Education for all – with popcorn and cinema flair

“Higher education doesn’t necessarily have to take place in the lecture hall. At IU, we have been exploring new ways since the beginning to make learning accessible to as many people as possible – flexibly, digitally, however and wherever it fits their lives. With ‘Popcorn & Profs’, we are bringing this idea to the cinema: We want to make science tangible for everyone and invite people to discover new things for themselves,” says Prof. Dr Alexandra Wuttig, Chancellor of IU International University of Applied Sciences.

The evening begins with a presentation by IU Professor Dr Adrienne Steffen on a topic familiar to many: smartphones, digital media, and constant accessibility shape our daily routines. But how much digital technology is good for us? What do we gain by being more mindful of our attention? And how can digital minimalism contribute to greater peace and quality of life? This film screening offers an opportunity to explore such questions from a scientific perspective and to gain new insights.

This open event is aimed at everyone. Tickets can be reserved via an online link. The event is also planned for other locations in Germany next year.

The IU thus makes clear its ambition to make education accessible to everyone – and to explore new ways of imparting knowledge.

Appointment at a glance

• What: "Popcorn & Profs – Science on the Big Screen” 
• Opening: Cinema Deep Dive with Prof. Dr Adrienne Steffen, Professor of Business Administration at IU
• Topic: "Digital Minimalism – More Peace, More Life?”
• When: Tuesday, 10 November 2026, 6 pm (ends around 9 pm)
• Where: CinemaxX Hannover, Raschplatz 9L, 30161 Hannover
• Admission: free, including snack and drink
• Organizer: IU International University of Applied Sciences
• Further information and registration at:
  https://www.eventbrite.de/e/popcorn-profs-tickets-1992484896963

Invitation to the media

We cordially invite editors and journalists to attend the event. We would be happy to arrange interviews with Prof. Dr Steffen and university representatives, either in advance or on-site, as well as provide photos and videos. Please contact us by email at presse@iu.org, and we will gladly reserve a seat for you.

About the speaker

Professor Dr Adrienne Steffen is a professor of business administration at IU. She received her PhD in marketing from the University of Strathclyde and previously worked in marketing and business development. She has published books and articles on minimalism, sustainable consumption, and customer experience management.

These questions will be the focus of the DIGITASA conference on Friday, 6 November 2026, at the House of Science in Bremen. It is being organised by IU International University of Applied Sciences (IU) and Hochschule Bremen University of Applied Sciences (HSB).

“Digital transformation is being shaped concretely in social work institutions – not in strategy papers,” says Prof. Dr Jakob Tetens, Professor of Social Work at IU in Bremen. “Therefore, spaces are needed where professionals and managers, academia and practice can engage in dialogue and develop viable perspectives.”

Prof. Dr Juliane Wahren from HSB adds: "It is no coincidence that we are bringing this topic to Bremen. The city has a dense landscape of social institutions that are facing precisely these questions."

Five years of research, three nationwide surveys

The conference is based on the research project "DIGITASA – Digitalisation (in) Social Work," conducted by a research team from IU International University of Applied Sciences, Hochschule Bremen University of Applied Sciences, Merseburg University of Applied Sciences, and the Duale Hochschule Baden-Württemberg. Since 2021, the team has been investigating nationwide, in collaboration with numerous professional and welfare associations, how social workers experience and shape digital transformation processes. The starting point was the profound change in work practices during the pandemic-related contact restrictions of 2020 and 2021. The project now focuses primarily on the use of AI applications, digital skills, and ethical, organisational, and professional challenges.

A key finding across all three nationwide surveys (2021, 2023 and 2025): Digitalisation in social work is not a purely technical issue. It affects the quality of professional relationships, social participation, data protection and responsibility – as well as work organisation, staff development and the question of whether employees are involved in change processes.

The latest survey reveals that AI chatbots like ChatGPT are now among the most frequently used digital tools in social work – two-thirds of respondents (66 per cent) use them professionally, and almost a third (29 per cent) use them at least once a week. However, there is hardly any binding guidance on their use: only ten per cent of institutions had a guide to AI usage in 2025. Learning tends to happen more through informal conversations: across all hierarchical levels, informal exchanges with colleagues are the most common source of information. Fewer than 40 per cent of respondents cite training and professional development as a source of information on digital technologies – even though the EU AI Act obliges institutions that operate AI systems to promote the AI competence of their staff (Art. 4). In eleven percent of institutions, the use of AI applications is even prohibited, yet almost a quarter of those surveyed there still use them regularly.

Two keynote speeches, four workshops

Two keynote speeches will open the conference: The first will present the developments and trends from all three surveys, while the second will be given by researchers from the University of Graz who will examine gender-reflective perspectives on the use of AI – an aspect that has received little attention in the debate so far. In the afternoon, participants will explore the implications of the findings for specific fields of work in four parallel workshops.

The conference explicitly pursues a transfer objective: results are not only to be presented, but also critically assessed and further developed together with practitioners.

Professionals and managers from all fields of social work are invited. Participation is free of charge; registration is open until 23 October 2026 at www.digitasa.de/fachtag.

About the survey series

Since 2021, DIGITASA has been conducting non-representative online pulse surveys among social workers regarding their use of digitalisation and AI, distributed through professional and welfare associations: n = 488 participants (2021), n = 657 (2023), and n = 662 (2025) from all German federal states. The surveys are independent samples; they show trends, not changes among the same individuals. Since digitally savvy social workers are likely overrepresented, the apparent gaps in concepts and qualifications across the board of practice are probably larger than depicted here. All data refers to professional use.

Note to editors

Media representatives are also cordially invited. We would be happy to arrange interviews with the researchers – either in person on 6 November (e.g., during the lunch break from 12 pm) or by phone/Teams before or after. Please send inquiries and accreditation requests by email to presse@iu.org.

Everything at a glance

What: Conference “Digitalisation and AI from the perspective of social workers – opportunities, risks and design options”
When: Friday, 6 November2026, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Where: House of Science, Sandstraße 4/5, 28195 Bremen (partially wheelchair accessible)
For whom: Social work professionals and managers
Organisers: IU International University of Applied Sciences and Hochschule Bremen University of Applied Sciences 
Research project: DIGITASA by IU International University of Applied Sciences, Hochschule Bremen University of Applied Sciences, Merseburg University of Applied Sciences and DHBW
Registration: until 23 October 2026 at www.digitasa.de/fachtag

The full programme and further information about the research project can be found at https://www.digitasa.de/.
 

Press contact

Prof. Dr Jakob Tetens
IU International University of Applied Sciences, Bremen Campus
jakob.tetens@iu.org
Tel. 0421 166985 25

Sources

DIGITASA Survey 2025: https://www.digitasa.de/ergebnisse/digitasa-2025/

DIGITASA Survey 2023: https://www.digitasa.de/ergebnisse/digitasa-2023/

Matthies, A., Sailer, J., Tetens, J. & Wahren, J. (2026): Large Language Models in Social Work. Use, Perspectives and Framework Conditions. Newsletter of the German Association 1/2026, pp. 5–13.

Matthies, A. & Tetens, J. (2026): Digital education of social workers in child and youth welfare in times of generative AI. Evangelische Jugendhilfe 4/2026, pp. 205–215.

EU AI Act, Art. 4 (AI competence; recast by Digital Omnibus, Regulation (EU) 2026/1744, in force since 27 July 2026)

Suggested citation for study data: Matthies, A., Sailer, J., Tetens, J. & Wahren, J. (2025): DIGITASA 2025 – Selected results of the third nationwide pulse survey on digitalisation (in) social work, www.digitasa.de.

“Educational equity today is not just about whether someone is allowed to study – but whether people can realistically integrate a degree programme into their lives,” says Dr Sven Schütt, CEO of IU International University of Applied Sciences. “This requires programmes that suit different life circumstances – for example, for working people, those with family responsibilities or first-time university students.”

At IU, for example, around 70 per cent of students come from non-academic backgrounds¹. Around two-thirds have a part-time job alongside their distance-learning programme², and over a quarter of first-year students state that they have children living in their household³. “We create opportunities for people who would otherwise have had no chance of studying – for example, by offering part-time distance-learning programmes or financial support for students from non-academic backgrounds,” explains Schütt. “The latest survey shows that this is well received.”

The survey makes it clear that private universities play a particularly important role for people who often have to overcome additional hurdles on their path to higher education. For example, 84 per cent of respondents who state that they live with a disability say that their private university has enabled them to access higher education in a way they would not have been able to elsewhere (public universities: 80 per cent). At IU, 85 per cent agree with this (benchmark: 81 per cent).

The picture is similar among respondents from non-academic backgrounds, with almost eight in ten (78 per cent) stating that their private university had given them the opportunity to study. At public universities, 73 per cent say the same. Among students and graduates of the IU from non-academic backgrounds, this figure stands at 85 per cent (benchmark: 74 per cent).

See figures 1 - 6 below

Support and personalised guidance for greater equality of opportunity

The study shows that private universities in particular offer added value to those who wish to study independently of time and location and who value individuality.

85 per cent of respondents from private universities are satisfied with the flexibility of their degree programme, compared with 79 per cent at public universities. Among IU respondents, almost nine in ten (88 per cent) rate the flexibility of their studies positively (benchmark: 80 per cent).

Furthermore, 88 per cent of IU respondents say that, through IU, they can or were able to tailor their learning experiences more closely to their individual learning style and goals than with other study programmes they are familiar with (pulic universities: 81 per cent, private universities (excl. IU): 84 per cent). Support services are also in high demand: 82 per cent of IU students and alumni proactively use formats such as tutorials (public universities: 73 per cent, private universities (excl. IU): 77 per cent). Among IU respondents with disabilities, 91 per cent make use of these services (benchmark: 78 per cent), and among IU respondents from non-academic backgrounds, the figure is just over three-quarters (IU: 76 per cent vs. benchmark: 67 per cent).

“For access to education to be meaningful not just in theory but in practice, more is needed than simply gaining a place at university. Educational equity is achieved where degree programmes are relevant to the labour market, supportive and flexible – and where students can tailor their studies to their individual goals and life circumstances,” says Schütt, summarising the findings of the “University Experience Study 2026”.

See figures 7 - 11 below

ABOUT THE SURVEY

The survey 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, representative in terms of age and gender. The target group was alumni from the last five years, students and university dropouts. The survey was commissioned by IU International University from Kantar Profiles. The data was collected independently by Kantar Profiles in accordance with internal quality standards.

Methodology:

To ensure the best possible comparability between universities, three different comparisons were chosen: a) Comparison of ‘public university vs. private university (excl. IU) vs. IU’ and b) ‘IU vs. benchmark’ and c) Public vs. private universities: In a), IU is compared with public and private universities. Individuals who study or have studied at IU are considered separately and are not assigned to private universities. In IU vs. benchmark (b), public and private universities are combined into one cohort and compared with IU students and alumni. In c), all public and private universities (including IU) are combined into one group.

ABOUT THE NEW STUDENT SURVEY

Since 2024, the New Student Survey has been sent out regularly to all new students commencing a dual or distance-learning programme at IU International University. In addition to demographic details, the survey asks, for example, about students’ motivation for studying, their chosen subjects and their professional backgrounds. In September 2026, a total of n = 3,830 first-year students took part in and completed the survey, including n = 3,530 distance learners (as at 10 September 2026).

[1] [3] IU New Student Survey, first-year students on distance-learning and dual study programmes, survey period 2024 to 2026, as at September 2026, n = 3,830.

[2] IU New Student Survey, first-year distance learning students — this question is only asked of distance learning students; survey period: 2024 to 2026; as at September 2026; n = 3,530.

Erfurt, 24 September 2026. Artificial intelligence is changing not only existing jobs, but also the way people enter working life – and it is doing so in two ways: on the one hand, AI can be an opportunity for a faster career entry; on the other, it is changing classic entry-level tasks. This is also shown by the representative study “AI in the workplace: How can the change succeed?” by IU International University of Applied Sciences, for which a total of 2,000 employees aged 16 to 65 were surveyed between 31 March and 14 April 2026. The sample is representative of the German labour market by age and gender.

Managers in particular see AI as an opportunity to move into more demanding tasks more quickly:

• 39.5 per cent of the employees surveyed somewhat or completely agree with the statement that “AI gives career entrants the opportunity to take on more demanding tasks more quickly”.
• Among managers, agreement is significantly higher, at 47.9 per cent, than among employees without management responsibility (36.8 per cent).

AI is changing classic entry-level tasks

However, the findings also reveal a downside:

• 41.3 per cent of employees somewhat or completely agree with the statement that “AI is taking over tasks that were previously typically carried out by career entrants.”
• Managers share this assessment more often, at 47.9 per cent, than employees without management responsibility (39.1 per cent).

“It’s a paradox. AI can both speed up and hinder career entry. On the one hand, it helps young employees to take on more challenging tasks more quickly. On the other hand, AI is eliminating precisely those routine tasks through which many people gained their initial professional experience, such as research or presentations forming part of consultancy assignments. This makes it all the more important not to overlook career entrants. They need the opportunity to gain practical experience while also developing their AI skills. This is also an investment in the next generation of skilled workers,” explains Prof. Dr. Anne Gfrerer, Professor of Business Informatics at IU International University of Applied Sciences and an academic expert on the study.

AI skills are becoming a basic requirement

When it comes to AI skills, a narrow majority of respondents are certain: “For career entrants, AI skills are becoming a basic requirement in many professional fields.” Overall, 54.9 per cent of employees somewhat or completely agree with this. Managers share this assessment far more often, at 65.6 per cent, than employees without management responsibility (51.5 per cent).

Overall, 41.3 per cent of employees in each case assume that skills such as prompting or the critical evaluation of AI results will become more important in future. There are clear differences here between managers and employees without management responsibility:

• 51.2 per cent of managers expect prompting to become more important in future, while the figure among employees without management responsibility is 38.1 per cent.

A similar picture emerges for the critical evaluation of AI results:

• Here, 49.6 per cent of managers expect this skill to gain in importance, compared with 38.6 per cent of employees without management responsibility.
• At the same time, employees without management responsibility are far more likely than managers to be unable to assess the future importance of these skills.

“The fact that many employees are not yet able to fully assess the importance of these skills shows that companies need to communicate more clearly the skills and working methods that will be in demand in the future. This is the only way employees can prepare specifically for change,” says Prof. Dr. Philipp Diebold, Professor of Business Informatics at IU International University of Applied Sciences and managing director of a consultancy firm.

Hardly any time for AI training

Yet it is precisely this communication that is lacking in many places: 43.9 per cent of employees in Germany had used no working time at all for AI training in the past 12 months (at the time of the survey).

• Almost half of them (47.4 per cent) explain this by saying that AI training is not necessary.
• Just under a quarter (24.0 per cent) state that their own company does not want them to do so, while a fifth (20.6 per cent) cite a lack of time as the reason.

A gap is also apparent when it comes to support from companies:

• According to employees, companies most frequently provide very strong or fairly strong support for training in specialist skills (51.6 per cent) and communication skills (46.0 per cent).
• Critical thinking – an important future skill from the experts’ point of view – is supported far less often (33.6 per cent, very strongly or fairly strongly).

“The current aim in companies is to use AI in a way that adds value. However, the results reveal a contradiction: many employees do not have the time to explore it, while at the same time AI is often not yet regarded as relevant or necessary. Yet AI is actually supposed to lighten the workload, boost efficiency and save time. Instead, it initially ties up resources – particularly when it is simply added on top, instead of existing working methods being adapted to it. This raises the question of whether the current approach is the right one, or whether a targeted change in working methods is needed to create the basis for truly productive use of AI,” says Diebold.

Despite the gaps in training, employees are confident: 81.6 per cent are sure they can acquire new skills on their own.

About the study

The study “AI in the workplace: How can the change succeed?” by IU International University of Applied Sciences examines how artificial intelligence is changing the world of work in Germany and what role leadership and change management play in this. A total of 2,000 employees in Germany aged 16 to 65 were surveyed for the study. The sample is representative of the German labour market by age and gender. The survey was conducted between 31 March and 14 April 2026 (panel: Horizoom).

The full study is available at: www.iu.de/en/research/studies/ai-and-workplace/

AI and Job Readiness at IU

With the Job Readiness Framework (JRF), IU International University of Applied Sciences has developed its own framework to prepare future career entrants specifically for an AI-shaped labour market. The framework combines specialist knowledge, professional competence and the reflective use of artificial intelligence. A five-level competence model makes AI skills systematically measurable for the first time. Graduates can thus demonstrate that they use AI safely, strategically and responsibly in a work context – not merely as tool users, but as active shapers of work processes.

Interview requests

Prof. Dr. Gfrerer and Prof. Dr. Diebold are available for interviews. Please send enquiries to:

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

Munich, 24 September 2026. Amazon has grown rapidly over the past decades and remained consistently successful. But what management principles are actually behind this success – and which of them also work in other companies? In their book, The Secret Playbook, three Amazon insiders reveal for the first time in detail which key management techniques of the world's largest company work and under what conditions they can be transferred.

One of them is Prof. Dr Marc Ebel, Professor of Marketing Management at IU International University of Applied Sciences in Munich. For sixteen years, he was an Amazon manager, where he helped build the Amazon MP3 Store, the one-hour delivery service Prime Now, and Amazon Fresh in Germany. Today, he translates this practical knowledge into research and teaching, preparing students for an innovative and dynamic work environment. Together with Georg Hesse and Amelie Rose, also former Amazon executives, he draws on over 30 years of insider experience and dispels myths and presents effective methods for other companies. The Secret Playbook will be published on 24 September 2026 by Campus Verlag.

The first empirical reality check for Amazon's management methods

What sets The Secret Playbook apart from previous Amazon books is that it doesn't simply describe well-known management principles, but subjects them to an empirical practical test outside the Amazon organisation. To this end, the authors interviewed 57 former top Amazon executives who had taken on leadership roles in other companies after leaving the corporation. The central question: Which methods did they take with them, what worked – and where did approaches fail?

“We didn’t just want to describe what Amazon does differently. The crucial thing is to understand how the methods work in detail, what problem they solve, and what prerequisites are necessary for successful transfer,” explains Prof. Dr Marc Ebel.

The result is 20 readily applicable techniques – each with implementation tips, checklists, scorecards, and probability of success, suitable for both startups and medium-sized businesses. The techniques are categorised according to their potential impact on the organisation – for example, on innovation capacity, customer focus, efficiency, strategic clarity, or personnel decisions. Thus, the book not only demonstrates which methods work, but also identifies the challenges they are suitable for and the conditions under which their implementation is successful.

The book is aimed at managers, entrepreneurs, founders and ambitious employees who want to make their organisation faster, more data-driven and more customer-oriented.

Three surprising insights from the book

The interviews reveal that well-known Amazon principles have varying degrees of success outside the company. Some methods translate well, while others fail due to the organisational constraints.

1. Data beats customer focus: Contrary to popular belief, it's not the famous customer focus that's the most successfully transferred technique, but rather a consistent focus on data and metrics. All 57 former Amazon executives surveyed implemented this approach in their new companies – with the highest success rate of all the methods examined.

2. The paradox of long-term thinking: 90 percent of respondents consider "long-term thinking" vital for Amazon's survival. Outside the company, however, this principle has the highest disappointment rate at almost 40 percent – often because short-term quarterly pressures stifle long-term decisions.

3. PowerPoint ban: For important decisions, Amazon relies on written six-page documents (detailed decision-making documents) instead of traditional PowerPoint presentations. The surveyed former Amazon executives rate the method as particularly effective, but its transfer to other companies often fails due to the significant time investment required to create and read these extensive documents.

“There’s no one-size-fits-all Amazon recipe. Blindly copying management techniques risks achieving the opposite of what you want. The key is to first understand your own problem and then systematically examine which method might be the right solution. That’s precisely what The Secret Playbook aims to help leaders do,” Ebel says.

