awards will be presented at the next virtual alumni event in the first quarter of 2024. As a prize, the award winners can choose a further training course from the wide range of courses offered by the IU Academy with a duration of up to four months full-time or eight months part-time.

About the IU Alumni Awards 

Since 2020, IU International University of Applied Sciences has been honouring special successes and projects of its graduates with the IU Alumni Awards. The members of the jury in 2023 are: Prof. Dr. Holger Sommerfeldt (Rector of IU), Prof. Dr. Anastasia Hermann (Member of the Rectorate) and Thorsten Pütsch (Director Communications at IU). 

More information on the IU Alumni Awards and all award winners can be found at:
iu.de/en/infos/alumni/alumni-award
 

Erfurt/Regensburg, Germany, 10 October 2023. Until now, the focus of video games has been on entertainment value. In the meantime, there are more and more games that confront players with serious topics such as grief, loss and death through their narrative potential and consciously encourage them to put themselves in the shoes of the game characters and empathise with them. Game designers are the creative minds behind game development and play an essential role in implementing empathy approaches in games. The professors of the game design programme at IU International University of Applied Sciences (IU) are currently researching empathy in gaming and are using a completely new word creation: "gamepathy".

"Games are interactive media that are not only used for entertainment, but can also be used for teaching and learning. Therefore, the measurement and promotion of empathy skills can also be addressed in the process of game design. If one combines the search for a suitable term for the connection between games and empathy with the exploration of the manifold possibilities of game design, the term gamepathy emerges, i.e. the fusion of game and empathy," explains Prof. Thorsten Zimprich, Professor of Game Design and Head of the Game Design programme at IU International University of Applied Sciences. 

With the newly created research discipline Gamepathy, IU’s research team wants to make practical game design goals measurable and comparable. Gamepathy research will, for example, investigate which characteristics an avatar must have in order to best train the empathy ability of players. Game mechanics and elements will also be examined for their supporting effect. 

At the same time, Gamepathy will serve as a basis for establishing Gamepathy as a research discipline and thus create a greater benefit for the practice-oriented training of future game designers. The findings from this new field of research should thus flow directly into the training of future game designers. 

Gamepathy is also the guiding concept of the first IU conference on game culture, which will take place on 27 October 2023 at the IU campus in Regensburg. It will take place hybrid, online and on campus, under the title "GAMEPATHY #1". 

IU invites the German-speaking DiGRA Chapter (D-A-CH Twitter section) and the Spielkultur Department of the cultural journal Nahaufnahmen.ch to the symposium. At the all-day event, IU professors will discuss the topic of gamepathy with experts and students, as well as previous research results. The conference is intended to kick off this promising field of research by providing different perspectives on the topic. 

Interdisciplinary conference as kick-off for Gamepathy 

In addition to IU's game design professors, external experts from a wide range of disciplines will also take part in the conference. For example, Brigitte Hettenkofer, a graduate theologian, will show how games strengthen team resilience. Prof. Dr. Sonja Gabriel from the University College of Christian Churches of Teacher Education Vienna/Krems (KPH) will put the topic of serious games, empathy and ethics into the pedagogical context. 

"We are also open to interdisciplinary offers - after all, this is what distinguishes modern scientific work," says Prof. Zimprich. 

IU students can also get involved 

Sarah Wegmann is in her fourth semester studying Game Design (B.A.) at IU. In her lecture, she deals with the question of how the game experience of players is influenced by the change of controllable avatars and their relationship to each other, and to what extent empathy can even pose a challenge here. 

"Empathy, change of perspective and identity in video games are a huge topic in the video game industry right now. And since I am very interested in the topic, the planned conference is a very good opportunity to get involved here," says Sarah Wegmann. 

"We should perceive video games as a medium that deals with serious issues like loss and grief. And especially with the potential they have in storytelling," Wegmann continues. 