The online “AMT Finder” provides an initial overview of the management techniques examined and their potential suitability for your own organisation at: https://secretplaybook.de/finder/

Press copies and interviews

We will gladly send you a free sample copy of the book upon request. Furthermore, Prof. Dr Marc Ebel, as an IU expert on topics related to Amazon, management, innovation and digitalisation, is available for interviews.

Please direct inquiries to presse@iu.org.

About the authors

Professor Dr Marc Ebel is a professor of marketing management at IU International University of Applied Sciences in Munich. Previously, he worked at Amazon for 16 years, where he helped build the Amazon MP3 store, the Prime Now one-hour delivery service, and the Amazon Fresh grocery store in Germany. Today, he advises companies on innovation, digitalisation, artificial intelligence, and the Amazon ecosystem.

Georg Hesse worked at Amazon for a total of 15 years, starting in 1999, and was a member of the German leadership team for many years. He subsequently served as CEO of two publicly traded digital companies. Today, he works as an executive and consultant specialising in digital transformation, artificial intelligence, and organisational development. He also serves on the supervisory boards of publicly traded companies and coaches sustainability startups.

Amelie Rose is an independent consultant and interim manager. She works with technology startups and medium-sized company management teams on structures for sustainable growth. At Amazon, she was involved in building a new grocery delivery business. Later, at N26, she implemented and led the strategic Project Management Office for Operations and was responsible for the EU market entry and a multi-million euro funding round in a medtech scale-up.

Bibliographic information

Title: The Secret Playbook

Subtitle: Amazon's management techniques – how they really work and what companies can learn from them

Authors: Marc Ebel, Georg Hesse, Amelie Rose

Publisher: Campus Verlag

Release date: September 24, 2026

Number of pages: 316

https://secretplaybook.de/

At the heart of the new institute's work is a key question for the future: How does the sustained use of artificial intelligence change human judgement, problem-solving skills and professional competence?

“Technology itself is not the bottleneck. What matters is that people learn to use artificial intelligence responsibly, critically assess its outputs and make informed decisions. This is precisely where we see one of the greatest areas of research need in the coming years,” explains Prof. Dr Kamal Bhattacharya, Vice-Rector for Research and Transfer and Professor of Computer Science at IU International University of Applied Sciences.

“With the AI Research Institute at IU, we are now creating the scientific basis for understanding how these competencies develop with sustained AI use and how education can specifically foster them. These are precisely the skills that can be scientifically researched, taught, measured and further developed,” Bhattacharya continues.

AI research under real-world conditions

With more than 130,000 students studying in digital and hybrid learning environments, IU provides the opportunity to investigate human-AI collaboration under real-world conditions, across disciplines and learning contexts and over longer periods of time. This makes it possible to empirically investigate long-term developments in judgement, problem-solving skills and professional competence, rather than focusing solely on short-term effects of AI use.

“Whether nurses, marketing managers or educators, the decisive question in the future will no longer be whether people use AI, but when they can trust it and when a decision needs to be consciously made by a human. We therefore do not just want to investigate what AI can do technically. We want to understand what sustained AI use means for human learning, judgement and professional competence, and how this can create measurable benefits for students and society,” says Institute Director Prof. Dr Thorsten Fröhlich, Professor of IT Management and Big Data at IU International University of Applied Sciences.

Future-oriented research areas

The institute brings together its research in four central areas:

• Human-AI competence: What skills do people need to use AI effectively and critically evaluate its outputs, rather than delegating judgements without reflection?
• Learning, teaching and assessment: How can AI support learning, feedback and assessment in a personalised and scientifically sound way, while maintaining human decision-making authority?
• Work, professions and organisations: How does sustained AI use change professional roles, expert judgements and organisational decision-making processes?
• Responsible human-AI systems: What design principles can be used to create fair and transparent AI systems with an appropriate balance between support and automation?

Four research projects at launch

Four research projects are already being implemented as the institute launches:

• Fairgrade investigates how AI can support the academic assessment of theses. The aim is to make assessment processes more transparent and consistent, while the person responsible for the assessment remains the final decision-maker at all times.
• KI Reflex investigates how a self-developed AI chatbot can support the professional self-reflection of IU distance-learning students. The project analyses user experience, interaction patterns and the didactic integration of the chatbot into the teaching and learning process in distance learning.
• Adaptive Learning investigates how personality traits influence collaboration with AI-based learning environments and how this can lead to more personalised and effective learning opportunities.
• DigiLearn investigates which learning strategies contribute to students' success in distance learning and how personality and life circumstances influence academic success. Based on these findings, the project aims to develop scientifically sound measures to provide targeted support for students and help prevent dropouts.

Research with direct benefits for study and careers

The AI Research Institute combines scientific excellence with concrete practical relevance. Students are involved voluntarily in research projects in compliance with data protection requirements and scientific and ethical standards. The knowledge gained will feed directly into the further development of AI-supported systems at IU, as well as into the design of future work and educational processes.

About the institute

The AI Research Institute at IU International University of Applied Sciences brings together interdisciplinary expertise from artificial intelligence, computer science, education, social sciences and business. As one of three IU Research Institutes, it is designed as a long-term initiative and brings together research, teaching and practice with the aim of translating scientific findings directly into applications for education and the world of work. The institutional framework of the IU Research Institutes is designed for research groups with funding typically provided for five years. In this way, IU creates the conditions for sustainable research with a long-term perspective.

For more information, please visit: AI Research Institute at IU

Contact: thorsten.froehlich@iu.org

Information for interested journalists

For questions, interview requests with the above-mentioned professors as well as image material, please contact the press office of IU International University of Applied Sciences: presse@iu.org

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

The representative “University Experience Study 2026” shows that the majority of students and alumni work faster and more efficiently thanks to AI. Three-quarters of students and alumni at state universities reported this, whilst at private universities (excluding IU) the figure is almost eight in ten. At Germany’s largest private university, IU International University of Applied Sciences, as many as 85 per cent report efficiency gains through AI. Over 4,000 students and graduates were surveyed by Kantar Profiles on behalf of IU International University of Applied Sciences.

AI is part of the curriculum, particularly at private universities

To ensure that skills do not remain abstract, students must practise and apply them in a practical way during their studies. Whilst more than two-thirds of respondents from state universities state that artificial intelligence has found its way into assignments, projects and assessment formats (68 per cent), the figure at private universities (excluding IU) is almost three-quarters (73 per cent). At IU, as many as eight in ten report that AI is an integral part of their studies. Furthermore, the vast majority (83 per cent) of IU students and graduates agree with the statement that they have learnt how to use AI tools effectively. By comparison, the figure is seven in ten at other private universities and two-thirds (67 per cent) at state universities.

“In Germany, we still too often teach in a way that is out of touch with reality. At IU, we have made it our mission to change that – and we are proud that this is resonating with our students and graduates,” says Schütt. “With our personal AI learning assistant Syntea, we have long been demonstrating how AI can be meaningfully integrated into teaching,” says Schütt. “With our Job Readiness Framework, we have also been incorporating fixed AI courses into our curricula as part of a major pilot project since April. In doing so, we are addressing the needs of businesses in a highly practical way: we are teaching today the skills that will be needed on the labour market tomorrow.” In the survey, nine out of ten IU graduates state that they feel confident in using AI tools responsibly, putting them ahead of other universities (benchmark: 73 per cent).

Future skills in higher education to prepare for the job market

Ever since the widespread adoption of generative AI in the workplace, one thing has become clear: repetitive and standardised tasks, in particular, are increasingly being automated (WEF 2025). “Universities must therefore place greater emphasis on equipping students with skills such as critical thinking, problem-solving, communication and digital collaboration,” says Schütt. The vast majority of IU graduates agree:  96 per cent state that their degree has strengthened their future skills (benchmark: 83 per cent). “With these future-oriented skills, we are preparing them for a world of work in which it is not enough to know what AI can do. What is crucial is to understand where humans continue to have the edge – and how they can achieve better results by working together with AI,” says Schütt.

ABOUT THE SURVEY

The survey 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, representative in terms of age and gender.  The target group was alumni from the last five years, students and university dropouts. The survey was commissioned by IU International University from Kantar Profiles. The data was collected independently by Kantar Profiles in accordance with internal quality standards.

Methodology:

To ensure the best possible comparability between universities, three different comparisons were chosen: a) Comparison of ‘public university vs. private university (excl. IU) vs. IU’ and b) ‘IU vs. benchmark’ and c) Public vs. private universities: In a), IU is compared with public and private universities. Individuals who study or have studied at IU are considered separately and are not assigned to private universities. In IU vs. benchmark (b), state and private universities are combined into one cohort and compared with IU students and alumni. In c), all state and private universities (including IU) are combined into one group.

In addition to a reception hosted by the Vice-President of the State Parliament, Berîvan Aymaz, the Institute held discussions on 7 May 2026 with the two governing parliamentary groups, the CDU and Alliance 90/The Greens. On 17 July 2026, a meeting took place with the SPD parliamentary group.

The CDU was represented by Dr Christos Katzidis, spokesperson for home affairs, and Raphael Tigges, spokesperson for science and research.

The discussions with Alliance 90/The Greens involved Dr Julia Höller, spokesperson for home affairs, and Julia Eisentraut, spokesperson for science, digitalisation and further education.

The SPD parliamentary group was represented by Dr Bastian Hartmann, spokesperson on science policy, and Christina Kampmann, spokesperson on home affairs.

Discussions centred on current developments in the field of radicalisation, societal prevention approaches, and opportunities for closer cooperation and ongoing dialogue between the research community and state politics.

Against this backdrop, the topic of media and communication was on the agenda of Hamburg Sustainability Week for the first time. In a sustainability workshop organised by the IU Research Center for Sustainable Media & Marketing (RCSMM), experts from media, communication, and business brought together their perspectives.

Guidance for an industry that is looking for

For companies that use media to communicate with their target groups, the need for guidance to make more responsible decisions is growing. In a keynote address, Eva Nemela (member of the board of the Körber Foundation) highlighted the value of media and journalism for society. Further insights were provided by Prof. Dr Daniel Graewe (Academic Advisory Board IU RCSMM) and by media and advertising professionals from the IU RCSMM board (including NDR Media, Welect, radiozentrale, teads, RMS, 720Health, bvdw/OVK, GWA, iq digital).

Key result: the Sustainable Media Development Goals Map

The first Sustainable Media Development Goals Map was created during the workshop. It aims to help media users, policymakers, and businesses better understand the opportunities and risks of media consumption and to derive more responsible decisions and innovative content formats. The proposed solutions were presented that same evening in the Dome at the Rathausmarkt's Future Garden.

Prof. Dr Lisa-Charlotte Wolter will be happy to provide you with further information and interviews.

Contact

Prof. Dr Lisa Charlotte Wolter
Head of IU Research Center for Sustainable Media & Marketing
lisa-charlotte.wolter@iu.org

About the Research Center for Sustainable Media & Marketing (RCSMM) at IU International University of Applied Sciences

The IU Research Center for Sustainable Media & Marketing, with its interdisciplinary teams, researches and develops sustainable approaches to media and marketing management. This aims to create a foundation for more sustainable decisions in the practical application of media and communication. The Value Media Board promotes the systematic transfer of knowledge between academia and practice.
https://www.iu.de/en/research/projects/research-center-for-sustainable-media-marketing/

About Hamburg Sustainability Week

Hamburg Sustainability Week invites citizens and civil society actors to work together for a week on key challenges facing the city and to make sustainability issues tangible. The goal is to advance local transformation and develop new solutions for the SDGs. https://www.sustainability-conference.org/en/sustainability-week

Erfurt, 1 July 2026. From the first glance after waking to the last scroll before falling asleep: digital devices accompany people in Germany throughout the entire day. This is shown by a new study from IU International University of Applied Sciences. The survey "Always-on: Digital Stress in Germany", for which 2,000 people in Germany were surveyed in January in a sample representative by age and gender, demonstrates: digital habits are deeply embedded in everyday life – often unconsciously and contrary to common sleep hygiene recommendations.

Morning Routine with Smartphones and the Like

For the vast majority of people in Germany, the day begins digitally: according to the IU study, 75.1 per cent of respondents use a digital device within 30 minutes of waking up. More than a third (36.2 per cent) even reach for their smartphone, tablet, laptop, or smartwatch immediately upon waking – as part of the morning routine. This behaviour is particularly pronounced among young people: 86.9 per cent of 16- to 30-year-olds use digital devices within 30 minutes of waking up, and one in two (50.4 per cent) under the age of thirty reaches for their smartphone immediately upon waking.

Sleep Hygiene? Not a Chance

Digital devices are also part of the evening routine: 73.8 per cent of respondents use their smartphone and the like within 30 minutes of going to bed, with 40.4 per cent doing so directly before sleeping. Fewer than one in ten (9.5 per cent) follows common sleep hygiene recommendations and puts digital devices away at least one hour before bedtime. Among young adults under 30, the figures are even more pronounced: 86.3 per cent use digital devices within 30 minutes of going to bed, with more than half (55.9 per cent) doing so directly before sleeping.

"People in Germany are in a state of permanent mental activation – from waking up with a glance at their smartphone to falling asleep with renewed screen time," says Prof. Dr Stefanie André, Professor of Health Management at IU International University of Applied Sciences. "Young adults in particular frequently use their smartphone as a quick emotional regulator. In the long term, however, this can lead to genuine recovery being displaced, stress being amplified, and switching off – especially in the evening – becoming increasingly difficult."

One in Ten Has Their Smartphone Within Reach at All Times

Digital devices are not only present in the morning and evening but pervade everyday life entirely: 62.8 per cent of respondents use their smartphone alongside other activities – such as eating, during conversations, or while watching television. Among young people between 16 and 30, nearly three quarters (73.1 per cent) do so. The IU study also shows: 81.0 per cent of people in Germany check their digital devices at least once or twice an hour – even without a specific notification. Nearly half (47.1 per cent) do so three times or more per hour, and 12.4 per cent have their device within reach at all times.

Looking at age groups, a clear trend emerges: the younger the respondents, the more frequently they reach for their smartphone. 90.6 per cent of 16- to 30-year-olds check their digital devices at least once or twice an hour, with 68.1 per cent doing so three times or more.

The Habit Loop: Habit Rather Than Conscious Use

What drives this intensive use? The results suggest it is often simply habit: 71.3 per cent of respondents check their digital messages or apps out of habit, without any specific reason. Among those under 30, the figure rises to 79.6 per cent.

"With our digital habits, the typical habit loop kicks in. Triggers are often boredom or brief idle moments. This is followed by the routine – namely the automatic reach for the smartphone. The reward is frequently a brief moment of stimulation from something new or social signals. In this way, the brain learns: 'Checking pays off', and the cycle is reinforced with each repetition until the behaviour becomes a long-term habit," explains Prof. Dr. Timo Kortsch, Professor of Business Psychology at IU International University of Applied Sciences.

A further finding: nearly two thirds of respondents (64.6 per cent) state that they use digital devices as a distraction when they are in a bad mood. Among 16- to 30-year-olds, the figure rises to 78.2 per cent.

Perception and Reality: The Control Trap

Although digital devices strongly shape everyday life, many people feel they are in control: nearly three quarters (73.7 per cent) of respondents agree – either somewhat or fully – with the statement: "I feel that I can manage well how much digital devices determine my everyday life." This feeling appears to grow with age: while 57.5 per cent of 16- to 30-year-olds fully or somewhat agree with this statement, the figure is considerably higher at 85.8 per cent among 61- to 65-year-olds.

Overall, it is notable that younger people appear to have less control over their digital usage: 43.3 per cent of young adults up to 30 years of age agree – somewhat or fully – with the following statement: "Without my smartphone within reach, I quickly become restless."

A look at actual usage behaviour significantly qualifies the self-image described above across all age groups:

• 64.6 per cent of all respondents check immediately when a new message or notification arrives.
• 53.2 per cent are constantly unsettled by incoming push notifications.
• 55.9 per cent use their smartphone for longer than planned.
• 52.0 per cent find it difficult to ignore digital notifications.

About the Study

The study "Always-on: Digital Stress in Germany" by IU International University of Applied Sciences examines how constant digital availability shapes everyday life and what effects it has on health, concentration, and quality of life. For the study, 2,000 people in Germany between the ages of 16 and 65 were surveyed. The sample is representative of the German population by age and gender. The survey was conducted between 13 January and 19 January 2026.

The full study is available at:
https://www.iu.de/en/research/studies/iu-study-digital-stress-in-germany/

For Interview Requests with Study Experts Prof. Dr André and Prof. Dr Kortsch

Prof. Dr André and Prof. Dr Kortsch are available for interviews. Please send enquiries to:

Press Office – IU International University of Applied Sciences
E-mail: presse@iu.org
Tel: +49 (0)173/7426 113

What makes this monitor special: For the first time in Germany, the supply and demand for bleisure travel and workation were examined together. A survey of more than 1,000 business travelers and around 300 tourism providers offers comprehensive insights into this growing market segment. The research, conducted by IU International University of Applied Sciences, thus creates, for the first time, a reliable data foundation for destinations, tourism businesses, and employers. The six theses of the "Mainz Impulse" formed the basis for the subsequent discussions in the panel discussion and practical workshop. The key finding: The demand for bleisure travel and workation is already there – in many places, it is developing faster than the corresponding supply.

Market potential already visible today

Bleisure travel has long since arrived in the travel market: Almost half of the business travelers surveyed combine business appointments with private activities and extend their stay by an average of two additional nights. The market potential is around 60 percent of all business travelers.

Workation – working from a holiday destination – is also gaining in popularity. Around a quarter of the business travelers surveyed already have workation experience. The average stay is approximately six days. Destinations with a high quality of stay and good digital infrastructure are particularly sought after.

The results also show that bleisure travel and workation are by no means limited to large cities. Rural regions, in particular, with a high quality of life, attractive natural and leisure activities, and good accessibility, offer conditions that are especially appealing to bleisure and workation travelers.

“The research results show that bleisure travel and workation are no longer niche topics. Especially for federal states like Rhineland-Palatinate, this presents new opportunities to keep business travelers in the destination longer and win them back as future vacationers. The crucial thing now is to strategically tap into this potential through visible offers and strong regional networks,” explains Stefan Zindler, Managing Director of Rhineland-Palatinate Tourism GmbH.

Business trips become the gateway to later vacation trips

Particularly noteworthy is the influence of bleisure and workation on subsequent leisure demand. Travelers who combine work and leisure return to their business travel destination significantly more often than private guests.

While 51 per cent of all business travelers later return for private trips, this figure rises to approximately 64 per cent for both bleisure travel and workation travelers. Business trips are thus increasingly becoming the first point of contact with a destination and can trigger additional, private vacations in the long term. Bleisure travel and workations therefore act as drivers of tourism demand and strengthen tourism's economic value creation far beyond the actual business trip.

Demand is growing faster than supply

In addition to surveying business travelers, tourism providers in Germany were also examined for the first time. The results reveal a significant gap between the existing market potential and market development.

While many businesses recognise the opportunities offered by bleisure and workation – such as increased revenue, improved occupancy rates, or access to new target groups – nearly 80 per cent of accommodation providers lack specific offerings for these groups. Strategically, the topic is also not yet well integrated in many businesses: More than half of the surveyed establishments currently respond to inquiries only on a short-term and situational basis.

“Many destinations and businesses already have these target groups on board without specifically addressing them with bleisure and workation offers. This is precisely where significant growth opportunities lie for tourism in Germany: The guests are already on site – business travelers can become additional leisure guests and repeat visitors,” says Prof. Dr Peter Neumann from IU International University of Applied Sciences.

Employers are becoming new players in tourist demand

Another key finding concerns the role of employers. Many obstacles to bleisure travel and workations lie not with the destinations or companies, but with a lack of regulations or internal company guidelines. Flexible work models are increasingly changing the travel behavior of employees.

For many business travelers, bleisure travel and workation increase the attractiveness of an employer and are increasingly perceived as a feature of modern working conditions.

“Bleisure travel and workation have long since become important drivers of change beyond traditional tourism. This opens up new opportunities, especially for Germany as a conference and congress destination, to make business travel more modern, secure additional added value and sustainably strengthen the competitiveness of our destinations,” says Katja Mailahn, Managing Director of mainzplus GmbH and spokesperson for the Convention Bureau Rhineland-Palatinate.

About the monitor

The "Bleisure & Workation Monitor Germany" is conducted by IU International University of Applied Sciences in collaboration with partner regions and companies. Its aim is to provide scientific support for the development of bleisure travel and workation in Germany and, for the first time, to offer tourism stakeholders a reliable data foundation on market potential, target groups, and product structures. Between 2025 and 2026, the research team, led by Prof. Dr Peter Neumann, Prof. Dr Sven Pastowski, Prof. Dr Claudia Strassburger, and Dr Andreas Zimmer, conducted extensive online surveys, focus groups, and expert interviews with business travelers, tourism service providers, and destination management organisations. The "Bleisure & Workation Monitor Germany" is intended to be continued regularly in the future to provide the tourism industry with current and reliable data on the development of bleisure travel and workation.
Further information can be found at: https://www.bleisure-workation-monitor.de/

Contact person for interviews

Prof. Dr Peter Neumann
Professor of Tourism Management
peter.neumann@iu.org

The study “Leisure Sickness: Exhausted Instead of Well Rested" by IU International University of Applied Sciences shows why recuperation is a challenge for many people: 

• More than half of the employees surveyed (54.4 per cent) state that availability outside working hours impairs their recovery.
• Around a third (33.5 per cent) feel obliged to remain reachable even during their leisure time – rising to 42.6 per cent among those under 25. 

Accordingly, the boundaries between professional and personal life are becoming blurred:

• Nearly half of respondents (47.4 per cent) check work-related emails or messages outside regular working hours.
• More than a third (36.7 per cent) do so even during their holidays.

“The figures show: many employees in Germany fail to find genuine recovery even during their holidays – they remain available, are therefore unable to switch off, become ill, and return exhausted. The phenomenon of leisure sickness makes it clear: those who are under sustained pressure can no longer use even the holiday period as a means of recuperation,” says Prof. Dr Stefanie André, Professor of Health Management at IU International University of Applied Sciences.

Leisure Time Is Valued – Yet Recovery Often Remains Out of Reach

Most employees are well aware of the importance of recovery: 94.1 per cent of respondents view their leisure time as a valuable opportunity to recharge and recuperate. At the same time, the IU study shows how difficult many find this in everyday life:

• 40.1 per cent state that their personal life does not provide sufficient recovery to meet the demands of their professional life.
• 38.4 per cent say that they are unable to switch off properly after work and focus on their leisure time.

“Recovery is not a luxury but a prerequisite for long-term health and performance. When employees struggle to mentally distance themselves from work even during their leisure time, the necessary recuperation to remain sustainably productive is often lacking. Holidays can have their health-promoting effect in particular when recovery is not limited to a few days off but is already supported in everyday life through regular periods of relief, psychological switching off, and well-developed recovery skills,” says André.

About the Study

The study “Leisure Sickness: Exhausted Instead of Rested” by IU International University of Applied Sciences examines the symptoms and causes of leisure sickness, the role of recovery as a counterbalance to work, and possible preventive measures. For the IU study, IU surveyed 2,004 people in Germany between the ages of 16 and 65 who are in employment, in a sample representative by age and gender. The survey was conducted between 24 January 2025 and 6 February 2025. The full study is available at: https://www.iu.de/en/research/studies/leisure-sickness/

Hannover, 18 June 2026. As part of a launch event, IU International University of Applied Sciences founded the Research Institute for Socially Relevant Education (REGE) on 17 June. The new research institute consolidates IU’s academic expertise on societal challenges in the field of education – from social inequality and democratic participation to questions of social cohesion.

The launch event at IU Campus Hannover brought together researchers, practitioners, and representatives from the educational sector and civil society. At the centre of discussions were the current challenges facing educational institutions and the question of how research can have an even greater impact on social and educational policy practice in the future.

“Education is a decisive factor in whether people experience social participation and can help shape democratic processes,” explains Prof. Dr. Okka Zimmermann, Professor of Social Work, who leads the institute together with Prof. Dr. Stefanie Kessler.

Zimmermann adds: “With REGE, we want to make research more visible and strengthen work that contributes concrete impetus for more equitable, democratic, and sustainable educational spaces in society, making research directly applicable.”

Research with Societal Impact

Social polarisation, educational inequality, and growing uncertainties are presenting schools, universities, and social institutions with ever greater challenges. At the same time, the demand is growing for research that connects academic findings with concrete societal questions.

REGE therefore sees itself as an interdisciplinary and practice-oriented research institute. Its aim is to investigate educational processes academically and to make research findings accessible in a way that allows them to flow directly into educational institutions, organisations, and societal debates.

Interdisciplinary Research Approach

To this end, the REGE Institute brings together expertise from the fields of social work, psychology, higher education and educational research, as well as other social science disciplines.

The research team includes Prof. Dr. Stefanie Kessler with a focus on democratic education and organisational learning cultures, Prof. Dr. Okka Zimmermann researching social inequality, transformative education, and gender equity, Prof. Dr. Caroline Trautwein in the area of teaching and learning in higher education, Prof. Dr. Karsten König with a focus on theory-practice transfer and the professionalisation of social professions, as well as Prof. Dr. Ulrike Lichtinger with research focuses on wellbeing in schools and positive education.

Exchange Between Research and Practice

As part of the launch event, the researchers involved presented their current projects and discussed perspectives for socially relevant educational research with the participants.

“Social tensions demonstrate how important education is for democratic cohesion and critical thinking,” says Kessler. “Research institutions such as REGE can provide vital impetus to align educational offerings more closely with societal challenges,” Kessler added.

Strategic Development of Educational Research

The researchers involved in the institute have been collaborating since August 2025 under the auspices of the REsearch Center GEsellschaftsrelevante Bildung (REGE). With the official founding of the institute, the existing research activities are given a long-term institutional framework. At the same time, IU International University of Applied Sciences underscores its strategic commitment to this research field.

“With the new Research Institute, we are creating a permanent structure for socially relevant educational research at IU,” explains Prof. Dr. Kamal Bhattacharya, Vice-Rector for Research and Transfer at IU International University of Applied Sciences. “Our goal is to transfer academic findings more rapidly into educational practice, organisations, and societal debates.”

REGE will in future consolidate and develop research projects on key educational questions at IU. Areas of focus include, inter alia, educational equity and the impact of societal change on education.

Further Information on the Research Institute for Socially Relevant Education:

• Website of the Research Institute for Socially Relevant Education with information on the launch event: https://www.iu.de/forschung/projekte/forschungsinstitut-rege
• Website of the REsearch Center “GEsellschaftsrelevante Bildung”: https://www.iu.de/forschung/projekte/rege/
• Research projects at IU: https://www.iu.de/en/research/

We offer the following for your reporting:

• Sound bites and interview opportunities with the speakers
• Insight into the live-created Sustainable Media Development Goals Map
• Images available upon request

Programme highlights:

• Keynote: Eva Nemela, Executive Director of the Körber Foundation – “The value of media and journalism for our society”
• Impulses: Prof. Dr. Lisa-Charlotte Wolter (Head of IU RCSMM), Prof. Dr. Daniel Graewe (Academic Advisory Board IU RCSMM) and media and advertising professionals of the IU RCSMM Board (including NDR Media, Welect, radiozentrale, teads, RMS, 720Health, bvdw/OVK, GWA)

The key data:

• What: Sustainability workshop “Hamburg shapes the future of the media landscape”
• When: Wednesday, 1 July 2026, 10 am – 1 pm
• Where: Hamburg Chamber of Commerce
• Results presentation: from 6 pm in the Dome in the Future Garden at Rathausmarkt (separate registration requested)

Press registration/accreditation:

until Monday, 29 June 2026
rcsmm@iu.org
Prof. Dr Lisa-Charlotte Wolter
Head of IU Research Center for Sustainable Media & Marketing

We look forward to your visit and are also happy to answer any questions and discuss matters with you outside of the event.

The 61st national award ceremony of the renowned school and youth competition took place from 28 to 31 May 2026 at Schaeffler AG in Herzogenaurach, for which 159 young researchers had qualified. In total, over 11,000 young researchers registered for Jugend forscht 2026 with more than 6,000 projects.

The AI Special Prize was presented to the winner by Prof. Dr Kamal Bhattacharya, Vice-Rector for Research and Transfer at IU. Prior to this, the IU had already awarded 16 AI Special Prizes at the Jugend forscht regional competitions. The IU awards the Special Prize at national level with a cash prize of 1,000 euros, thereby specifically supporting young talents who use AI responsibly and whose projects deliver social added value.
 

AI Special Prize at the National Final for the ‘Jacob’ language model 

With his project ‘Jacob’, winner Magnus Schlinsog developed an AI language model that uses artificial intelligence to convert texts into Easy Language. The aim is to make information more accessible to people who rely on language that is easy to understand. To achieve this, Schlinsog trained an existing model using prepared examples in Easy Language and verified the results, partly through feedback from the target group. The jury recognised the project as a particularly innovative example of the responsible and socially relevant use of artificial intelligence. Magnus Schlinsog had already impressed at regional level with his project, winning the AI Special Prize in Brandenburg. He is now building on this success. “On behalf of the IU, I warmly congratulate Magnus Schlinsog on this outstanding achievement,” says Prof. Dr Bhattacharya. 

IU: Learning to work with AI as early as possible 

As Germany’s largest University of Applied Sciences and a pioneer in integrating AI skills into degree programmes, IU is convinced that anyone who wants to shape the future must understand AI and be able to use it responsibly – in academia, in the workplace and beyond. For this reason, IU has been using the AI-powered learning companion Syntea since 2023 and systematically integrates AI skills into its university curricula using its proprietary Job Readiness Framework. “We see the added value of AI skills in students every day in our university operations. The sooner teenagers and young adults understand where AI helps them and in which tasks humans remain indispensable, the better – for themselves and their starting position when entering the workforce, but also for academic projects,” says Prof. Dr Bhattacharya. 

ABOUT THE FOUNDATION JUGEND FORSCHT E. V. 

Jugend forscht is Germany’s best-known competition for young talent and a joint initiative of the federal government, the federal states, stern magazine, industry, academia and schools. Every year, Jugend forscht organises 130 competitions across Germany to inspire young people to take an interest in mathematics, computer science, natural sciences and technology (MINT), to identify talent at an early stage and to provide targeted support. Jugend forscht is aimed at children and young people up to the age of 21. Participants choose their own research question, which they tackle using scientific, technical or mathematical methods. Cash and non-cash prizes worth over one million euros are awarded in each round of the competition. The Jugend forscht network, with around 250 partners, is the largest public-private partnership of its kind in Germany. More than 5,000 teachers support Jugend forscht on a voluntary basis as project supervisors and competition organisers, whilst over 3,000 subject teachers, university lecturers and experts from industry serve on the judging panels. 
For more information on Jugend forscht, visit: Jugend-forscht.de 

Erfurt, 21 May 2026. Always-on rather than switching off: People in Germany find themselves in a state of permanent digital readiness. This is shown by a new representative study from IU International University of Applied Sciences. The IU study "Always-on: Digital Stress in Germany" demonstrates that 44.2 per cent of respondents feel they are mentally 'on standby' all the time; 46.9 per cent feel mentally tense even when they actually want to switch off. The younger the respondents, the more frequently they report experiencing such always-on patterns.

According to the IU study, permanent digital readiness shapes the entire daily lives of people in Germany: 81.0 per cent look at their smartphone, tablet or laptop at least once or twice an hour – even without specific notifications. This behaviour is particularly pronounced amongst young people: 90.6 per cent of 16- to 30-year-olds check their digital devices at least once or twice an hour, whilst 68.1 per cent do so at least three times.

From constant mental activation to digital exhaustion

This permanent availability can have consequences: 32.0 per cent of respondents frequently or even daily feel emotionally or mentally exhausted by the end of the day. 31.9 per cent report frequent or daily problems falling asleep or staying asleep. Women are particularly affected by exhaustion and sleep problems (38.5 and 38.6 per cent respectively).

"The results show that we are "always on" in our everyday lives: our minds are constantly active from the moment we wake up until we fall asleep: throughout work, family life and our daily routines. Many people want to spend more time offline, but find it difficult to do so due to the way their lives are structured. This is not merely an individual issue of self-management, but a societal pattern of stress, with health and economic consequences" explains Prof. Dr Stefanie André, Professor of Health Management at IU International University of Applied Sciences.

Discrepancy between desire and reality

More than half of respondents (56.0 per cent) state that they would like to be offline more frequently.

What prevents people from switching off? The IU study shows that:

• 42.2 per cent of employees feel they must be permanently available in both their professional and private daily lives;
• 32.9 per cent of employees feel obliged to be available outside working hours as well;
• and 56.2 per cent of people in Germany feel that their social environment expects them to respond promptly to digital messages; for 22.3 per cent, their environment does not accept failure to respond immediately to digital messages.

"More than half of the respondents would like to spend more time offline but are unable to do so. This does not indicate a lack of awareness, but rather intense external pressure: social norms, the need to be available for work and the fear of missing out (FOMO). Underlying this are complex psychological mechanisms that go beyond individual behaviour" states Prof. Dr Timo Kortsch, Professor of Business Psychology at IU International University of Applied Sciences.

Fragmented attention: Digital disruptions as a stress factor

The pressure behind constant digital availability and digital distraction bring concentration problems with them:

• 51.7 per cent state that their attention constantly jumps between different things.
• 37.2 per cent quickly lose their train of thought when interrupted by digital messages.
• 44.3 per cent of respondents feel overwhelmed by the volume of digital information.

Younger people and women particularly affected

The IU study reveals differences by gender and age: Women more frequently experience negative effects from digital availability than men – they more often report being easily distracted (40.3 vs 29.9 per cent) and being dependent on digital media (31.6 vs 20.3 per cent).

Regarding the source of the strongest pressure to be available, women (43.3 per cent) cite family more frequently than men (37.5 per cent), whilst men more often feel pressure from work regarding availability (33.7 per cent: men vs 27.2 per cent: women).

"We're all familiar with message-read confirmations and the anticipation that comes with them, wondering when we'll finally get a reply. As a result, many people feel not only the pressure to be available but also to respond promptly. This pressure to live up to expectations is particularly high within the family context – especially for women, who in many households still bear the brunt of the mental strain associated with caregiving and day-to-day organisation", explains Prof. Dr André.

Amongst young people aged 16 to 30, permanent digital readiness is particularly pronounced: Nearly half (48.6 per cent) of respondents are afraid of missing something important (FOMO) when they are offline.

What helps against digital stress?

The most frequently cited helpful measures against digital stress¹ according to people in Germany are: switching off push notifications (38.4 per cent), activating "do not disturb" mode (29.5 per cent) and physical activity or sport – completely without digital devices (28.7 per cent).

About the study

The study "Always-on: Digital Stress in Germany" from IU International University of Applied Sciences examines how constant digital availability shapes daily life and what effects it has on health, concentration and quality of life. For the study, 2,000 people in Germany aged 16 to 65 were surveyed. The sample is representative of the German population by age and gender. The survey was conducted between 13 January and 19 January 2026.

The complete study is available at: https://www.iu.de/en/research/studies/iu-study-digital-stress-in-germany/

For interview requests with the study experts Prof. Dr. André and Prof. Dr. Kortsch

Prof. Dr. André and Prof. Dr. Kortsch are available for interviews upon request. Please direct inquiries to:

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

ABOUT IU INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF APPLIED SCIENCES

With nearly 130,000 students, IU International University of Applied Sciences (IU) is the largest university in Germany. The private, state-recognised educational institution, based in Erfurt, began teaching in 2000 and now has 37 campuses. IU stands for maximum flexibility in study: whether through dual study, distance learning or on campus – students from over 160 nations tailor their educational path to suit their individual circumstances. With more than 200 degree programmes at bachelor's, master's and MBA level, IU imparts practical skills. Innovative learning concepts foster targeted, future-proof skills for an increasingly AI-driven world of work. A modern, digitally supported learning environment and the use of artificial intelligence enable effective, personalised learning. As a pioneer in this field, IU has developed its own digital learning companion, 'Syntea', which has been in use since 2023. A network of over 15,000 companies – including Motel One, Vodafone, AWO and Deutsche Bahn – makes IU a strong partner in the training of skilled workers and consistently links academic teaching with practical experience. Further information at: iu.org

Erfurt, 7 May 2026. In 2026, IU International University of Applied Sciences will sponsor the “Artificial Intelligence Special Prize” at the prestigious Jugend forscht competition for school pupils and young people, which will be awarded for the first time this year. With this special prize, the university is establishing an award for outstanding projects in the field of artificial intelligence. In the regional competitions of Jugend forscht, 16 projects have already been awarded an AI prize. From 28 to 31 May 2026, the regional winners, including the recipients of the “Artificial Intelligence” Special Prize, will take part in the 61st national final at Schaeffler AG in Herzogenaurach.

“Young talents who are exploring the positive and responsible use of artificial intelligence should be given special support. They represent the future for Germany as a centre of research and innovation,” says Dr Kamal Bhattacharya, Vice-Rector for Research and Transfer and Professor of Computer Science at IU, and its patron for the AI Special Prize at Jugend forscht. “We at IU are delighted to be making a contribution to this by launching a special AI prize in collaboration with Germany’s best-known competition for young researchers.”

IU sees itself as a pioneer in integrating artificial intelligence into its courses and teaching. Since 2023, IU has been using the AI-powered learning companion Syntea, which supports over 90,000 distance learners and trains them in the professional use of AI. With the Job Readiness Framework , IU has also recently created a framework for teaching that specifically prepares students for an AI-driven job market.

Award-winning AI projects that add value to research and society

By establishing the special AI prizes at Jugend forscht, the IU is specifically supporting young talents who view AI as a key interdisciplinary skill in their projects and who make a contribution to society. Sixteen projects from the fields of technology, mathematics/computer science, earth and spatial sciences, the world of work, biology and chemistry have already met these criteria in the regional competitions.

One example is the “Jacob” project by Magnus Schlinsog (18) from Humboldt-Gymnasium Potsdam. He developed an AI language model that masters the rules of “easy language”, thereby making it easier for people with learning difficulties to access AI applications. The project is a powerful example of digital inclusion and education for all, key priorities for the IU. Magnus was awarded first prize in the mathematics/computer science category in Brandenburg, as well as a special prize for artificial intelligence.

Elena Reinhold (18) and Fiona Feike (17) from Eichsfeld Gymnasium in Duderstadt carried out research as part of the project: “Real, AI or Fake? Artificial Intelligence and its Role in Fake News,” looking at how well people can distinguish between genuine news, AI-generated texts and fake news. This is a topic that has also recently been researched at the IU: according to a representative IU study from 2025, 90 per cent of respondents now regard fake news as a serious threat to democracy and freedom. Developing media literacy and dealing effectively with disinformation are therefore key priorities for the IU. Elena and Fiona were awarded second prize in the ‘Working World’ category in Lower Saxony, the special prize for Artificial Intelligence and the special prize from the Lower Saxony Ministry of Education and Cultural Affairs. These awards underscore the project’s high social relevance.  

“On behalf of the IU, I would like to offer my warmest congratulations to all the regional winners of Jugend forscht! It is impressive to see the depth of specialist knowledge with which young people are already exploring AI today, and how their projects have demonstrated that their research can solve scientific, social and economic problems,” says Dr Bhattacharya. “I am eager to see which of the numerous AI-related projects will take home the national title – the range is vast. I wish all participants every success!”

In total, over 11,000 young researchers have registered for Jugend forscht 2026 with more than 6,000 projects. The IU is awarding a special AI prize of 1,000 euros at the national final, for which all state winners have qualified in their respective fields.