About the study programme Game Design 

The Game Design (B.A.) degree programme provides students with in-depth knowledge in the areas of software development, game art, game studies and the game design craft. With practical study content such as user experience design, storytelling and balancing, the degree programme prepares students for a career in the games industry. In the course of their studies, students can specialise in areas such as Concept Gamedesign or Analytic Gamedesign. 

Gamedesign is one of many technology and future-oriented degree programmes at IU that aim to train professionals for important industries in a practical way. 

Gamedesign can be studied flexibly in distance learning or in the myStudium study model at IU. The full-time myStudium programme, with up to three professionally guided tutorials per week, allows students maximum flexibility as it can be completed either on-site or virtually. 

Further information on the Gamepathy symposium and the programme are available here: https://www.gamepathy.de/ 

Please send requests for interviews with Professor Thorsten Zimprich or Sarah Wegmann to the IU press team via: presse@iu.org
 

Erfurt, Germany, 26 September 2023. Societal demands on agriculture have increased in recent years: ensuring food supply, animal welfare, increasing regulation and extreme weather events. The new degree programme in Agricultural Management (B.Sc.) at IU International University of Applied Sciences (IU) addresses these challenges. It teaches the technical basics of agriculture, systemic thinking and in-depth economic knowledge. This enables graduates to independently manage, develop and optimise production processes and operations in agriculture. 

Against the backdrop of growing challenges such as climate change, the supply of healthy and affordable food, animal welfare or drinking water protection, the new IU degree programme in Agricultural Management (B.Sc.) creates sustainable approaches to solutions to meet the increasingly diverse economic, social and political demands on agriculture. 

The aim of the study programme is to provide students with up-to-date knowledge to remain economically successful despite these challenges for agriculture. This involves, for example, the question of how synergy effects can be achieved by only fertilising as much as the plant can absorb and thus reducing greenhouse gas emissions, or how farm animals can be kept in a species-appropriate manner according to the latest standards. At the same time, the degree programme offers opportunities to combine sustainability and economic success, for example using state-of-the-art technologies such as AI or drones. 

The course is also aimed at those interested in the topic of nutrition

"Of course, we combine aspects such as biodiversity or material cycles in agro-ecosystems with intensive teaching of agricultural and economic basics to optimally prepare our students for various career paths. However, I am firmly convinced that the degree programme is not only suitable for farm managers with their own farms, for example. Rather, it appeals to many people, especially young people, who are generally interested in sustainability and nutrition," says programme director Prof. Dr. Robert Simon, Professor of Agricultural Management and Agricultural Economics at IU International University of Applied Sciences, emphasising the orientation of the bachelor's programme. 

The distance learning programme Agricultural Management (B.Sc.) at IU is one of the few agricultural economics programmes in Germany that are offered via distance learning. Using digital online formats and, among other tools, the use of a learning app, the programme teaches fundamental principles of modern agriculture as well as advanced economic expertise with a strong focus on management. 

The topics of sustainability, management and digitalisation are at the centre of the study programme, which lasts 36, 48 or 72 months, depending on the chosen time model: modules such as production management in agriculture, crop protection, precision farming, smart farming, and agricultural economics prepare students for later specialisation and the practical part of the study programme. In the further course of their studies, they can focus, for example, on agribusiness, animal management, resource management and material flow balancing, renewable raw materials in agricultural economics or artificial intelligence and programming. 

In three practical projects, students actively work in an agricultural business as well as in upstream or downstream areas (agricultural trade, production, industry) and can underpin the knowledge they have acquired in their studies with practical experience. 

Know-how for sustainable management in the agricultural sector 

"Agricultural management at IU not only deals with a socially relevant topic," explains Robert Simon. "It provides answers to pressing challenges in agriculture caused in particular by climate change and environmental problems." These include questions such as: What interactions exist in agricultural systems at local, regional and global levels? How do material cycles function in agro-ecosystems and what influence does the management of a farm have on natural cycles? How can energy be saved in production processes and how can land- and product-related greenhouse gas emissions be reduced? 