Overview: AI Special Prize winners in the regional rounds of the Jugend forscht 2026 competition

About the study

The study "Fact or Fake? Media Literacy in Germany" by IU International University of Applied Sciences (IU) examines people's trust in the media, the role of social media, and fake news and deepfakes and their impact. For the IU study, 1,999 people in Germany aged 16 to 65 were surveyed, representative of their age and gender. The survey took place from 14 to 25 April 2025. 

Complete study at: https://www.iu.de/en/research/studies/media-literacy/

About the foundation Jugend forscht e. V. 

Jugend forscht is Germany’s best-known competition for young talent and a joint initiative of the federal government, the federal states, stern magazine, industry, academia and schools. Every year, Jugend forscht organises 130 competitions across Germany to inspire young people to take an interest in mathematics, computer science, natural sciences and technology (MINT), to identify talent at an early stage and to provide targeted support. Jugend forscht is aimed at children and young people up to the age of 21. Participants choose their own research question, which they tackle using scientific, technical or mathematical methods. Cash and non-cash prizes worth over one million euros are awarded in each round of the competition. The Jugend forscht network, with around 250 partners, is the largest public-private partnership of its kind in Germany. More than 5,000 teachers support Jugend forscht on a voluntary basis as project supervisors and competition organisers, whilst over 3,000 subject teachers, university lecturers and experts from industry serve on the judging panels.

For more information on Jugend forscht, visit: Jugend-forscht.de

Erfurt, 18 March 2026. Acquiring the skills that are really in demand on the job market as early as possible is becoming even more crucial, especially against the backdrop of a tight labour market (BMAS January 2026). A strong practical focus in your studies can be a major lever for a successful career start. The representative study ‘University Experience Study 2026’ found that 81 percent of graduates and students at private universities (excl. IU) appreciate the close integration of teaching and practical experience – at IU International University, the figure is almost 9 out of 10 (86 per cent). Among students and graduates of state universities, the figure is slightly more than three-quarters (78 per cent). Kantar Profiles surveyed over 4,000 students and graduates on behalf of IU International University of Applied Sciences.

“Private universities are a useful addition to the state university system and make a valuable contribution, particularly in terms of integrating study and work,” says Dr Sven Schütt, CEO of IU, Germany's largest university.

High satisfaction with quality and career support

Financed by public funds, state universities form the foundation of the German educational landscape. Around 2.4 million students are enrolled at state universities, and around 384,000 at private universities (as of the 2024/25 winter semester, Federal Statistical Office/CHE). Overall, the quality of teaching at Germany's universities enjoys a high level of satisfaction at both state and private universities: courses are rated positively by the majority of students and graduates surveyed (state universities: 85 per cent, private universities (excl. IU): 84 per cent) ) and they are also satisfied with the lecturers and professors (public universities: 85 per cent, private universities (excl. IU): 86 per cent) –  a strong sign for the higher education landscape in Germany as a whole. With satisfaction ratings of 91 per cent, IU is above the average for private and public universities. Most students and alumni are also satisfied with the organisation of their university overall. At 86 per cent, IU has the highest satisfaction rating in the comparison – ahead of state universities (80 per cent) and private universities (excl. IU) (82 per cent). “We attach great importance to the smooth running of our studies,” emphasises Schütt.

Private universities in particular have another strength in their proximity to the labour market and in the individual support they offer students. This is also the case at IU: 82 per cent of students and alumni perceive the support they receive or have received in starting their careers positively (benchmark: 77 per cent), and among alumni, the figure is almost nine out of ten respondents (IU: 87 per cent vs. benchmark: 77 per cent).

“No matter which educational path students choose, practical relevance and labour market-oriented training are popular – not only with companies, but also with students and graduates,” says Schütt. “At IU, we not only strengthen the potential of each and every individual by focusing on practical, high-quality teaching, but also Germany's economy by imparting digital skills for tomorrow's labour market.”

      _
 

Graduates from IU enter the workforce earlier and receive more frequent pay rises

The attractiveness of people with a degree to the job market is particularly evident in how quickly they find a job or see changes in their salary. At IU, graduates find a job within an average of 2.63 months after graduation, which is about one month faster than graduates from other universities in the survey (benchmark: 3.69).

The added value of a degree is also often reflected in the pay packet: at IU, the average salary increase among graduates is 12 per cent since completing their studies – among the other universities, the average is 9 per cent. The vast majority of respondents agree: their studies have paid off. 84 per cent of all students and graduates from private and state universities say that their investment has been worthwhile. At IU, the figure is 89 per cent.

“Even in the face of a challenging labour market situation, we at IU firmly believe that good, labour market-oriented and high-quality education and training is essential – for starting a job and furthering your career,” says Schütt.

      _
 

      _
 

       _
 

ABOUT THE SURVEY

The survey 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, representative in terms of age and gender.  The target group was alumni from the last five years, students and university dropouts. The survey was commissioned by IU International University from Kantar Profiles. The data was collected independently by Kantar Profiles in accordance with internal quality standards.

Methodology:

To ensure the best possible comparability between universities, three different comparisons were chosen: a) Comparison of ‘public university vs. private university (excl. IU) vs. IU’ and b) ‘IU vs. benchmark’ and c) Public vs. private universities: In a), IU is compared with public and private universities. Individuals who study or have studied at IU are considered separately and are not assigned to private universities. In IU vs. benchmark (b), state and private universities are combined into one cohort and compared with IU students and alumni. In c), all state and private universities (including IU) are combined into one group.

IU International University of Applied Sciences achieves several top rankings in the comparison. It scores highest in recruiting attractiveness: 64 per cent of surveyed employers rate IU as "attractive" (ahead of Euro-FH with 62 per cent). IU also leads in satisfaction with the performance and skills of its graduates, with an average score of 3.52 (on a scale of -5 to +5) – tied with Onlineplus (Fresenius University of Applied Sciences) and ahead of the Baden-Württemberg Cooperative State University (DHBW). Euro-FH has the highest brand awareness among employers among the surveyed universities (48 per cent), followed by FernUniversität Hagen (46 per cent) and IU (42 per cent).

Among employers who know IU graduates from their practical experience, 69 per cent state that they prefer them in recruitment. 93 per cent of these employers are satisfied with their performance. Frequently cited strengths include teamwork (78 per cent), digital and AI-related skills (77 per cent), and practical experience (76 per cent).

Sven Schütt: "The study makes the contribution of education to the labour market measurable."

Dr Sven Schütt, CEO of IU International University of Applied Sciences, says: “This study makes the contribution of education to the labour market measurable. For the first time, it demonstrates the concrete value that students from private universities bring to the job market. We see the results as proof of the quality of our education. When employers particularly highlight our graduates for their digital and AI skills, their teamwork abilities, and their practical experience, it's a strong indication that our study model is effective. The very positive results for IU encourage us to continue preparing our students for the job market of tomorrow using modern learning methods and to equip them with the future skills that businesses are demanding.”

Labour market: Shortages and increasing demand for future skills

The survey results come at a time of a persistently tight labor market: According to the DIHK Skilled Workers Report 2025/26, 36 per cent of companies are unable to fill at least some of their open positions. The gap is particularly acute for IT specialists: According to Bitkom, the German economy is currently lacking approximately 109,000 IT specialists. 85 per cent of companies report a shortage of qualified IT personnel. Against this backdrop, the role of private universities as a complement to the public higher education landscape is growing: In the 2023/24 winter semester, around 13 per cent of all students were already enrolled at private universities.

Employability Benchmark 2025: Key Findings at a Glance

Attractiveness in recruiting – comparison 
(percentage of "attractive" candidates)

• IU: 64%

• Euro-FH: 62%

• Onlineplus (Fresenius University of Applied Sciences): 57%

• FernUni Hagen: 56%

• FOM: 56%

• DHBW: 55%

• SRH Mobile University: 52%

Average attractiveness rating in recruiting 
(-5 to +5)

• IU: Ø 2.88

• FernUni Hagen: Ø 2.80

• Euro-FH: Ø 2.79

• FOM: Ø 2.75

• Onlineplus (Fresenius University of Applied Sciences): Ø 2.74

• DHBW: Ø 2.73

• SRH Mobile University: Ø 2.70

Benchmark: Ø 2.75

Satisfaction with the achievements and skills of the graduates:
(Comparison scale - 5 to + 5)

• IU: Ø 3.52

• OnlinePlus (Fresenius University of Applied Sciences): Ø 3.52

• DHBW: Ø 3.48

• FOM: Ø 3.32

• Euro-FH: Ø 3.26

• FernUni Hagen: Ø 3.25

• SRH Mobile University: Ø 3.20

Benchmark: Ø 3.34

Employer brand awareness

• Euro-FH: 48%

• FernUni Hagen: 46%

• IU: 42%

• Onlineplus (Fresenius University of Applied Sciences) 33%

• FOM: 27%

• DHBW: 25%

• SRH Mobile University: 17%

ABOUT THE STUDY

The survey was conducted by Kantar Profiles from August 27, 2025 to September 15, 2025. 689 HR managers and decision-makers in German companies of varying sizes and industries were surveyed. The target group consisted of HR managers and executives with personnel responsibilities from companies of all sizes and sectors in Germany; the survey was conducted online (CAWI). The study was commissioned by IU International University of Applied Sciences and independently carried out by Kantar Profiles.

Erfurt, 5 February 2026. Extension of the working week to 48 hours and the abolition of part-time work without caregiving responsibilities: working time models are currently at the center of the political debate. According to the new representative study by IU International University of Applied Sciences, "Future working time models: longer hours vs quality of life?", 73.5 per cent of respondents state that a 48-hour week would have a "rather negative" or "very negative" impact on their lives.

Among the expected impacts on their own lives, negative aspects predominate:

• "Insufficient time for family and friends" (53.7 per cent),
• "Reduction in personal quality of life" (51.7 per cent),
• "Insufficient time for hobbies, sport, as well as personal projects and to-dos" (49.5 per cent),
• Health concerns such as an "increase in physical problems/illnesses" (46.8 per cent), and
• An "increase in psychological problems/illnesses" (43.5 per cent).

Furthermore, a further 38.2 per cent expect to have "insufficient time for care work (e.g. housework, childcare, caring for relatives)" due to a 48-hour week.

Only at position 11, with 16.7 per cent, is the first positive aspect mentioned: the "possibility of responding to spontaneously increased workload". This is followed by "more flexibility in working hours" with 15.0 per cent. Moreover, one in twelve (8.2 per cent) states that they could fulfil their "wish to advance the economic situation through increased work" through the 48-hour week.

Negative effects are also expected with regard to work quality:

• 42.9 percent fear an "increased risk of errors due to declining concentration and performance."
• 33.6 percent see a "reduction in productivity at work."

Additionally, 84.8 per cent agree completely or somewhat with the statement: "A daily working time of up to twelve hours on individual days within a maximum 48-hour week would lead to more errors, as concentration and performance decline throughout the day."

"The key question is not whether we work more or less, but how we can make work future-proof. Longer working hours have been shown to increase errors – more hours do not automatically mean greater productivity. The results clearly show that an extension of working hours would be rejected. Therefore, more efficient processes, a modern work culture and flexible models that meet economic requirements while also taking into account professional and private life and physical and mental health are more important for future viability," says Malte Martensen, Professor of General Business Administration with a focus on Human Resources Management and Organisation at IU International University of Applied Sciences, interpreting the results.

Full-time work remains popular, as does the 4-day week

When asked which working time model best suits their own life situation, 44.7 per cent cite the classic full-time model with 35 to 40 hours per week.

The 4-day week comes in second place with 33.9 per cent – a model with 32 hours over four days at full salary and full-time requirements for work output.

Just under one fifth of respondents (18.5 per cent) prefer a traditional part-time position with fewer than 35 hours per week.

4-day week: One-third expects increased productivity

In line with the above-mentioned preference for the 4-day week, 83.2 per cent of people who work 32 hours or more assess the impact of this model on their lives as "very positive" or "rather positive". It is important to note here that 8.5 per cent stated that the model is not feasible in their profession.

Regarding the expected impacts on their own lives, positive aspects dominate: "More time for family and friends" is mentioned most frequently (59.5 per cent). This is followed by "More time for hobbies, sport, personal projects/to-dos" at 56.1 per cent, "More rest in one go" at 54.8 per cent, and "Increase in personal quality of life and satisfaction through an additional day off" at 53.8 per cent.

A professional advantage is also expected: "Increasing productivity on working days" is mentioned by 38.0 per cent of respondents.

Further 16.7 per cent of respondents fear that pressure will increase to complete tasks in the shorter time. One in ten (10 per cent) sees a risk of errors due to declining concentration. It is also interesting to note that one per cent already work in the 4-day model.

"The results of the study clearly show that the majority of the respondents would prefer shorter working hours. Models such as the 4-day week are viewed particularly positively, as they allow more time for family, leisure or important voluntary work. This is accompanied by increased productivity on working days. These findings can provide guidance when it comes to designing working time models that are fit for the future," says Martensen.

¹ Definition: 4-day week: The 4-day week describes a working time model in which employees work 32 hours per week but receive full pay and meet all work performance requirements. This model allows work tasks to be spread over 4 days, while the fifth day can be used for recreation, family, hobbies, voluntary work, etc. Many companies have tested or are currently testing the 4-day week as a pilot project to evaluate its effects on productivity, employee satisfaction and work-life balance.

² Definition: 48-hour week: The 48-hour week outlined in the coalition agreement refers to a working time model in which the maximum daily working time currently applicable in Germany (usually 8 hours per day or, at times, up to 10 hours per day) is to be replaced by a weekly upper limit. Employees could then work up to 48 hours per week, and up to 12 hours or more on individual days, for example, provided they work correspondingly fewer hours on other days. Salaries stay the same, as long as the contractually agreed working hours are not increased.

About the study

The study "Future working time models: longer hours vs quality of life?" by IU International University of Applied Sciences examines how employees in Germany assess different working time models – particularly against the background of the current political debate about a possible extension of the maximum weekly working hours. The focus is on the expected effects of a 48-hour week as well as an alternative full-time model of the 4-day week on quality of life, health and productivity. For the study, 2,000 employees in Germany aged 16 to 65 were surveyed. The sample is representative of the German labour market by age and gender. The survey was conducted between 10 November and 16 November 2025.

The complete study is available at: https://www.iu.de/en/research/studies/future-working-time-models/

Business travel is changing – and with it, the boundaries between work and leisure. Initial findings from the "Bleisure & Workation Monitor Germany" by IU International University of Applied Sciences show that bleisure travel, the combination of business travel and private extension, is already significantly more widespread in tourism practice than previously assumed.

For the current survey, over 1,000 tourism businesses across Germany were invited to participate. Nearly 300 usable questionnaires form the basis of these initial findings. These show that bleisure travel is already common practice among business travelers, even if many tourism businesses have not yet consciously recognised this type of travel as a distinct product. Supply and demand are developing more dynamically than current public discourse suggests.

Around two-thirds of businesses report having already hosted guests who used bleisure travel or workation (working while on vacation). Bleisure travel clearly dominates: More than half of the accommodation providers report such guests who extended their business trip for personal reasons. Bleisure travel thus generates additional value for both businesses and destinations without necessarily creating new cost structures. From a business perspective, this represents considerable, yet largely untapped, potential.

At the same time, the initial results reveal structural deficiencies: Only about a quarter of the establishments that have already hosted bleisure guests have explicitly formulated offers. In many cases, bleisure arises more spontaneously than strategically. Classic package deals, clear pricing structures, or systematic collaborations are currently rather the exception.

The picture regarding workation is more nuanced. The surveyed companies initially use the term "workation" less explicitly than "bleisure travel." At the same time, it becomes clear that some companies address both forms of hybrid travel simultaneously or do not clearly distinguish between them.

Furthermore, bleisure travel and workation are currently mostly marketed only on a company-specific basis. Destination-level actors such as destination management organisations or convention bureaus play only a minor role so far – even though almost 70 per cent of businesses assume that a sustainable market cannot emerge without local networks and coordinated approaches.

The results presented here offer an initial insight. A more in-depth analysis with regional evaluations and concrete recommendations for businesses, destinations, and policymakers will follow with the publication of the complete study in summer 2026.

About the project

The Bleisure & Workation Monitor Germany is a joint research project by three professors from IU International University of Applied Sciences, specialising in hospitality, tourism & events, and economics. Its aim is to establish a long-term database on new hybrid forms of travel at the intersection of work, leisure, and vacation.

Contact person

Prof. Dr Peter Neumann
Professor of Tourism Economics
peter.neumann@iu.org

Prof. Dr Sven Pastowski
Professorship General Business Administration
sven.pastowski@iu.org

Prof. Dr Andreas Zimmer
Professorship in Tourism Management
andreas.zimmer@iu.org

Further information can be found at: https://www.bleisure-workation-monitor.de/

Dresden, 16 January 2026. As part of the ZuKo4Saxony research project, IU International University of Applied Sciences, together with its project partners, is developing learning content for a digital platform that will enable small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Saxony to specifically impart to dual-study students those future skills that are becoming indispensable in an increasingly digital, dynamic working world.

Dual study models, such as those offered by IU in Dresden and Leipzig, provide practical experience from day one – but small and micro-enterprises in particular often face the challenge of lacking the necessary capacities and structures to support students in a future-oriented way during their practical phases.

While large companies maintain dedicated departments and establish internal programmes for this purpose, smaller businesses often lack the time, systemic training tools, and awareness of sustainable and strategic resource allocation. This is precisely where ZuKo4Saxony comes in. The project, funded by the European Social Fund and the Free State of Saxony, is being implemented jointly under the leadership of the Dresden University of Technology (TUD), together with IU International University of Applied Sciences, the Mittweida University of Applied Sciences (MIKOMI), and the TU Dresden Institute of Further and Continuous Education GmbH (TUDFaCE). Within the project, IU, under the direction of Prof. Dr Helge Fischer, Ulrike Schroer, and Sophie Hollmann, is responsible for developing the subject matter and concepts for future skills and for the direct involvement of the practical partners.

“The aim of the project is to develop an innovative and modular digital learning platform that offers companies quick, flexible, and practical access to relevant future skills,” says Prof. Dr Helge Fischer. “Pure specialist knowledge and traditional qualifications alone will no longer be sufficient in the long run. We want to enable SMEs to sustainably improve the quality, support, and professional development of their students. This strengthens both their competitiveness and their attractiveness as employers.”

Future Skills – Requirements of a New Working World

Digitalisation, globalisation, and demographic change will require new skills in the future to remain competitive in complex work structures. While the term "future skills" is established in academic circles, many SMEs still lack a concrete practical application. ZuKo4Saxony is the first to systematically transfer this concept to Saxony's SMEs.

As part of the first phase of the project, a comprehensive empirical survey was conducted among 113 Saxon SMEs, providing essential insights into their challenges and needs.

Small and medium-sized enterprises in Saxony see the highest relevance in skills such as self-management/reflection, ambiguity and problem-solving ability combined with strong communication and cooperation skills.

In a more in-depth analysis, Saxon SMEs consider the following skills to be extremely relevant for remaining competitive in the future:

• Dimension 1: Subject-development-related competencies
  Here, self-reflection (96 per cent), intrinsic motivation (96 per cent), adaptability (96 per cent), self-directed learning (95 per cent) and willingness to take responsibility (93 per cent) are the supporting pillars for future viability.
• Dimension 2: Individual-object-related competencies
  Here, problem-solving (96 per cent), information literacy (93 per cent), flexibility (91 per cent), creativity & innovative thinking (86 per cent) stand out.
• Dimension 3: Organization-related competencies
  Teamwork skills (96 per cent), dialogue/consensus and criticism skills (93 per cent each), language skills (92 per cent) and social intelligence (91 per cent) are key levers for SMEs in Saxony.

It also becomes clear that SMEs need practical, digital, and work-integrated training formats. Project-oriented work and digital learning opportunities are particularly highly valued by over 80 per cent of companies. Interactive and subject-focused online formats, videos, and lectures are the preferred learning methods. For half of the respondents, collaboration with universities is also relevant. Further results can be found in the white paper accompanying the study (conducted by TUDFaCE).

The results of the first project phase are directly incorporated into the development of the digital learning content.

Practical benefits for SMEs

ZuKo4Saxony is specifically aimed at small and medium-sized enterprises in Saxony that want to offer modern skills development without significant financial or organisational effort. The digital learning platform is designed to support them in providing needs-based support for dual-study students, actively shaping transformation, and retaining skilled workers in the long term.

The project makes a significant contribution to strengthening Saxony's small and medium-sized enterprises for future challenges and further expanding the attractiveness of dual study models.

SMEs sought for pilot phase

Companies in Saxony are invited to test the learning platform in advance and actively participate in its further development until its official launch. All employees – regardless of level or function – will have full access to the training content. The project team will gather feedback on the platform through a short evaluation at the beginning and end of the trial period. The first test run will begin in February. The official launch of the learning environment is planned for 2027.  

Those interested can find further information and the opportunity to register at: https://www.zuko4saxony.de/

The project managers are happy to be available for interviews and background discussions. Please send your inquiries to zuko4saxony@iu.org.

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/

The transformation of the construction industry requires a radical rethink

The construction sector worldwide is facing profound change: resource scarcity, climate change, and societal shifts demand a radical rethinking of planning, material selection, and construction processes. What role do experimental approaches, real-world laboratories, or circular value chains play in this transformation of the construction industry? How can ecological, economic, and social aspects be integrated in practice? How can research findings be successfully transferred into built reality? And how does this change aesthetics and architectural culture?

The invited speakers will present inspiring projects, introduce the latest research findings and discuss approaches – from the development of circular materials to digital planning processes and built examples of sustainable architecture.

Dates & Topics

(all lectures are held in German)

January 16, 2026, 2:00 PM
Systemic transformation for the construction revolution
Martin Bittmann & Julia Dorn (BuildSystems, Munich)

January 16, 2026, 4:00 PM
The mobility transition begins in the neighborhood.
Sophie Stigliano (Urban Standards, Munich)

January 20, 2026, 12:00 PM
Empathy and Transformation / Over Time
Serafina Eipert (eipert winter Architects) & Elena Masla (etal. Architects, Munich)

January 20, 2026, 2:00 PM
Typological structures as a conscious renunciation
Daniel Penzis & Giulio Bettini (PENZISBETTINI. Architects, Zurich)

January 22, 2026, 2:00 PM
We Connect – Nikken Wood Lab
Takuya Oba (Nikken Sekkei LTD, Nikken Wood Lab, Tokyo)

January 26, 2026, 10:00 AM
Greenhouse gas emissions in structural design – planning approaches from Switzerland
Fabio Pesavento (ZPF engineers, Basel/Zurich)

January 27, 2026, 10:00 AM
Thinking in motion
Andrea Wiegelmann (Publishing Director, Triest Verlag, HTA Freiburg, Switzerland)

January 27, 2026, 12:00 PM
How much is enough? On the house without heating and other projects made of wood in the context of sufficiency and sustainability.
Jan Bohnert & Christian Neuburger (*neuburger, bohnert und müller Architekten, Munich)

January 30, 2026, 10:00 AM
Never waste a good resource
Kim le Roux (LXSY Architecture, Berlin)

January 30, 2026, 2:00 PM
Yesterday. Status quo. What's next?
Prof. Matthias Rudolph (Transsolar, ABK Stuttgart)

February 3, 2026, 10:00 AM
Planning practice: Comfort, energy, resources
Prof. Michael Wengert (MW Energiebuero, Biberach University of Applied Sciences)

February 3, 2026, 12:00 PM
Island Ecologies
Prof. Susanne Brorson (Susanne Brorson Studio, Academy of Fine Arts Vienna)

February 10, 2026, 10:00 AM
Designing daylight and artificial light for people and the environment
Robert Müller (Kardorff Engineers, Innsbruck)

February 10, 2026, 12:00 PM
cabin magic
Prof. Tobias Maisch (FRIDA Architects, Dresden) & Prof. Michael Weichler (NEW Architects, Cologne)

Participation & Access

The lectures will take place online via Zoom.
Participation is free and open to everyone.

Zoom link for participation: https://tinyurl.com/32JSD6B5

The series is organised by the following IU professors from the Department of Architecture:

Prof. Dipl.-Ing. m.arch Ulrike Wietzorrek

Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Thorsten Klooster

Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Bettina-Maria Müller

Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Stefan Rappold

Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Manuel Du

Contact for questions about the lecture series

Ulrike Wietzorrek
ulrike.wietzorrek@iu.org

GRID daycare screening closes diagnostic gap in early childhood education

The GRID model is a multi-professional concept for multidimensional diagnostics and support planning for learning and behavioral difficulties. It was developed by Dr Edeltraud Hammes-Schmitz at the University of Cologne, extensively validated, and continuously developed further – particularly in the school context. The sixth-semester students from the IU Campus Düsseldorf demonstrated the model's enormous potential for the transition from daycare to elementary school with their developed GRID daycare screening , which closes a key diagnostic gap in the preschool setting.

As the only representatives from the early childhood education field, the IU students provided new food for thought – both for the expansion of the GRID model and for the relevance of early childhood education perspectives in multi-professional discourses.

Prime example of theory-practice transfer

The development process of the GRID daycare screening is an impressive example of a successful transfer between theory and practice. As part of the "Supervision, Intervision & Coaching" module, the dual-study students developed a concept for the structured observation of children's precursor skills. The goal was to create a practical, adaptable tool that would visualise children's skills in their final year of daycare - in seven key areas, from independence to parenting.

Together with course leader Prof. Dr Nicole Ramacher-Faasen, they researched specialist literature, obtained input from Dr Hammes-Schmitz, held discussions in the seminar, conducted tests in their own practice settings, and collected feedback from professionals and from reflection loops. All of these efforts resulted in a screening instrument that is both scientifically sound and practically applicable.

Particular emphasis was placed on digital implementation: The instrument is optimised for use on a tablet or PC and minimises documentation requirements for professionals. It comprises 49 items that are assessed through observations in everyday life and, with the help of assessment aids, comment fields, and automated evaluations, enable structured support planning.

Students as co-creators of scientifically sound practice

The IU students were not only involved in the concept development, but also supported initial implementations in daycare centers, trained staff, developed supporting materials, and conducted an initial evaluation. Feedback from practitioners confirms: The screening is intuitive, practical, and adaptable.

"Our students impressively demonstrated how application-oriented research can be successful in education," emphasises Prof. Dr Nicole Ramacher-Faasen. "The contribution was not only positively received from a professional perspective, but was also recognised as an example of successful cooperation between academia and practice."

Interactive workshop and specialist lecture convinced the specialist audience

At the conference in Cologne, the students not only delivered their presentations but also independently moderated an interactive working group on the topic "GRID – Between Vision, Reality, and Critique." The workshop stimulated intensive discussions on the potential applications and challenges of the GRID model in various practical fields.

With their commitment, IU students demonstrate how scientifically sound concepts can be put into practical application in dual study programmes – and how educational careers can be actively shaped during their studies.

"IU's presence at the conference was more than just a presentation - it was a contribution to the further development of a practical, evidence-based diagnostic tool," summarises Ramacher-Faasen. "The students took on responsibility, contributed their practical experience, and demonstrated that studies and research don't have to remain theoretical, but can generate concrete solutions to educational challenges. I'm incredibly proud of them."

More information about the dual study programme in Childhood Education can be found at: https://www.iu.de/bachelor/kindheitspadagogik/duales-studium/

In her thesis, titled "LGBTQIA+ in the Context of Refuge," Alina Klein explores the intersectional challenges and needs of queer people with refugee experience. The goal of her work is to create visibility, promote understanding, and provide professionals with concrete practical options.

"Many queer refugees experience double marginalisation - because of their origins as well as their sexual orientation or gender identity," explains the 28-year-old graduate. "My work aims to demonstrate that more is needed than symbolism - namely, real spaces, protection concepts, and awareness-raising in everyday working life."

Theory and practice closely interlinked

Her thesis was closely linked to her practical work at the Protestant Youth Welfare Service in Bochum. There, she works in a self-sufficiency project for unaccompanied minor refugees. She also conducted interviews with professionals from a network partner in Bochum that provides educational work on sexual and gender diversity and targeted services for queer refugees.

IU's dual study model offered her the ideal foundation for combining theory and practice: "I was able to directly apply my knowledge to my everyday professional life – and, conversely, to work on the topics that concern me in practice in a scientifically sound manner. The high degree of flexibility in the design of the examinations allowed me to translate my passion into an academic work."

Even during her studies, Alina Klein was already involved beyond the curriculum. She organised training courses on discrimination protection and implemented awareness-raising campaigns in her own work environment, such as workshops for young refugees, flyers, stickers, and rainbow pins. "It's often the little things that have a big impact. One client told me that our campaign made her feel truly seen. That was very touching," she recalls.

Awarded the IU Diversity Award

Alina Klein’s work was honoured with the IU Diversity Award 2025 for its particular social relevance and practice-oriented depth.

"Alina impressively succeeds in illuminating a highly sensitive topic not only with a scientifically sound approach, but also with tangible empathy and practical relevance. Her work highlights what is often overlooked in everyday life – and provides concrete ideas on how professionals can better support queer refugees. An outstanding example of how science can help shape social change," says Ariane Weber, employee in the Equal Opportunities Office and project manager of the Diversity Award at IU International University of Applied Sciences.

Even beyond her graduation, Alina Klein continues to pursue her vision. She recently began a master's degree in social work with a focus on trauma education, refugee issues, and migration, and she also envisions pursuing a doctorate in the long term. Her goal: to share her own experiences with students and encourage them in their future roles as social workers.

IU as the largest academic trainer for social work

IU currently trains around 30,000 people in the health and social care sector, making it the largest academic provider in this field. Through distance learning programmes (Bachelor's , Master's , MBA), dual study programmes, and continuing education courses at the IU Academy, interested students can acquire in-depth knowledge and qualify for a variety of careers in the social sector.

About the IU Diversity Award

IU International University of Applied Science has been presenting the IU Diversity Award twice a year since 2018. The IU Diversity Award jury consists of a ten-person team of employees from various departments. IU students from Germany and abroad have the opportunity to submit their bachelor's or master's theses. In 2024, Felix Würkner from Berlin and Melissa Ockelmann from Hamburg received this prestigious award. While Felix Würkner impressed with a cross-media campaign for gender and sexual diversity to prevent homophobia and transphobia, Ockelmann addressed the topic of inclusion in old age and presented a queer-sensitive mission statement for open senior citizen work. The IU Diversity Award aims to contribute to raising public awareness of the research field of diversity and carries a prize of 500 euros. Further information on equality and diversity at IU can be found at: https://www.iu.de/en/university/diversity
 

The study highlights how these businesses assess the current and future potential of bleisure travel and workation. The focus is on current developments, challenges and opportunities for tourist regions and businesses.

Interested companies can participate now. The survey takes about 15 to 20 minutes and is available at the following link: www.bleisure-workation-monitor.de.

The results of the study will be made available to participants free of charge upon request. The survey is anonymous and complies with applicable data protection guidelines.

Project team

Prof. Dr Peter Neumann 
Professor of Tourism Economics at IU International University of Applied Sciences 
peter.neumann@iu.org 

Prof. Dr Sven Pastowski 
Professor of Business Administration at IU International University of Applied Sciences 
sven.pastowski@iu.org 

Prof. Dr Andreas Zimmer 
Professor of Tourism Management at IU International University of Applied Sciences 
andreas.zimmer@iu.org

Renowned experts from science and practice provide insights into how built space can respond to the climate and resource crisis – through innovative design, research and collaboration.

After a successful launch in June, the series of exciting lectures continues until the end of July. Further dates are planned for the upcoming winter semester, starting in October 2025.

About the series “Aspects of Sustainability”

The lecture series reflects the current discourse on the transformation of the construction industry and demonstrates how sustainability can be conceived, researched, and implemented in architecture and the construction industry today and in the future. Given the construction industry's high climate relevance, IU is placing particular emphasis on future-oriented approaches and innovative practices.

The lectures will illuminate various – sometimes contradictory – perspectives, from experimental research to realised projects. They will illuminate the ecological, technical, cultural, and social dimensions of sustainable design.

Upcoming dates in July:

• July 10th, 11:30 a.m. – Amandus Samsøe Sattler (Ensømble, Berlin):
  The circular aesthetics of sustainable construction
• July 16, 10:00 a.m. – Thomas Auer (transsolar, Stuttgart/Munich/New York):
  Simply rebuild!
• July 17, 9:30 a.m. – Max Otto Zitzelsberger (Munich):
  Design Talk: Learning center for environmental education in Nabburg and more
• July 18, 10:00 a.m. – Maike van Stiphout (DS landscape architects, Amsterdam):
  Nature-Inclusive Design
• July 23, 10:00 a.m. – Anne Niemann (TH Rosenheim):
  Simply build – simply good?
• July 24, 10:00 a.m. – Boris Peter (c4 engineers, Stuttgart):
  Designing in times of climate change
• July 24, 12:00 PM – Matthias Fuchs (ee concept, Darmstadt)
  Less is different – sufficiency as a planning strategy
• July 30, 10:00 a.m. – Florian Dilg & Julius Klaffke (Task Force Building Type E, bogevischs büro):
  Building sustainably together – Building type E
• July 31, 9:30 a.m. – Martin Wißmann (bogevischs büro, Munich):
  Qualifying existing stock – Design Talk

Participation & Access

The lectures will take place online via Zoom and are mostly held in German.
Participation is free and open to everyone.

Zoom link to participate:
https://iubh.zoom.us/j/5607247166?pwd=Q2JLSCs4elIzOXJrcE1Id2VyK3Judz09

The series is organised by the following IU professors:

• Prof. Ulrike Wietzorrek, Professorship of Architecture & City
• Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Bettina-Maria Müller, Professorship of Architecture
• Prof. Thorsten Klooster, Professorship of Architecture
• Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Hans Nungeßer, Professorship of Architecture
• Prof. Stefan Rappold, Professorship of Architecture
• Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Henry Ripke, Professorship of Architecture

Diversity is a driver for innovation, quality and efficiency

The aim of IU was not only to conduct the discourse on equality in the construction industry, but also to make it visible in the public space – through lectures, dialogue formats, and a temporary dialogue kiosk at Rindermarkt. The first day already demonstrated the great interest in the topic: Numerous guests from practice, academia, and the public engaged in lively discussions about structural barriers, personal experiences, and sustainable strategies for a more equal opportunity planning environment.

The second day of the event was devoted to the question: "What does it actually take to achieve equal opportunities in the construction industry?" Interdisciplinary teams conducted workshops addressing topics such as the gender pay gap, leadership positions, career access, and funding structures. Key questions addressed were: How do construction projects benefit from diverse teams? What scientific evidence is available on this topic? How can equality be specifically promoted - at universities and in professional practice?

What is the common vision of a fair-opportunity construction industry?

The background is clear: Over 60 per cent of architecture students are female. Yet, according to Statista, the proportion of practicing female architects is only 34.1 per cent in 2024. In academic teaching, only 27 per cent of professorships were held by women in 2023, leadership positions in architecture and construction companies are two-thirds male-dominated - and the wage gap between male and female architects persists. And there's a lack of awareness that building culture must work for everyone, regardless of gender, generation, or professional group.

Diversity is a key success factor for projects and companies

"The numbers speak for themselves. But even more crucial for us is the potential: Diverse planning teams demonstrably produce better results – they work more efficiently, more innovatively, and more socially sensitively. Research that takes a multi-perspective approach is published more frequently and is therefore more relevant. Construction processes that are developed in a mixed-gender and, above all, intergenerational manner shape a building culture for ALL," says project leader Prof. Dr Bettina-Maria Müller, Professor of Architecture at IU in Munich. "Therefore, we see it as our educational mission to continue to promote this discussion and actively involve students in the necessary transformation processes."

With its participation in the WIA Festival 2025, IU Munich sent a strong signal – for greater visibility, for critical reflection and for structural change in architecture and urban planning – both in practice and in teaching.

The evaluation of the workshop results is currently in progress. The resulting manifesto will be published afterward and will be made available to interested parties upon request.

We thank our participating students, our guests and other supporters:

• Annette Hilpert, Head of Urban and Regional Development, Chamber of Industry and Commerce for Munich and Upper Bavaria
• Prof. Dr. Kathrin Grewolls, Managing Director of BSKT GmbH
• Anne Tischer, founder and chairwoman of WOMEN! LEADERSHIP (F!F) Initiative of the German real estate industry for more women in leadership positions
• Helena Heilig, Helena Heilig Photography
   

Organizer

IU International University of Applied Sciences
dual study programme in architecture at the Munich location
https://www.iu-dualesstudium.de/standorte/muenchen/  
 

Project team

• Project management: Prof. Dr-Ing. Bettina-Maria Müller
• IU Civil Engineering programme, Prof. Dr-Ing. Susanne Hüttner
• IU students of the 8th semester in the BA Architecture
• bmquadrat | Architecture + Design
• Ruffinihaus Creative Hub, Creative Munich

Further information about the project: bettina-maria.mueller@iu.org

LET'S TALK TRANSFORMATION

Thursday, 26 June, 2025 | LET'S TALK ENCOUNTER I
On the Rindermarkt, 80331 Munich

8 – 10 a.m. | Construction of the "Equality in Architecture" dialogue kiosk at Rindermarkt – a publicly accessible design-build project by IU students

10 a.m. – 2 p.m. | Open dialogue with invited guests and passers-by on equal opportunities and diversity in the construction industry
 

Friday, 27 June, 2025 | LET'S TALK ENCOUNTER II
Ruffinihaus Creative Hub, 1st floor, Sendlinger Str. 1, 80331 Munich

2 p.m. – 6 p.m. | Interdisciplinary mentoring and networking forum – with personal conversations, mini-coaching sessions, and discussions with leading women from architecture, urban development, and the real estate industry

 
Friday, 27 June, 2025 | LET'S TALK MOVIE
Ruffinihaus Creative Hub, 1st floor, Sendlinger Str. 1, 80331 Munich

from 6 p.m. | Film screening with collected statements and impressions – followed by a moderated discussion on the topic: “Increasing efficiency through diversity – Why diverse teams build better” including scientific studies on the added value of mixed teams
 

ABOUT WOMEN IN ARCHITECTURE: WIA FESTIVAL 2025

From June 19 to 29, 2025, numerous events throughout Germany highlighted the achievements of female planners and the topic of diversity in building culture. WIA 2025 strengthens the visibility of women in building culture nationwide and positions them as driving forces in public discourse, enabling them to network with each other and with politics, the media, and society, and leverage synergies. In addition to regional chambers of architects, associations, foundations, architectural firms, universities, cities, and initiatives are also involved in the WIA Festival. A total of 265 projects from over 200 participants offered diverse perspectives and sent a strong message for equality and diversity in building culture, which affects everyone - not just planners. The IU is part of this nationwide network. More information at: https://wia-festival.de/

Further information and sources

https://yesweplan.eu/  
https://de.statista.com/statistik/daten/studie/37278/umfrage/geschlechterverteilung-bei-architekten/   https://de.statista.com/statistik/daten/studie/160365/umfrage/professoren-und-professorinnen-an-deutschen-hochschulen/  
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12144-022-03534-9  
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/10591478241260723
https://www.forschung-und-lehre.de/forschung/gemischte-teams-forschen-besser-4971  
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12144-022-03534-9

Erfurt, Germany, 24 June 2025. Around 72 percent of employees in Germany are familiar with so-called leisure sickness (* ) , meaning the feeling of getting ill or feeling exhausted on days off or while on holiday. One in five (19.3 per cent) experience this at least always or frequently on days off or on holiday. This is the result of a recent representative study by IU International University of Applied Sciences (IU) named "Leisure Sickness: Feeling exhausted instead of well rested". The main symptoms always or frequently experienced by respondents were tiredness or exhaustion (36.1 per cent), sleep problems (27.6 per cent), irritability (18.9 per cent), headaches (16.7 per cent) and cold symptoms (14.2 per cent).