The development of future-oriented study programmes is a central concern of IU International University of Applied Sciences, which is the largest university in Germany with more than 100,000 students. With the bachelor's programme in Agricultural Management, IU is expanding its portfolio of flexible study models with another technology- and future-oriented programme. The programme imparts skills at the interface of technology, economy and ecology. It thus forms an essential basis for the expertise of specialists in a sector that is becoming increasingly important for society, for example, in ensuring the basic supply of food. 

Further information on the Agricultural Management (B.Sc.) degree programme at IU International University of Applied Sciences at: https://www.iu.de/en/bachelor/agrarmanagement/

Munich, 3 August 2023. The Study Access Alliance (SAA) is a scholarship provider for disadvantaged students in African countries. In 2022, Study Access Alliance was initiated as a non-profit limited liability company (gGmbH) by IU Group. Through cooperations with NGOs, companies, universities and educational institutions in Africa and beyond, financially deprived students are supported directly and locally. In order to make higher education possible for even more people in African countries, further education and financing partners are being sought. 

SAA has already awarded the first scholarships. Currently, the initiative is working with IU International University of Applied Sciences (IU) as an academic partner to offer scholarship holders a wide range of online bachelor's and master's degree programmes. Furthermore, the African partners provide additional support to local students, including soft skills training, mentoring and internship opportunities. 

SAA currently works with partners in Kenya, Uganda, Senegal and Cameroon: Artsy Africa Academy (Uganda), HI2 (Germany), HoteliersGuild (Switzerland), Mully Children's Family (Kenya), Sompon Socialservices BW e.V. (Cameroon, Germany) and TooShare (Senegal). 

The initiative's academic partner, IU, offers online scholarships for less than 10 per cent of regular tuition fees through the Study Access Alliance. The remaining amount for each scholarship is covered by SAA's funding partners. 

The Study Access Alliance is always looking for new sponsors and partners to join the Alliance. There is particular interest in finding new funding partners and partner organisations that can provide students with training and internship opportunities to ensure a smooth transition into the job market after graduation. 

Feel free to get in touch if you are interested! 

Further information and contact: 

Luise Wittmann 
info@study-access-alliance.org 
https://www.study-access-alliance.org/for-partners

"The jury awarded this thesis the prize because it examines a current and very sensitive topic from several diversity perspectives. Katharina convinced us in her thesis with her systematic approach and the derivation of actionable recommendations," says Nicola Schmidt-Geheb, Equality and Diversity Officer at IU. 

Babl works as a student trainee at the Bavarian Rotes Kreuz, a public corporation in the Traunstein district association, where she provides support in refugee aid, among other things. 

"Through my work, I became aware of a study that shows that too little is being done for refugees with disabilities. There are laws and regulations on how to deal with these people, but some of the requirements are not even observed. One reason for this, for example, is that so many refugees arrived at once and the authorities are overwhelmed with them. Then I wanted to know more and talked to people from my home country who were affected. And that's how the idea came about to investigate the whole thing scientifically and to write my bachelor's thesis about it," says Katharina Babl. 

After her training, the qualified optician decided to study social work at IU while working and plans to do her master's degree from autumn 2023. "In any case, it will be distance learning again," says Katharina. "In distance learning, I particularly appreciated not having to travel to campus and not having to rely on any appointments. I was able to take all the exams very flexibly with short registration deadlines, so I could do everything at my own pace, when and where I wanted." 

After her official bachelor's degree, Katharina Babl will take over the area of housing counselling and the specialist office for caring relatives at her current employer. In her new position, the IU graduate already has many plans. In her projects, for example, she will primarily work for better structures and a more varied range of services for caring relatives in the district of Traunstein.