Although over 95 per cent of participants in the IU study consider it important to take time for relaxation and leisure, four in ten (40.1 per cent) of respondents fully or somewhat agree with the statement that their private life does not offer enough relaxation to meet the demands of their job. Younger employees up to the age of 25 are particularly likely to agree with this statement completely or somewhat (50.5 per cent), meaning that they are less likely to find relaxation in their free time than older employees.

According to study expert Stefanie André, Professor of Health Management at IU International University of Applied Sciences and an expert on health in the workplace, leisure sickness can arise as a result of stress in the work context (see also leisure sickness definition below) and can have several causes. According to the IU study, employees are particularly affected by the following: high work pressure (33.7 per cent), a lack of support from superiors and colleagues (30.0 per cent) as well as an unclear distribution of tasks (23.4 per cent) and unclear tasks (20.8 per cent). Other stress factors are long working hours (17.3 per cent) and an unfavourable work-life balance (21.9 per cent). 

Constant pressure and availability leave little room for recovery

• Just under half of the employees surveyed in Germany (46.4 per cent) report high work pressure – which they are usually able to cope with. For 9.2 per cent, on the other hand, their very high workload leads to pressure and excessive demands. Only 39.9 per cent state that their workload is well distributed and manageable. 
• More than half of respondents (54.4 per cent) state that being available outside of working hours impairs their relaxation. Around a third (33.5 per cent) also feel obliged to be available in their free time – 42.6 per cent of under 25-year-olds. 
• Despite the perceived stress, almost half of those surveyed (47.4 per cent) also check work emails or messages outside of regular working hours - over a third (36.7 per cent) even do this while on holiday. 
• In addition, 80.6 per cent of those surveyed regularly work overtime. Of these, 42.9 per cent work up to two additional hours per week, 37.6 per cent even work three hours or more.

"The results show that having to be available outside working hours, high workloads and a lack of rest and relaxation are clear risk factors for symptoms of illness on days off. Younger employees in particular often feel obliged to be available outside working hours, which leads to limited rest and relaxation", explains Stefanie André.

Time for relaxation is meaningful and important for many respondents

38.4 per cent of employees in Germany find it difficult to switch off after work and concentrate on their leisure time. At the same time, almost all respondents (95.6 per cent) fully or somewhat agree that it is important and sensible to take time for relaxation and leisure. What is striking is that the older the respondents, the more often they fully or somewhat agree with this.

Almost all (94.1 per cent) also fully or somewhat agree with the statement that their own free time is seen as a valuable opportunity to recharge their batteries and regenerate. This also shows that older employees tend to agree fully or somewhat with this statement more often than younger employees. 

Does being a couch potato hinder recovery?

Half of respondents (49.8 per cent) say that they spend their free time in a balanced way - with relaxation, hobbies and social activities. Almost a fifth (17.0 per cent) say that they spend most of their free time passively, for example watching TV or reading, but often do not find this time relaxing or enriching.

“People who spend their leisure time in a balanced and meaningful way are less likely to experience leisure sickness. On the other hand, those who only engage in passive relaxation such as watching television after a stressful week at work are more likely to develop symptoms such as exhaustion or headaches on their days off. Companies can help by integrating exercise breaks and conscious relaxation phases into the working day, for example", says Stefanie André.

^(*) Definition of Leisure Sickness

Leisure sickness refers to a phenomenon whereby people develop symptoms of illness such as headaches, exhaustion or cold symptoms precisely when they have time off – for example, at the weekend or on holiday. The physical cause of leisure sickness is thought to be a sudden drop in stress hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol. Leisure sickness is also known in German as ‘Freizeitkrankheit’ (literal translation) or ‘Wochenendkrankheit’. 
 

About the study

The study “Leisure Sickness: Feeling exhausted instead of well rested” conducted by IU International University of Applied Sciences examines the symptoms and causes of leisure sickness, the significance of relaxation as a counterbalance to work, and potential measures for its prevention. For this study, a representative sample of 2,004 employed individuals aged 16 to 65 in Germany, reflecting age and gender distribution, was surveyed. The survey took place between 24 January and 6 February 2025. Complete study at: https://www.iu.de/en/research/studies/leisure-sickness/

Video on the study

In a six-minute video (in German only), Professor Stefanie André explains the key findings of the study and provides well-founded insights into the topic of leisure sickness. The video is available at the following link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qWiK5vOcQ8c

Berlin/Erfurt, May 19, 2025. With the “Diversity Maturity Model”, IU International University of Applied Sciences (IU), Germany's largest university, and the Diversity Charter (Charta der Vielfalt), Germany's largest employer initiative for promoting diversity in the workplace, are introducing a joint tool that supports companies in systematically classifying their diversity measures through a self-assessment. The model was developed by IU professors Sonja Würtemberger and Katharina-Maria Rehfeld together with Heiko Holz (research assistant), as well as Corina Christen and Şeyma Erdi from the Diversity Charter.

The Diversity Maturity Model, available as of today, is the first freely available model of its kind nationwide. The model is distinguished by two features: Despite the considerable development effort, it is free of charge, and despite the complexity of the topic, it is very easy to use. The model is designed to help companies in Germany assess their current status in terms of DEI (Diversity, Equity & Inclusion) and define practical steps toward greater diversity and participation. It is suitable for all types and sizes of organisations: micro and small enterprises, medium-sized companies, and large corporations.
 

Diversity and participation: “Now more than ever!”

“For us, now is exactly the right time to demonstrate a clear stance on diversity, equality and participation,” says IU Professor Sonja Würtemberger in response to the US president’s order to cancel DEI programmes – a development that also affects German companies.

Katharina-Maria Rehfeld , also a professor at IU and co-developer of the maturity model, emphasises: "But attitude alone is not enough for us: With the radar, we are giving companies in Germany the tools they need to take action so that they can strengthen their own DEI efforts instead of abandoning them."

“The Diversity Maturity Model provides international companies like ours with scientifically sound and objective recommendations for promoting an inclusive work environment,” says Stephan Schütz, DEI Manager at Daimler Truck AG, who was part of the project team that developed the model. “The link to the employee lifecycle in particular offers clear practical relevance. The assessment shows where companies are well positioned and where there is room for improvement.”

"The Diversity Maturity Model is a unique guide for companies in Germany – practical, multi-layered, and scientifically sound," adds Dr Eva Voß , Chair of the Board of the Diversity Charter. "It enables precise self-assessment and will make it easier for many to strategically structure and effectively develop their DEI work. I am very much looking forward to applying the model in my daily professional life in the future."

A study by IU on the importance of diversity and inclusion in the workplace shows that such corporate commitment is also a decisive factor in employees' career choices: 75.1 per cent of tomorrow's skilled workers expect potential employers to implement diversity and inclusion measures in the workplace. For 38.2 per cent, equal opportunities are among the top three reasons for choosing a company.

Diversity Maturity Model: Project launch in summer 24, go live in May 25

The Diversity Maturity Model is based on a total of 24 qualitative interviews that the two IU researchers conducted with DEI experts from companies after the project launched last summer. The project was supplemented by a comprehensive literature review to scientifically substantiate the interviews and a multi-stage validation of the results by experts from the field. The methodological approach is described in detail in the recently published paper . Starting today, companies can self-assess the maturity of their DEI efforts in a free, open-access assessment.

The model was programmed by D² - Denkfabrik Diversität , a Würzburg-based startup that, in addition to consulting services, also develops digital tools for diversity management in the public and private sectors. The result of this collaboration is a practical maturity model for diversity management in companies.

When diversity wins, Germany wins

At German Diversity Day on May 27, the Diversity Maturity Model will be part of the live event hosted by the Diversity Charter in Berlin. Under the motto "When Diversity Wins, Germany Wins," the Diversity Charter is creating a day of action for companies and institutions across Germany for the 13th time to demonstrate their commitment to diversity and a respectful, prejudice-free workplace. Project manager Şeyma Erdi of the Diversity Charter, and IU Professor Würtemberger together with Heiko Holz will be present at this year's live event in Berlin and will provide insights into the model's development process.

For interviews and background discussions, please contact us at: presse@iu.org and presse@charta-der-vielfalt.de

Test the Diversity Maturity Model yourself now

https://www.diversity-reifegrad.de/
 

ABOUT THE CHARTER OF DIVERSITY

The Diversity Charter is the largest employer initiative promoting diversity in companies and institutions in Germany. It advocates for a respectful and prejudice-free working environment in which all employees – regardless of age, ethnic origin and nationality, gender and gender identity, physical and mental abilities, religion and ideology, sexual orientation, and social background – can develop their potential. Learn more at: https://www.charta-der-vielfalt.de/

This sends out a strong signal: Scientific research is to play an even greater role in the fight against anti-democratic and extremist movements in the future. The ZRP sees itself as a practice-oriented, interdisciplinary institute in the field of social work with a unique profile in the research landscape. The ZRP's research aims to shed light on blind spots in the field of radicalisation and to develop reliable, evidence-based recommendations for action for politics, administration and individual professional fields. The aim is to actively incorporate the findings into prevention work in order to meet current challenges with new concepts.

Prof. Dr Burak Çopur, Head of the Institute: "We deliberately chose the Ruhr region as the location for the Institute: The region stands for social diversity, urbanity and structural challenges like no other. With its excellent team of researchers, the institute is the first of its kind in North Rhine-Westphalia with a decidedly practical focus - and complements the existing research landscape in the field of radicalisation and prevention with an urgently needed, practice-oriented social work perspective."

The importance of this step was also emphasised by State Secretary Gonca Türkeli-Dehnert (Ministry of Culture and Science of North Rhine-Westphalia), who was present at the symposium: 

"The rise of far-right and anti-democratic movements is an appeal to our social responsibility. We must strengthen democratic resilience and, above all, empower children and young people at an early age to critically question radical slogans and attitudes. The Centre for Radicalisation Research and Prevention helps us to make the findings from this interdisciplinary field of research usable in everyday life. I am therefore delighted that the ZRP is now an institute in North Rhine-Westphalia. and sends out a clear signal in support of democracy."

Prevention and research as a bulwark against extremism

The increasing radicalisation in parts of society poses a serious threat to social cohesion and the basic democratic order. The events of last year and this year highlight the urgency of scientifically sound analyses and preventative strategies: The revelation of right-wing extremist deportation plans in Potsdam, Islamist demonstrations with calls for a caliphate in Hamburg and Essen, the Islamist-motivated attack on Pegida activist Michael Stürzenberger and the deadly attacks in Mannheim, Magdeburg and Aschaffenburg. These incidents have further inflamed the already heated debate on migration, security and social integration.

Accompanying symposium on the founding of the institute

As part of the founding of the institute, the ZRP organised a symposium at the Essen campus in cooperation with the Evangelischer Erziehungsverband e.V. (EREV). The ZRP team brought together renowned academics and practitioners on the topic of "Recognising the signs! Developments in right-wing populism after the 2025 federal elections - challenges in child and youth welfare". A varied programme awaited the guests and expert audience. The focus was on practice-oriented workshops on social media in radicalisation dynamics, recognising and dealing with right-wing extremist attitudes in families and victim protection, supplemented by space for discussion and networking.

The event was an example of close cooperation between research and specialist practice - and showed that concrete solutions and joint action are possible and necessary.

"With the symposium on the founding of the ZRP Institute, we were able to highlight how important it is to recognise warning signs early on and to find ways and answers to counter right-wing populism and radicalisation together with specialist practice and research”, emphasises EREV.

Institute's founding strengthens strategic planning and operational effectiveness

Back in 2022, a nationwide network of scientists was formed within IU International University of Applied Sciences to counter these alarming developments with an interdisciplinary and practice-oriented research approach. This network has now emerged as the ZRP Institute - funded by IU and based at the Essen campus. In view of the growing social challenges, interdisciplinary research work is now being given an institutional framework and substantially strengthened. The establishment of the institute today goes hand in hand with a structural upgrading of the research work. With better personnel and financial resources, the ZRP will gain strategic planning and operational clout. Projects that have already been promised focus on topics such as anti-Semitism, religiously motivated extremism, ultra-nationalism and (de)radicalisation in the youth context.

The ZRP combines research, responsibility and social resilience

The successes to date underline the dynamism of the research institute. The ZRP takes an interdisciplinary approach to its research, incorporating specialist perspectives from social work, political science, criminology and education, as well as methodological diversity. Using their specialist expertise and practical knowledge, ZRP researchers analyse the causes and dynamics of radicalisation processes - for example in the family environment, in schools, in the digital space or in civil society contexts. The work is intercultural and multilingual, both nationally and internationally, for example in cooperation with the University of Vienna. The focus is also on evaluating existing exit and advisory programmes. The aim is to broaden the research of radicalisation and provide concrete concepts for prevention, intervention strategies and political recommendations for action.

Knowledge transfer is a central task: research findings flow directly back into practice in training courses, workshops, studies and seminar concepts. With the ZRP, IU is specifically positioning itself as a university that takes a stand - and assumes social responsibility in the areas of education and research.

Further information on the ZRP and the research team

• Download press kit
• https://www.iu.de/forschung/projekte/forschungsinstitut-zrp/ (currently only in German)

Erfurt, Germany, 21 January 2025. 24 January is International Education Day. Generative artificial intelligence has become a key topic in education since the publication of ChatGPT more than two years ago. According to the "IU Learning Report 2024", published at the beginning of December by IU International University of Applied Sciences, 35.8 per cent of respondents have already consciously gained experience with AI technology in a learning context. Almost a quarter of these respondents (23.4 per cent) use AI to prepare for exams.

It is particularly noteworthy that 57.9% of individuals with experience using AI in learning report that their learning or exam results have improved significantly or moderately through the use of AI technologies like ChatGPT.

According to the representative IU study, more than half of people in Germany with AI experience in learning (54.5 per cent) rate the use of AI tools in education - whether in schools, at university or in further education - as very positive or somewhat positive. In addition, almost half of respondents with AI experience in learning (48.0 per cent) see learning apps and AI programmes as helpful support, with 13.6 per cent even rating them as very helpful. 

Most frequently cited advantages of AI learning: flexibility and more individualised learning

Flexibility and personalisation are among the greatest advantages that people in Germany see in the use of AI technologies such as ChatGPT or DeepL for learning. The most frequently cited benefits were "location-independent learning" (41.8 per cent), "time-independent learning" (39.7 per cent) and "learning at your own pace" (36.1 per cent).

Other advantages include impartiality when asking supposedly "stupid questions" (34.8 per cent) and "personalised learning, e.g. by asking questions or discussing the topic" (33.8 per cent). Only 8.0 per cent of respondents do not see any advantages in the use of learning apps and AI .

"AI technologies and learning apps have become an integral part of everyday learning. Many learning apps now integrate AI-based approaches that enable learners to flexibilise and individualise the learning process to a high degree. It is therefore important to continuously develop these technologies so that they can help to promote personalised learning and make learning resources more accessible and effective," says Prof. Dr Kristina Schaaff, Professor of Digital Transformation with a focus on AI at IU International University of Applied Sciences.

Internal analysis of IU confirms faster learning success through AI

The results of the learning report also show that 21.6 per cent of respondents consider "faster learning" to be one of the key benefits of AI technologies in the learning context. This is in line with internal analyses at IU International University of Applied Sciences, which also point to increased learning efficiency: At IU, students have access to the AI-supported learning assistant Syntea, which provides them with targeted support in preparing for exams through personalised prior knowledge tests, for example. An initial study showed that IU students who use these tests are able to complete their courses up to 27 per cent faster.

About the study

The "IU Learning Report 2024: How Germany learns" by IU International University of Applied Sciences examines issues relating to education and learning. For the study, IU surveyed 2,512 people in Germany between the ages of 16 and 65, representative by age and gender. The survey was conducted between 27 March and 9 April 2024.  
You can find the complete study at: https://www.iu.de/en/research/studies/iu-learning-report-2024/

About the expert

Prof. Dr Kristina Schaaff is Professor of Digital Transformation with a focus on AI at IU International Universityof Applied Sciences. Her research focuses on digital transformation, artificial intelligence and affective computing.

Hannover, 19 December 2024. How do students in Lower Saxony spend the Christmas season? Which travel destinations do they prefer? And what mode of transport would they choose if anything were possible? These and other questions were examined by dual study students in the Tourism Management programme as part of a research project at IU International University of Applied Sciences (IU) in Hanover. The results of the study, conducted in the module “Applied Market Research in Tourism” under the guidance of Prof. Dr Ina zur Oven-Krockhaus, provide insights into the travel behaviour of young people in Lower Saxony. 

Tradition prevails over wanderlust 

The results of the study show that Christmas remains a traditional celebration for students in Lower Saxony. More than half (52.7 per cent) of the respondents do not travel at Christmas but stay at home. For those who do travel, cities (31.7 per cent), destinations in colder regions (24.6 per cent) and visiting family (18.6 per cent) are the top three choices. Trips tend to be short, with 25.5 per cent lasting only 4 to 7 days. Longer trips are significantly less common among students. IU student Benita Kalms, who participated in the research project, explains: “Lectures and exams start immediately after Christmas, leaving students little time for extended trips during the festive season.” 

Faster, not greener travel 

Cars, whether their own or borrowed, are the preferred mode of transport for 77.7 per cent of respondents. Convenience and time-savings are the main decision factors. Sustainability, on the other hand, plays a subordinate role for many students when choosing a means of transport. Only 36.9 per cent opt to travel by train or public transport.

Nevertheless, the study shows, with a touch of humour, that innovative and futuristic mobility concepts spark great interest: “My students wanted to lighten up the survey and included a humorous additional question, which led to interesting results : 40.2 per cent of those surveyed mentioned teleportation as their dream mode of transport for the Christmas period, followed by Santa's sleigh with 24 per cent,” explains Prof. Dr Ina zur Oven-Krockhaus, head of the course. “This creative approach enlivened the lecture and students an opportunity to gain hands-on experience with quantitative research.” 

Budget-conscious travel 

When planning their trips, students are influenced primarily by their personal financial situation. They are not particularly concerned about factors such as inflation, war or the global political situation. “With an average budget of 110 euros for a Christmas trip, it is clear that many of us either stay at home or prefer short, affordable trips for financial reasons,” says IU student Benita Kalms. “For those planning a longer trip, the average spend is 610 euros.” 

Students conduct practical research 

The research project is a prime example of how practice-oriented the study programme at IU International University of Applied Sciences is designed. The aim of the study was to collect scientifically sound data on a current topic, allowing participants to apply their theoretical knowledge of market research in practice. “We place great emphasis on enabling our students to gain research experience and experiment with innovative approaches,” stresses zur Oven-Krockhaus. 

With the research project, the prospective tourism experts were not only able to deepen their knowledge, but also to contribute to a current topic. 
 

ABOUT THE STUDY 

The research report ‘Travel behaviour of students at Christmas time’ was created by students of IU International University of Applied Sciences in Hannover. It examines questions regarding the destination, motivation and factors influencing the travel behaviour of students during the Christmas season. The results are based on a sample of 188 enrolled students at colleges and universities in Lower Saxony in the winter semester 2024/25 and are therefore not representative, but they do provide valuable insights into the topic. The survey took place between 22 and 29 November 2024. 

If you have any questions about the results, please contact Prof. Dr Ina zur Oven-Krockhaus by email: ina.zok@iu.org 

ABOUT THE TOURISM MANAGEMENT DEGREE PROGRAMME 

From sustainability to tech and AI in tourism, from managing hotels to marketing entire holiday regions – the Tourism Management degree programme at IU International University of Applied Sciences is the ticket to a varied and exciting career in the tourism industry. Solid business knowledge and a focus on customer contact and creating customer experiences on a digital future path enable the management of tourism businesses along the customer journey: travel inspiration, travel booking, transport, accommodation, destination and events. The Tourism Management bachelor's degree can be studied in different forms: as a dual study programme in 38 German cities, completely online via distance learning, or hybrid via myStudium. For more information, visit: https://www.iu.de/en/bachelor/tourismusmanagement/ 

Erfurt, 17 December 2024. Whether it’s a fire brigade, tennis club, arts group, or nature conservation organisation – many people engaged in voluntary work feel they don’t receive enough recognition. However, board members and presidents of these organisations often lack the time or expertise in public relations.