About the IU Diversity Award

IU International University of Applied Sciences has presented the IU Diversity Award twice a year since 2018. The jury consists of a ten-member team of employees from teaching, the examination office, equal opportunities and other departments. IU students from Germany and abroad have the opportunity to submit their bachelor's or master's thesis. The IU Diversity Award is intended to contribute to raising public awareness of the research field of diversity and is endowed with a prize of 500 euros. For more information on diversity and inclusion measures at IU, please visit: iu.de/en/university/diversity/.
 

Erfurt, Germany, 13 July 2023. IU International University (IU), the largest university in Germany, has four women from the German national football team competing now, one week before the start of the World Cup - for a joint marketing campaign. Under the title "IU Study Goals: Together for Success", the aim is to raise brand awareness for the IU. The campaign is aimed in particular at people who have had no previous contact with study, nor have they thought about it. Professional footballers Lea Schüller (FC Bayern München), Klara Bühl (FC Bayern München), Sydney Lohmann (FC Bayern München) and Nicole Anyomi (Eintracht Frankfurt), who are themselves studying at IU by distance learning, will act as IU ambassadors. In various media formats, they report on their everyday life as students and athletes and whet the appetite for the flexible learning opportunities offered by distance learning.

Increase brand awareness with short video clips and ads

The multi-stage marketing campaign starts with short video ads in which the players introduce themselves and their degree programme. Users are then addressed with further ads in which the players' motives for studying at the IU are told. The third step is a performance campaign via meta-platforms such as Facebook, Instagram & Co. A landing page picks up on the personal stories of the professional female footballers on the topic of combining career and studies and focuses on distance learning in a true-to-life way. The campaign page gives interested parties the opportunity to find out more about IU and its study programmes and to download information material. 

"We want to use the time shortly before and during the World Cup to increase brand awareness for IU and to awaken the desire to study in the Upper Funnel. For this purpose, we were able to win over four great female football players who found their way to IU out of their own motivation and want to recommend their distance learning programme to friends, acquaintances and strangers," says Alexander Krösser, Chief Marketing Officer at IU International University. "The young women are excellent testimonials who show how flexibly studies can be integrated into everyday working life and how important lifelong learning is in order to grow and fulfil oneself. This is exactly what we at IU want to encourage as many people as possible to do," says Krösser. 

Raffle of signed IU hoodies and footballs

Other measures during the campaign period include a competition via social media in which IU hoodies and footballs signed by the footballers are raffled off. Blog posts about the players will be published via Inside@IU, an online magazine for distance learning students. Interviews with the DFB women will be played out via YouTube. Additional reach will be generated with Instagram reels and collab posts. For user retention and maintenance, customer relationship management measures are planned in the form of mailings with content aimed at encouraging people to study at IU.

The marketing campaign was independently developed in-house by IU International University. It started on 7 July and will end after the FIFA Women's World Cup on 20 August 2023. Further information on the campaign can be found at iu-fernstudium.de/frauenfussballwm-2023.

For more information, background discussions or interviews with our experts, please contact our press team at: presse@iu.org.

• IU is the only university in the European Union to be an associate member of AIU 
• Tech-related courses are among the most popular IU-courses for students from India

Erfurt, Germany, 20. April 2023. IU International University of Applied Sciences (IU) is the first university in Germany as well as the European Union to become an associate member of the Association of Indian Universities (AIU). IU joins AIU pursuant to its mission that everyone can access education to grow. Through its AIU membership, future students and their parents can be assured of the first-class quality of an IU education.

Dr. Sven Schuett, CEO, IU International University of Applied Sciences, said: 

“We are excited to be the first German university to obtain membership into the Association of Indian Universities. IU’s strong connection to India, including our partners and thousands of students from the region make it a perfect fit for us. As an AIU associate member, our students will benefit from an intercontinental approach, allowing them to not only be better global students, but world-class talent.”

IU International University of Applied Sciences is Germany’s largest and fastest growing university with more than 100,000 students from 120 countries, its learners receive a top-rated education preparing them with the valuable knowledge and tools they will need to succeed in a diverse and global workforce. With roughly 20% of its student body being non-nationals, an international approach to education is at the core of IU. 

As Europe’s leading provider of tech-related courses, it’s no wonder that amongst IU’s current students from India, study programmes in tech are the most popular. In addition to IU’s tech-related courses, students can choose from more than 100 bachelor’s and master’s programmes in English. IU students benefit from a personalised and hybrid learning model, which incorporates the use of the latest technology and AI in its courses, including ChatGPT. IU has even launched its own edtech innovation, “Syntea” (synthetic teaching assistant) to support students during their studies. Syntea is designed to enable personalised student interaction and enhance learning outcomes, offering a range of powerful features, including a question-answering tool, exam preparation, Socratic teaching sessions and more.  Learn more about Syntea.

For more information on the Association of Indian Universities and what it means to be an associate member, visit: https://aiu.ac.in/index.php

ABOUT IU INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF APPLIED SCIENCES

With over 100,000 students, IU International University of Applied Sciences (IU) is the largest university in Germany. The private, state-recognised educational institution with its headquarters in Erfurt began operations in 2000 and is now represented in more than 35 German cities. Students from over 180 nations design their studies according to their needs: whether practice-integrated dual studies, flexible distance learning or individual “myStudium”, which combines online self-study and campus life. IU wants to give people worldwide access to personalised education for a fulfilled and self-determined life. In more than 150 German- and over 50 English-language study programmes in bachelor's, master's and MBA fields, IU teaches students key competencies relevant to the future. A digitally supported learning environment and the use of AI solutions help students to achieve optimal learning results and experiences. IU is one of the first universities in the world to have developed and deployed its own AI-supported learning buddy. IU cooperates with over 15,000 companies and supports them in the academic training of professionals. Partners include UpGrad, Simplilearn, Intellipaat and TimesPro. Further information at: www.iu.org. 
 

Erfurt, Germany, 31 March 2023. IU International University of Applied Sciences (IU), Germany’s largest higher education institution, is the only German institution to be included in the QS Online MBA Rankings: Europe 2023. The internationally renowned ranking assesses online MBA programmes across four general areas: faculty and teaching, class profile, class experience and employer reputation. In this ranking, IU performed particularly well in both class experience and class profile, receiving top scores in the respective categories. IU is the first and so far, only German university of applied sciences to be ranked by QS Institute, which is known for its worldwide university rankings. The latest results are in addition to IU receiving the prestigious QS Star Rating in 2021 (Five stars with a score of 99/100) – a requirement for inclusion in the QS Rankings. The ranking confirms IU's consistent focus on digital and flexible study that adapts to students' needs. 

Technology and innovation lead to a flexible and top-rated class experience 

Tied for third in Europe in the category “class experience”, IU’s flexible online approach and use of technology and innovation in the classroom proves to be a winning formula for a top-rated MBA programme. 

“Placing in the internationally renowned QS Rankings is a significant achievement, confirming our footing as a market leader in digital education and makes our online MBA programme more internationally competitive,” says Prof. Dr. Florian Hummel, Vice-Rector International, IU International University of Applied Sciences. “Our flexible online approach is what makes our study programmes so appealing to students. Regardless of where one lives or how much time one has, our students have the option to study at their own pace which is particularly appealing to those juggling work, family and other commitments.” 

A diverse education that reflects a global world 

As our world becomes more global, students are also seeking to have this reflected in both their education and work experience. Ranking fifth in the category “class profile” confirms IU’s diverse learning environment. By providing a diverse learning experience, IU students receive exposure to other cultures and mindsets preparing them with the valuable knowledge and tools they will need to succeed in a diverse workforce. 

Employability is the endgame 

In the category, “employability”, IU tied for 23rd in Europe. With employability being the goal in getting an MBA, IU’s online MBA programme proves to be a great option for students looking to get ahead in their career. It’s flexible learning model, as well as both full-time and part-time options for both IU’s 60 ECTS and 90 ECTS MBA programmes are ideal for those looking to put themselves in the lead. The MBA programmes at IU qualify for management positions in specific fields such as Artificial Intelligence, Big Data Management, Digital Transformation, Sustainable Management as well as New Work & Talent Management. 