“The goal of our research project is to make the contributions of non-profit organisations in Germany more visible,” says Prof. Dr Josef Arweck, the initiator of Comms4Good and Professor for Media Management at IU International University of Applied Sciences. “The results of our survey of nearly 1,300 participants not only highlight the status quo but also form the basis for a practical tool that enables even those without prior knowledge to conduct professional communication. The result is the prototype of an AI-based PR assistant, which is available free of charge to support the public relations efforts of non-profit organisations.” 

The PR assistant aids communication by helping draft all kinds of texts and even develop PR concepts. A chat function allows for conversations and targeted questions. The tool is GDPR-compliant, does not use input data for training purposes, and does not require prior knowledge of prompting. Most importantly, it has an "NPO mindset" (Non-Profit Organisation), offering an understanding of the specific needs of its target group. 

Non-profit organisations seek visibility above all 

The primary communication goals identified are “increasing public visibility” (88%) and “informing the public” (80%). According to the survey, organisations most commonly communicate for planned events (93%) or to report on past events (84%). Around two-thirds (65%) use communication to highlight the impact of their organisation or showcase their achievements (60%). Overall, public relations efforts rarely appear to be strategically planned, which is likely due to limited resources, unclear responsibilities, or inadequate structures. 

Non-profit organisations use various communication channels, including their own websites (96%), events, lectures, workshops, or panel discussions (90%), personal contacts (88%), social media (86%), coverage in traditional media (72%), and messenger services like WhatsApp and Signal (45%). 

What an AI tool should offer non-profit organisations 

The study identified key features that a new AI tool should have to be suitable for the communication needs of non-profit organisations. The top requirements include free availability (89%), the ability to “quickly learn the organisation’s language” (88%), and providing “suggestions for meaningful communication strategies” (80%). Additionally, 78% of respondents want a tool that anyone can use without training. 

Respondents would most prefer to use the AI tool for social media management, text revisions, analysing public relations efforts, and converting texts into simplified language. 

Clear majority sees potential for professional communication with AI 

The survey revealed a high level of openness: 69% of respondents welcomed the use of AI in their organisations, while only 15% were firmly opposed, and 16% were undecided. Nearly half see potential in AI for attracting new members and generating donations; about one-fifth remain undecided, while a third see no benefit from AI in these areas. 

Many organisations hope AI will enhance their communication efforts and effectiveness. More than two-thirds (72%) believe they could communicate more professionally with AI, and 81% expect more efficient communication. Only 14% and 10%, respectively, disagreed, while 15% and 10% were undecided. 

Non-profit organisations across Germany can use the virtual PR assistant. 
Its free usage is limited to 15,000 words per month, equivalent to approximately 50 A4 pages. 
 

ABOUT COMMS4GOOD (C4G) 

C4G is an initiative of IU International University of Applied Sciences, Phineo gAG and Producer Media UG. The research project is funded by the Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs as part of the Civic Innovation Platform. In summer/autumn 2024, 1,272 representatives of non-profit organisations from all over Germany took part in the online survey, 814 of whom completed the questionnaire in full; the study was supplemented by qualitative guided interviews. Representatives of registered associations (69 percent), non-profit corporations (16 percent), foundations (9 percent) and non-profit organizations without a legal form (3 percent) took part. They come from all areas – but one focus is on "education and upbringing" (45 percent), followed by "social services" (27 percent). The survey was based on 22 interviews in spring 2024 with representatives of 15 associations, 5 foundations, 2 non-profit corporations, representing a total of organizations with membership numbers between 18 and 55,000. The study paints a comprehensive picture of the current public relations work of non-profit organizations in Germany. 

The complete study is available for download here.  
 

Erfurt, Germany, 3 December 2024. The IU Research Center for Sustainable Media and Marketing (RCSMM) celebrated its launch in Hamburg with an inspiring kick-off event on 26 November 2024. Around 70 representatives from academia, business and the media came together to discuss forward-looking and transparent standards for responsible and sustainable media planning in the media industry.

Prof. Dr Lisa-Charlotte Wolter, Head of the IU RCSMM, and Alex Čaičics, Head of Sustainability and ESG Communication at IU Group, kicked off the event by jointly welcoming the guests and introducing the IU and the research project.

"The value chain in the media and advertising industry is becoming increasingly complex - characterised by global players, diverse media genres and new technologies such as artificial intelligence. In order to develop sustainable strategies that combine economic success with responsibility, a detailed analysis of the processes and the involvement of diverse stakeholders is essential", explains Wolter, adding: “With Bundesverband Digitale Wirtschaft (BVDW), NDR Media, IQ Digital, Radiozentrale, Wort & Bild Verlag, RMS Radio Marketing Service and Teads, we already have strong and representative stakeholders that reflect the media landscape in all its diversity - from associations and digital platforms to marketers and public sector players, which is crucial for the development of practical and sustainable strategies.”

Keynote speech and discussion: Focus on "Value Media" 

A highlight was the keynote speech by Prof Dr Sylvia Chan-Olmsted (University of Florida), who spoke on the topic of "Value Media & AI That Enhances Human Value". Her remarks emphasised the opportunities that arise from the responsible use of artificial intelligence for sustainable and human-centric value creation.

Dr Moritz Holzgraefe (BVDW) then moderated a lively panel discussion on "Responsibility for a sustainable media landscape - what solutions does the industry provide and how do we take action?"

Experts from various initiatives and companies were involved:

• Nadja Schick (Group M) presented the "Back to News" initiative, which aims to strengthen trustworthy media through targeted advertising funds.
• Florian Ecker (Media Plus) presented the sustainability strategy of Mediaplus.
• Holger Thalheimer (Initiative18) spoke about the importance of education and empowerment in the media and introduced Initiative18, an association of committed experts from the media industry, journalism and research.
• Steffen Johann Hubert (Seven.One Media and IAB Europe) provided insights into Seven.One Media's sustainability standards and their European relevance.

Another highlight was the stage panel, where stakeholders emphasised the relevance and benefits of the new research centre. You can find the partners' views on the importance of the IU Research Centre for the industry at the end of the press release.

New partnerships welcome: Opportunities for advertisers, social media and digital platforms 

The day was rounded off with a presentation of the research centre's next steps. "We discussed the key challenges and opportunities together with our partners. The discourse illustrates how valuable the exchange was and how dynamic collaboration is. The Research Centre will continue to work closely with industry in the future to create innovative and practical solutions that will transform the media and advertising industry in the long term. Our aim is to drive forward research with concrete benefits for society and industry", concludes Wolter.

What the partners say about the importance of the IU Research Centre for the media industry

f.l.t.r.: Tino Meitz (University of Münster), Alex Čaičics (Head of Sustainability and ESG Communication at IU Group), Dr. Moritz Holzgraefe (BVDW Vice President), Prof. Dr. Sylvia Chan-Olmsted (University of Florida), Prof. Dr. Lisa-Charlotte Wolter (Head of the IU RCSMM), Maik Rogge (COO IQ Digital), Ronja Böhlke (Head of Marketing and Deputy Head of Media Management at Wort & Bild Verlag), Niclas Hübner (Head of Sales NDR Media), Grit Leithäuser (Managing Director of Radiozentrale), Sven Thölen (CEO Radio Marketing Service)

Dr Moritz Holzgraefe, BVDW Vice President: "For the BVDW, it is clear that sustainable standards are essential for the digital economy. Together with the IU, we want to involve the relevant stakeholders and create a fact-based approach that builds trust and promotes sustainability."

Niclas Hübner, Head of Sales at NDR Media: "Trust, transparency and relevance characterise successful media - and should also guide media planning. Together with the IU Research Centre for Sustainable Media & Marketing, we are developing standards that both integrate ESG principles and ensure sustainable and responsible media planning."

Steffen Bax, Managing Director of IQ Digital: "We are very pleased about the cooperation with IU International University of Applied Sciences and the Research Centre for Sustainable Media and Marketing under the direction of Prof. Dr Lisa-Charlotte Wolter. The topics of value media and sustainability are immensely important to us, which is why we support fact-based and scientific research in this area. We also have a great interest in transparent framework conditions and standards in the media industry so that responsible decisions in media planning can be made measurable."

Grit Leithäuser, Managing Director of Radiozentrale: "Radio reaches 52 million people every day with good, reliable information and accompanies young and old throughout the day. We are therefore very aware of the power of the medium and the value of the medium is very important to us. Making these values recognisable and comparable across media is of particular interest to us. By supporting the development of media value standards through the independent project of the IU Research Centre, we see a great opportunity for our changing media world to anchor new valuable aspects in media evaluation."

Ronja Böhlke, Head of Marketing and Deputy Head of Media Management at Wort & Bild Verlag: "As Wort & Bild Verlag, we bear a special responsibility for our society. Health is a matter of trust and health requires knowledge. Our media build a bridge between medicine and people. Because people are the centre of our attention: our readers, our employees and all parts of our society. Accordingly, we at Wort & Bild Verlag are happy to participate in the right and important collaboration between research and practice to develop a neutral and transparent value media standard that holistically demands and promotes social sustainability in media planning."

Stefan Mölling, CEO of RMS Radio Marketing Service: "An increasingly important question for us as marketers is the contribution that we as the audio genre make to sustainable marketing planning together with our broadcasters and publishers. We already know that audio, with its enormous daily reach, has a high public value as a trustworthy source of information and that radio advertising produces significantly less CO2 than other genres. However, to be able to validly assess our impact in an ESG-compliant manner, including in an intermedia comparison, we need standardised, evidence-based key figures as an industry standard. The Research Centre has set out to develop this standard and we are delighted to support this goal from the outset as a Pioneer Partner."

Christian Zimmer, Managing Director Teads: "Responsible media is essential to promote trust in brands, counteract misinformation and support quality journalism. It protects brands from inappropriate environments, creates sustainable digital ecosystems and provides a better user experience by ensuring ethical and transparent advertising practices."

Erfurt, 3 December 2024. The ‘IU Learning Report 2024’ by IU International University of Applied Sciences (IU) examines what drives people in Germany to learn, how they learn and what goals they pursue in doing so. The representative study shows: 72.1 per cent of people in Germany are currently learning – and most often out of curiosity and an interest in learning new things. The focus is particularly on practical and sustainable learning success, while digital technologies such as artificial intelligence are becoming increasingly important. 

Reasons for learning: curiosity, career, studies 

37.9 per cent of respondents stated that they currently learn out of curiosity and interest in a topic, followed by 28.9 per cent who learn for their job and 19.3 per cent who learn for their education (university, school, vocational training). ‘Curiosity and interest in the topic’ is also the most frequently cited motivator for learning, while around a quarter each cite personal growth, personal goals and visions, and personal success as motivating factors. The aspect of doing something useful with learning is mentioned almost as often.

Dr Ulrike Lichtinger, Professor of Social Sciences at the IU International University of Applied Sciences and an expert in positive education, says: ‘The results confirm that curiosity and a love of learning are powerful intrinsic human drives, and that a genuine interest in the subject is essential to persevere. Ideally, and for particularly lasting results, people learn when they want to, not when they have to.’ 

Practical and sustainable: the most common factors for learning success 

For a large proportion of respondents, learning success means that it is ‘practical’ and ‘sustainable’ – that is, that what has been learned can be applied in practice (54.3 per cent), the subject matter has been understood (47.1 per cent) and what has been learned can be remembered in the long term (47.1 per cent). 

‘People strive to apply what they have learned. Often, it is only through practical application that learning content becomes new knowledge, which is sustainably anchored in our brains and grows into new skills. Putting what you have learned into practice gives you a real sense of achievement,’ says Lichtinger. 

A wide range of learning strategies and tools – from classic to AI 

What is the right way to learn? According to Prof. Dr. Ulrike Lichtinger, it depends on the type of learner and personality. There are many strategies – specifically, these include mind maps, learning plans or learning objectives. In the survey, the vast majority of respondents rated the following as very or somewhat helpful for efficient learning: repeating the material learned, active learning, self-reflection, and multisensory learning (listening, writing, and reading). 

When it comes to tools, learners in Germany most often rely on printed learning materials (59.9 per cent) such as books or lecture notes. Almost as popular are videos (54.5 per cent) with learning content or explanations. Interestingly, almost half of the people in Germany use self-created documents for learning (45.8 per cent), for example, summaries or index cards. These top three responses are the same for all generations, from young to old. 

Digital methods such as learning apps and artificial intelligence are used by 42.2 per cent of respondents either always or often when learning. Among 26- to 40-year-olds (Generation Y), the figure is as high as 48.7 per cent. When it comes to learning with videos, podcasts, audio books and similar media, Generation Y is also ahead in the age comparison, with almost 70 per cent. 

Learning: between concentration and distraction 

Almost half of all people in Germany can focus on studying for one to two hours without interruption (47.3 per cent), 17.2 per cent can study for about half an hour without interruption and 14.2 per cent of those surveyed can study for three to four hours without interruption. 

Fatigue, smartphones and personal concerns and obligations are the top three concentration killers when learning – with major differences between generations: Generations Z and Y (up to 40 years old) most frequently cite the smartphone as a disruptive factor when learning, while Generation Z (up to 25 years old) is also often distracted by social media. For Generation X and baby boomers (41 to 65 years old), tiredness is the most common distraction. 

‘The distraction caused by smartphones and social media shows that we need to develop new approaches to improve the ability to concentrate and learning environments, especially for young people. Educational programmes should focus more on media literacy to empower the younger generation to minimise distractions and achieve their learning goals more effectively,’ Lichtinger urges. 

Artificial intelligence in learning: positive experiences and improved results 

35.8 per cent of respondents have already consciously used AI technologies (e.g. ChatGPT, DeepL) for learning. Of these respondents, almost 9 out of 10 (87.2 per cent) rate their experiences with AI technologies for learning as very or rather positive. 

Dr Kristina Schaaff, Professor of Digital Transformation with a focus on AI at IU International University of Applied Sciences, says: ‘The vast majority of respondents who have already had experience with AI technologies in learning rate them as positive across all generations. This highlights the great potential offered by AI-based learning apps, such as an AI learning buddy developed at the IU to support students in their learning process.’ 

It is also particularly interesting that 57.9 per cent report that their learning and exam results have improved since they started using AI technologies for learning. 

‘The high proportion of people who report that AI technologies have improved their learning outcomes underscores the tremendous power of these technologies to make learning more efficient and accessible. At the same time, the results highlight the need to teach people how to use AI technologies in a reflective way so that they can be deployed meaningfully,’ says Schaaff. 

ABOUT THE STUDY 

The ‘IU Learning Report 2024: How Germany Learns’ by the IU International University examines issues related to education and learning. For the study, the IU surveyed 2,512 people in Germany between the ages of 16 and 65, representative of age and gender. The survey was conducted between 27 March and 9 April 2024. 

The complete study can be found at: https://www.iu.de/en/research/studies/iu-learning-report-2024/

ABOUT THE EXPERTS 

Dr Ulrike Lichtinger is a professor of social sciences at the IU International University of Applied Sciences and an expert in positive education. Her research focuses, among other things, on intervention and impact research with a focus on qualitative methods, lifelong learning, positive education and leadership. 

Dr Kristina Schaaff is Professor of Digital Transformation with a focus on AI at IU International University of Applied Sciences. Her research focuses on digital transformation, artificial intelligence and affective computing. 

Erfurt, Germany, 26 November 2024. More women should be in positions of political power –  this view is held equally in Germany and the USA. According to a recent study by IU International University of Applied Sciences (IU), 63.5 per cent of respondents in Germany are convinced that the world would be better governed if more women were represented in political leadership roles. However, despite the desire for more women in politics, structural hurdles are visible: 69.8 per cent of respondents in Germany believe that men are more likely to be elected - even when equally or better qualified women are available.

A similar picture emerges in the USA, as the study results from before the most recent presidential election show: 69.2 per cent of respondents agreed completely or somewhat that the world would be better governed if more women were in positions of power. At the same time, 76.3 per cent of respondents in the USA believe that men have an advantage, even if women have comparable or even better qualifications.

Gender roles: Men assertive, women emotional?

The IU study shows that stereotypical role models are still deeply rooted in the perception of politicians - both in Germany and in the USA. In Germany, 73.5 per cent of respondents agree with the statement that men tend to be perceived as assertive in difficult situations. At the same time, women are more likely to be perceived as emotional in similar situations (69.3 per cent).

The picture is even clearer in the USA, where 80.8 per cent of respondents agree completely or somewhat that men in politics tend to be perceived as assertive in difficult situations.

"These results illustrate how deeply rooted gender stereotypes characterise the perception of political leaders. They not only influence how politicians are perceived by the public but also have an impact on women's careers and opportunities to rise to leadership positions. Prejudices such as the image of the assertive man and the emotional woman mean that women are often passed over despite having equal or even better qualifications. These deeply rooted stereotypes not only make individual advancement more difficult but also hinder social progress towards a fairer and more diverse political landscape," says Prof. Dr Alexandra Wuttig, chancellor of IU International University of Applied Sciences and professor of innovation and entrepreneurship.

Expectations of political leadership in Germany

In addition to gender-specific aspects, clear values and competences are at the centre of expectations of politicians. In Germany, integrity and honesty (38.0 per cent) are the most frequently mentioned characteristics, followed by expertise in political and economic issues (35.9 per cent), crisis competence (34.5 per cent) and leadership skills (31.4 per cent).

Diversity in politics – a look at Germany

The results also confirm that diversity in political leadership is perceived as an advantage: 66.8 per cent of respondents in Germany see advantages in a diverse leadership that takes aspects such as gender, age and origin into account.

"The study underlines the German population's desire for value-oriented and more diverse politics," emphasises Wuttig, adding: "At the same time, it shows that stereotypical role models still represent a barrier that women in political leadership positions need to overcome."

About the study

The study "Women and men in politics" by IU International University of Applied Sciences examines attitudes towards equality and diversity in political leadership positions as well as the perception of gender-specific role models in Germany and the USA. For the study, IU surveyed 1,200 people between the ages of 16 and 65 in Germany and the USA respectively, representative of the German and US population by age, gender* and federal state or Census Region (and Divisions). The survey was conducted from 25.09.2024 to 03.10.2024.

About the expert

Alexandra Wuttig is chancellor of the IU International University of Applied Sciences and professor of entrepreneurship, innovation and law in the IU distance learning programme. She is an expert in political and social equality. In addition to her duties at IU, she is committed to equality for women and is co-founder of several start-ups.

*Although gender requires more than a binary classification into female and male, the data currently available for such an analysis is limited. In general, the numbers are too small to allow a breakdown by additional variables. Therefore, gender is only considered in a binary system in this study.

Hamburg, Germany, 7 November 2024: The IU Research Center for Sustainable Media & Marketing (RCSMM) and the German Digital Industry Association (BVDW) are pooling their expertise to research and develop a "Value Media" standard. This new cooperation between research and practice is intended to establish transparent and well-founded standards in the media industry that support responsible media planning. 

"Through the cooperation with the BVDW and the scientific expertise of the IU Research Center, we ensure that the scale development is based on neutral, fact-based research and that the requirements of various stakeholders are taken into account," says Prof. Dr Lisa-Charlotte Wolter, Head of the IU RCSMM and Professor and Head of the Online Marketing programme at IU International University of Applied Sciences (IU). 

 

Dr Moritz Holzgraefe, Vice President of the BVDW, emphasises: "At the BVDW, we are already working on the topic of sustainable digital advertising across all segments of the digital economy. We are all united by the goal of strengthening sustainability in all its facets. Together with IU and through independent research, we are now taking the next necessary steps to create standards that build long-term trust and promote sustainability in media planning. The aim of our collaboration is to pave the way for fact-based and fair market approaches." 
 