More information about all MBA programmes at IU.
 

Erfurt, March 23, 2023. Employers rarely support employees who continue their education through distance learning. That is the result of the Trend Study Distance Learning 2023, which was published by IU International University of Applied Sciences (IU) in February this year. According to the study, more than half of the respondents (51.2 percent) receive no support from their employers. Of those respondents who did not receive support, 45.6 percent were denied it by their employer.

 "In view of the glaring shortage of skilled workers in Germany, these are frightening figures, especially because more than half of those surveyed said they had already been able to productively apply the knowledge they had acquired in their studies at work. Employers are missing out on a huge potential of expertise and, of course, the opportunity to strengthen the motivation and loyalty of their employees," says Prof. Dr Holger Sommerfeldt, Rector of IU International University of Applied Sciences (IU).

Almost two thirds of those surveyed (60.4 percent) finance their distance learning mainly through their own employment; for 14.9 percent, their family or private sphere takes over the financial responsibility. Less than one in ten (6.7 percent) say that their employer provides or has provided the main funding. However. the lack of support is not only due to companies: nearly half (49.1 percent) of those who generally receive no support from their employer don't want an

Among the respondents who do receive support from their employer (29.2 percent - see above), organisational support, such as "more flexible working hours" or "planning security for exam dates" was cited most frequently by respondents, at 51.6 percent. At 48.2 percent, "support of time" was cited second most frequently. It is interesting to note that as many as one-third (36.9 percent) mentioned psychological support, for example in the form of praise, appreciation and recognition, from their employer. 

Being happy - one of the main reasons for career change

If the respondents would like to make a career change, the financial aspect is - unsurprisingly - in first place (38.5 percent). But respondents also want a higher position (36.2 percent) and more responsibility (28.2 percent).

The desire for professional fulfillment, i.e. for a job that makes people happy, is also high. As many as 26.8 percent would like to make a career change for this reason.

Learning takes place at the weekend or during prime time

The time factor plays a particularly important role in (part-time) distance learning. Almost half (47.2 percent) of those surveyed said they could devote around 11 to 20 hours a week to learning. About 16.0 percent of respondents can devote 21 to 30 hours to learning, but only 7.3 percent can invest more than 30 hours per week. Accordingly, many respondents tend to have capacity for part-time study. 

Students are most likely to study on weekends (71.7 percent). However, students also make use of free time in the early evening (from 6 p.m.) (50.1 percent) or in the late evening (from 8 p.m.) (45.9 percent). Only 16.7 percent study all day. In addition, some students use every free minute, such as the lunch break (12.4 percent) or the drive to work (9.4 percent).

"The time required for distance learning is often underestimated - creating a discrepancy between the chosen time model and the actual time available. To prevent this and to find a study model that fits the student's life situation, good advising must begin before the student starts studying", Sommerfeldt emphasises. 
 

ABOUT THE STUDY

 The Trend Study Distance Learning 2023 by IU International University of Applied Sciences is the sixth expenditure of the Germany-wide largest inquiry to the life and study conditions of distance students. For this, 6,751 persons were polled in October and November 2022. Not only the opinions of students in distance learning courses are inquired in the trend study, but also the opinions of alumni, prospective customers and dropouts from distance learning courses. The study therefore offers a comprehensive view of the subject area.

The white paper on the 2023 trend study is available here.
 

Erfurt, 21 February 2023. The current Trend Study Distance Learning 2023 by IU International University of Applied Sciences (IU) shows that distance learning offers many advantages - both personally and professionally. But in addition to positive feelings, distance learning also triggers negative feelings. Especially in comparison to the last trend study Distance Learning 2021(*), positive emotions regarding distance learning have decreased, while negative feelings have increased. Among other things, this is also due to the multiple burdens of, for example, studies, job and family. But despite multiple obligations and other stresses, 93.5 percent of the respondents say that distance learning has been worthwhile for them. 

"Despite all the stress and hardship, the experiences with our students show that the efforts are worth it in the end: Not only do you develop professionally, studying also contributes enormously to personal development," says Dr. Carmen Thoma, COO Distance Learning at IU International University of Applied Sciences. 

In the current edition (**) of the IU Trend Study Distance Learning 2023, professional development is also in first place: for 31.0 percent of the respondents, professional change is the main reason for distance learning. The aspect of personal development and lifelong learning is named as the main reason by 21.6 percent of respondents. 13.5 percent of the respondents primarily want to improve their chances on the labour market through distance learning. 

Positive side effect: more self-confidence and joie de vivre 

The current trend study also shows that distance learning is not only financially and career-wise worthwhile. For 38.5 percent of the graduates, such studies have a positive effect on their private lives: 70.2 percent of the respondents with a positive change in their private lives said that their self-confidence had been strengthened by distance learning. 51.9 percent are more balanced and have more zest for life. For 48.9 percent, social recognition has increased. 

But despite all the freedom and advantages that distance learning brings, distance learning demands a lot from students. 

"Studying is not always associated with joy, but can also be stressful at times. Professional and family obligations often play a major role, especially in a distance learning programme," Thoma explains. 

If you ask about the feelings of the respondents, more than half are proud of what they have achieved (52.1 percent) or satisfied (50.3 percent). But compared to the 2021 survey, negative feelings such as "stressed" (31.5 percent in 2020 vs. 42.9 percent in 2023) and "overwhelmed" (11.5 percent vs. 24.3 percent) are much more pronounced in the current survey. At 60.8 percent, most of the respondents who felt that their studies were stressful found it difficult to reconcile family, work and studies. For another 45.2 percent, their own sense of entitlement or fear of failure played a burdening role. 

To reduce the burden and increase the joy of learning, Thoma recommends: "Education providers should support students, especially in times of crisis, with flexible offers, innovative solutions and individual assistance on their educational path. If that succeeds, the joy of learning also comes to the fore again," says Thoma. 

Interest in AI in studies is there - but AI has not yet arrived 

In addition to maximum flexibility, the use of digital technologies can make everyday learning much easier for students. Artificial intelligence (AI) can offer support in many areas of study, for example, by making it easier to search for information or by answering technical questions about the subject matter. 

"Many students don't even know what potential AI offers for learning. AI works adaptively, it adapts to the needs and learning standards of the user: For example, it points out certain passages in the digital script or queries the level of knowledge. Students can thus concentrate on the essentials," explains Prof. Dr. Thomas Zöller, Professor of Data Science and Artificial Intelligence & Head of the Data Science programme at IU International University of Applied Sciences. 

According to the trend study, interest in artificial intelligence (AI) in studies is fundamentally present among some. After all, 41.8 percent of those surveyed would use AI in their studies or are already using it in their studies. Only 21.2 percent reject it. It is also rather to very important to 42.9 percent of respondents that a university offers support through artificial intelligence. 

The respondents most frequently state that the use of AI tools could make everyday learning easier through easier research (45.7 percent) and better tracking of learning progress (42.9 percent). But there is also scepticism: 47.1 percent of respondents fear that the use of AI will result in fewer human interactions. 38.7 percent have concerns about data protection. 

(*) Trend Study Distance Learning 2021, IU International University of Applied Sciences, 2021 

(**) About the study 

The Trend Study Distance Learning 2023 by IU International University of Applied Sciences is now the sixth edition of Germany's largest survey on the living and studying conditions of distance learning students. For this purpose, 6,751 people were surveyed in October and November 2022. The trend study not only surveys the opinions of distance learning students, but also the opinions of graduates, those interested in distance learning and those who drop out. The study thus offers a comprehensive view of distance learning. 

The whitepaper for the Trend Study 2023 is available here.