About the IU Research Centre for Sustainable Media & Marketing 

The IU Research Centre for Sustainable Media & Marketing (RCSMM) arose from the growing need for transparent framework conditions and standards in the media and communications industry to make responsible decisions in media planning measurable and support them. RCSMM studies show that such standards must be scientifically sound, especially in the case of a socially relevant evaluation object such as media. The establishment of these standards is seen as a joint task that should be realised in close cooperation with practitioners - including media companies, marketers, media agencies and advertisers as well as associations such as the BVDW. Cooperation with these stakeholders ensures that the "Value Media" standards developed meet with broad acceptance and can be integrated into media planning programmes in a practice-oriented manner. 

The RCSMM also works with international research partners such as the University of Florida, which is one of the leading research institutions in the media sector. "Globally oriented standard development is essential in order to meet the requirements of internationally operating companies and our media reality with global players such as Google or Meta," says Prof. Dr Lisa-Charlotte Wolter. 

Programme and event information 

You are cordially invited to the kick-off event "Shaping the Future: Sustainable Media and Marketing Strategies Through Innovative Integration of ESG, AI, and Value Media" on 26 November 2024 at the IU International University of Applied Sciences campus in Hamburg, Waterloohain 9, 22769 Hamburg. Starting at 2 pm, you can expect four hours of inspiring discussions and insights into the latest developments on sustainable and transparent standards in the media industry - presented by leading experts from research and practice. 

Programme highlights: 

• Welcome & Opening by Alex Čaičics, ESG Manager at IU, and Prof. Dr Lisa-Charlotte Wolter, Head of the IU RCSMM 
• Keynote speech by Prof. Dr Sylvia Chan-Olmsted (University of Florida) on "Value Media & AI that Enhances Human Value" 
• Panel discussion, moderated by Dr Moritz Holzgraefe (BVDW) on "Responsibility for a sustainable media landscape - what solutions does the industry provide and how do we take action?" 
• Presentation of the IU Research Centre for Sustainable Media & Marketing 
• Opportunity to network with scientists and industry experts 
   

Secure your place now 

The number of participants is limited, so make sure you secure your place in good time. 
Participation is free of charge. 

For further information or questions please contact: 

Prof. Dr Lisa-Charlotte Wolter 
IU Research Centre for Sustainable Media & Marketing 
lisa-charlotte.wolter@iu.org 

We look forward to welcoming you on 26 November. 

Information on the IU Research Centre for Sustainable Media & Marketing can be found here.

Erfurt, Germany, 1 November 2024. Shortly before the US election, a recent survey on "Women and men in politics" by IU International University of Applied Sciences (IU) shows clear social similarities between Germany and the USA when it comes to the desire for more diversity and female leadership in politics. 

Equal opportunities? Majority still see men at an advantage 

In both the USA and Germany, many people see advantages in having more women in positions of political power. While 69.2 per cent of respondents in the USA believe that the world would be better governed if there were more women at the top, 63.5 per cent of people in Germany share this view. At the same time, 69.8 per cent of respondents in Germany believe that men are more likely to be elected, even if there are equally or better qualified women for the position (USA: 76.3 per cent). 

USA and Germany agree: politics needs more diversity at the top 

In both the USA and Germany, large sections of the population see advantages in a diverse political leadership. 66.8 per cent in Germany welcome a more diverse leadership, and in the USA the figure is as high as 87.1 per cent. 
 

Prof. Dr Alexandra Wuttig, chancellor of IU International University of Applied Sciences and professor of innovation and entrepreneurship, says: "The results clearly show that people believe in the transformative power of female leadership. These figures emphasise the urgent need for real equality of opportunity and a willingness to break new ground in political leadership. Women can contribute to this by empowering each other, building networks and confidently aspiring to political office - because change starts with the courage to become visible and claim what is rightfully theirs."

About the study 

The study "Women and men in politics" by IU International University of Applied Sciences examines attitudes towards equality and diversity in political leadership positions as well as the perception of gender-specific role models in Germany and the USA. For the study, IU surveyed 1,200 people between the ages of 16 and 65 in Germany and the USA respectively, representative of the German and US population by age, gender* and federal state or Census Region (and Divisions). The survey was conducted from 25.09.2024 to 03.10.2024. 

The full study with detailed results and further insights will be published shortly. 

*Although gender requires more than a binary classification into female and male, the data currently available for such an analysis is limited. In general, the numbers are too small to allow a breakdown by additional variables. Therefore, gender is only considered in a binary system in this study. 
 

Erfurt, Germany, 13 August 2024. A recent study on "Democracy and Education" by IU International University of Applied Sciences (IU), the largest university in Germany with over 130,000 students, shows that just under half (47.9 percent) of respondents are “very” or “somewhat satisfied” with democracy in Germany. Among Generation Z, it is even more than half: 54.6 per cent of 16- to 25-year-olds express their satisfaction. In contrast, 48.5 per cent of all respondents are “somewhat” or “very dissatisfied”.

Prof. Dr Stefanie Kessler, professor of social work at IU International University of Applied Sciences and expert in democracy learning and political education, explains: "Young people are more satisfied with democracy because they experience democracy more frequently in educational contexts and thus their own effectiveness, even if it is not directly about big politics. These direct opportunities for participation have often been lacking among the older generation."

When it comes to teaching democratic values, 59.0 per cent of respondents believe that the education system is primarily responsible. 92.5 per cent of all respondents agree that preserving democracy in Germany is “very important” or “somewhat important”. This view is shared by all generations, from Generation Z to the baby boomers.

"How exactly the education system can exert influence is a key question. It is not enough to simply offer subjects such as politics, society or social studies. Educational institutions themselves must be designed as experiential spaces that support, enable and make democratic experiences and self-efficacy tangible," says Kessler.

Voting is popular, active engagement remains low

The majority of respondents (75.1 per cent) state that they vote regularly, followed by 60.3 per cent who inform themselves about political issues. 51.6 per cent discuss political issues with others, while 43.0 per cent sign petitions. Less common activities include discussing issues on social media (19.0 per cent), taking part in demonstrations (16.1 per cent) and contacting political representatives (11.0 per cent). 10.1 per cent state that they are generally not involved in politics. The results make it clear that voting is the most widespread form of political participation, while the opportunity to participate in other political activities such as demonstrations is less utilised.

Prof. Dr Alexandra Wuttig, chancellor of IU International University of Applied Sciences and professor of innovation and entrepreneurship, says: "It is important to re-establish the value and appreciation of democracy more firmly in society. This can be done through education, open discussion and active participation in democracy. It is crucial to make everyone aware of the value and importance of democracy and to encourage them to get involved."

Trust and inequality as central challenges of a democracy

Decreasing trust in politics is the most frequently mentioned answer by respondents (83.5 per cent) regarding the challenges in a democracy. The promotion of human rights was most frequently cited as an advantage by 87.0 per cent of respondents, followed by the opportunity for co-determination (85.7 per cent), the guarantee of freedom of opinion and the press (85.1 per cent), the expansion of peace (82.7 per cent) and the recognition of political diversity of opinion and discourse (79.0 per cent).

Education as the key to democracy?

When asked who is primarily responsible for teaching democratic values, 59.0 per cent of respondents cite the education system. However, there are differences between the generations: While baby boomers more often see their parents as having the main responsibility (57.9 per cent), for Generation Z it is the education system (60.8 per cent) and the media (51.5 per cent).

Overall, respondents inform themselves most frequently via news programmes on television (55.2 percent), followed by online news portals (47.8 percent). 58.8 per cent of young people up to the age of 25 cite social media as the main source they use when it comes to political (further) education.

In addition, 35.6 per cent of Generation Z say they have already used AI technologies such as ChatGPT as a source of political information. In the baby boomer generation, the figure is 11.6 per cent.

More than 4 out of 5 people in Germany believe that education can help them make informed decisions in elections. A lack of education is seen by 79.0 per cent of respondents as a potential threat to democracy. However, 66.6 per cent also agree with the statement that education is no guarantee for a functioning democracy. 

Prof. Dr Stefanie Kessler says: "Making informed decisions in elections requires people to be able to make political judgements. Education should therefore take a holistic position. This means not only imparting knowledge about politics and the political system, but also enabling practical experience of participation in order to strengthen democratic values."

About the study

The "Democracy and Education" study by IU International University of Applied Sciences analyses satisfaction with democracy in Germany and the importance of education in obtaining information and making decisions. For the study, IU surveyed 1,213 people between the ages of 16 and 65, representative of the German population by age and gender. The survey was conducted from 17.05.2024 to 29.05.2024.

The complete study is available for download here.

About the experts

Stefanie Kessler is professor of social work in the dual study programme at IU in Hannover. Her areas of research include learning about democracy and political education in fields of social work such as schools, open child and youth work, and youth and adult education.

Alexandra Wuttig is chancellor of IU and professor of entrepreneurship, innovation and law in the IU distance learning programme. She is an expert in political and social equality. In addition to her duties at IU, she is committed to equality for women and is co-founder of several start-ups.

In a 20-minute expert video, IU professors Stefanie Kessler and Alexandra Wuttig discuss and expand on the results of the study, provide in-depth insights and shed light on aspects relating to democracy and education. Click here for the interview.

Erfurt, Germany, 14 May 2024. Employers who want to attract new talent should recognise diversity and enable inclusion. This is confirmed by a representative study by IU International University of Applied Sciences (IU), which surveyed over 1,200 trainees and students across Germany. The results clearly show that 75.1 per cent of prospective employees consider it very or somewhat important that companies implement measures to promote diversity and inclusion. This suggests that companies that communicate these measures openly and transparently have a clear competitive advantage when looking for applicants. 

Companies that embrace diversity and inclusion are more attractive

Only just under a quarter (24.7 per cent) of respondents always or usually see information on diversity and inclusion in job advertisements or on company websites. "This is a missed opportunity for companies that do not present their activities there," says Prof Dr Sonja Würtemberger, Professor of Human Resource Management at IU International University of Applied Sciences. This is because the skilled workers of tomorrow most frequently find out about potential employers on online job portals (51.7 per cent) and company websites (37.7 per cent) - in other words, via digital sources that companies can influence directly.

"Companies that not only communicate diversity and inclusion, but also practise them, increase their appeal. This is a key factor, especially in the competition for the skilled workers of tomorrow," says Prof Dr Katharina-Maria Rehfeld, Professor of Human Resources Management at IU International University of Applied Sciences. "Diversity is a fact, inclusion is the goal," continues Rehfeld. "Only those who are not discriminated against or marginalised can develop their full potential."

What counts in the application process

Professional and respectful communication is at the top of the "wish list" with 51.2 per cent. Information on remuneration and benefits is important for 46.9 per cent. 46.8 per cent expect a prompt response, and almost as many (46.6 per cent) attach importance to equal treatment and fair selection criteria.

Must-have vs. motivator: diversity makes the difference

For those surveyed, the classic must-haves such as fair pay, job security, development opportunities and flexible working time models are important when choosing a job. When it comes to motivators, equal opportunities, work-life balance, openness and acceptance of diversity and meaningfulness of work are in the lead. Based on the 2-factor model of the American psychologist Frederick Herzberg, the so-called "hygiene factors" are important to avoid dissatisfaction, while the "motivators" are important to increase satisfaction. 

Future professionals are most concerned about equal opportunities (38.2 per cent), regardless of gender, marital status, sexual orientation, origin or disability. It is interesting to note that accessibility was mentioned least frequently (7.4 per cent). Prof Dr Katharina-Maria Rehfeld comments: "Accessibility is still seen as something that is only relevant for a few people. However, demographic change and an ageing society show us something else: accessibility will be relevant for all of us in the future. A development that we are still ignoring at the moment."

What can be done for more diversity and inclusion? 

Almost 9 out of 10 respondents (89.0 per cent) expect line managers to act as role models for respectful and conscious behaviour in relation to diversity and differences among employees. 91.2 per cent think that managers should regularly take measures to create a working environment in which every employee is heard and valued. Regular training for supervisors on the topic of diversity is very or somewhat important for 79.9 per cent.

In terms of the measures that trainees and students would like to see from future employers in terms of diversity and inclusion, a barrier-free working environment was the third most frequently selected top 5 aspect (46.0 per cent) after equal opportunities (57.9 per cent) and an open feedback system (48.2 per cent). By comparison, the appointment of equal opportunities officers or diversity managers was voted the least frequently among the top 5 aspects by 24.3 per cent.

"Inclusion is the task of everyone in the company - not that of a single person or a diversity management department. However, many people do not realise what is done in the background by these departments to create processes that enable equal opportunities and career opportunities for everyone. It must also be clear: The appointment of equal opportunities officers or diversity managers must not be a fig leaf action. Such positions must be linked to concrete influence and responsibility in order to bring about real change." emphasises Prof. Dr Sonja Würtemberger.

About the experts

Professors Sonja Würtemberger and Katharina-Maria Rehfeld teach and conduct research in the field of Human Resource Management at IU International University of Applied Sciences. In a joint project with Charta der Vielfalt e.V., they are working on the development of a maturity model for more diversity and inclusion that is specifically tailored to German companies. This model is intended to help companies assess their current status in terms of diversity & inclusion, define clear steps for improvement and ultimately achieve greater integration of diversity & inclusion.

Diversity and inclusion at IU

IU International University of Applied Sciences is committed to diversity, inclusion and tolerance with a "Culture of Everyone®" corporate culture. In a recently launched social media campaign under the hashtag #CultureOfEveryone, employees and students have shared personal stories that illustrate the importance of this culture for them. IU has also been a signatory of the Charta der Vielfalt e.V. since 2019, making it an integral part of a nationwide movement and the largest network for diversity management in Germany. Furthermore, IU actively supports the "Weltoffenes Thüringen" initiative and presents the IU Diversity Award to students twice a year in order to raise public awareness of the research field of diversity. IU will also take part in the nationally celebrated Diversity Day on 28 May by carrying out various internal campaigns.

Diversity, equal treatment, multifacetedness and tolerance are fundamental values at IU. With a community of students and staff from over 190 nations as well as people of different sexual orientations, age groups and disabilities, IU's vision is to provide "education for all".

About the study

The study "Diversity and Inclusion – Essential or Optional?" by IU International University of Applied Sciences shows what trainees and students want from their future employers when it comes to diversity and inclusion. For the study, IU surveyed 1,214 students and trainees in Germany between the ages of 16 and 65, representative of the German population by age and gender. 

The complete study is available for download here.

Erfurt, Germany, 12 April 2024. Automating the grading of exams with open questions makes work considerably easier for teachers and can lead to better results for students by avoiding human inaccuracies and errors through an automated grading mechanism.

With their research paper 'Beyond human subjectivity and error: a novel AI grading system (2024)', a team from IU International University of Applied Sciences (IU) is demonstrating for the first time on a large scale how artificial intelligence can support teachers in automated grading. The IU research team has developed a novel grading system, called Automatic Short Answer Grading (ASAG), which can automatically grade answers to open-ended questions consisting of just a few sentences.

The ASAG system developed by the IU research team is based on a large language model, which was additionally trained with a very large dataset of exam data. The data comes from a variety of degree programmes at IU International University of Applied Sciences, covering a wide range of disciplines - from humanities to STEM subjects. According to the study, this broad spectrum should ensure that IU's ASAG model is applicable and adaptable across different disciplines.

AI model on average closer to benchmark score

In a multi-stage data analysis, the research team first used their ASAG model to show that AI can also analyse answers from previously unknown subject areas. A subsequent comparison with subject experts showed that, on average, ASAG's grading of student responses was closer to the official reference grade than the grading by subject experts. The greater agreement in grading suggests that AI-assisted grading can reduce human subjectivity in grading and potentially improve fairness.
 

Figure: Showing the distribution of absolute grading errors for both the human regraders (left, blue) and the model (right, orange). The median absolute errors are 20.0 and 11.1 respectively. The model’s median absolute error is hence 44% smaller than the humans’ median absolute error.

Source: ‘Beyond human subjectivity and error: a novel AI grading system’ (2024). IU International University of Applied Sciences.

"Our research provides further evidence of how AI will change the education system in the future. With this model, we aim to advance the idea of using AI in addition to human grading to increase consistency and fairness for students, while minimising negative impacts. This completely new approach not only promises more accurate grading results, but also opens unprecedented possibilities for the evolution of grading systems", says Sven Schütt, CEO of IU International University of Applied Sciences.

"The integration of AI-supported models into the grading processes offers considerable advantages: Firstly, it provides examiners with an external benchmark for comparing their own assessment. This reduces variance and increases fairness, which benefits the students. Secondly, it relieves professors and tutors of tedious and repetitive tasks, allowing them to focus more on teaching and mentoring students”, says Prof. Dr Thomas Zöller, Professor of Data Science and Artificial Intelligence at IU International University of Applied Sciences.

IU experts give an outlook for the future 

According to the IU research team, the ASAG model could already be used as a rating system. However, according to IU experts, the legal and scientific prerequisites are not yet in place, as AI technology is still new and there is a lack of framework conditions, and new regulations are constantly emerging due to the rapid technological development in the field of AI. IU experts and auditors therefore recommend focusing initially on a model in which human auditors are supported by AI-based automation, for example for reconciliation and error prevention.

Erfurt, Germany, 15 March 2024. While failure is now widely discussed in business and the start-up scene and is often seen as a chance, failure still seems to be a taboo subject in social work. Important principles such as "Leave no child behind!" or "Help must not fail!" lead to mistakes and problems being concealed rather than being taken as an opportunity for improvement. In the new anthology "Scheitern in Praxis und Wissenschaft der Sozialen Arbeit. Reflexions- und Bewältigungspraktiken von Fehlern und Krisen." 26 academics deal with failure as a challenge for social work. The editors of the anthology are Prof. Dr. Stefanie Kessler and Prof. Dr. Karsten König from IU International University of Applied Sciences (IU). Both hold a professorship in social work and, together with the authors of the anthology, highlight different dimensions of failure in practice and science.

"In social work, our strength does not lie in our fear of making mistakes, but in our ability to provide even better support to the people we work with on a daily basis. Every setback can also be an opportunity to critically question the approaches and concepts we use in practice and improve them based on feedback. This enables us to help people who need our support even better," says Dr. Stefanie Kessler, Professor of Social Work at IU International University of Applied Sciences (IU), Hanover.

Social work practice is particularly attentive to failure

Even though social work practice is particularly attentive to failure, questions remain unanswered: Why is it that social work is not able to come to terms with its own failure? Why is the competence of failure not brought into the current social debate, in which the failure of change processes seems omnipresent? Social work is particularly sensitive to when things go wrong in practice. Whether preventative or as a direct intervention, social work activities are geared towards overcoming crisis and problem situations. Many methods are aimed at preventing possible failure or dealing with situations that seem hopeless.

Social interaction with failure in practice and studies  

Six articles specifically address the taboo subject of failure in social work practice. The authors show that failure is still concealed and how difficult it is to admit one's own experiences of failure: It is considered a weakness to admit mistakes and it endangered the funding of measures and projects if failure is talked about. At the same time, it shows how students can learn to recognise failure and develop a positive failure culture.  

The anthology is the result of a symposium organised by Volkswagen Foundation, which took place in December 2022 at the Herrenhausen Palaces in Hanover.

About Social Work degree programme at IU

How do you mediate between family members in conflict? What are the requirements for granting asylum? How can people be supported in crisis situations? How can people with disabilities be given new perspectives? The dual study programme Social Work is dedicated to address these and many other questions. It is based on a sound scientific foundation and is particularly method-orientated. During the studies, students deal with the objectives, concepts, and structures of social work, immerse deep into the associated sciences and learn how to provide practical help - always case-related, realistic and resource-oriented. The study programme is also offered by IU as a distance learning programme. With over 20,000 active students, IU is the largest academic training provider in the field of social work.

About the editors

Prof. Dr. Stefanie Kessler, Professor of Social Work at IU International University of Applied Sciences in the dual study programme in Hanover. Main areas of research: Learning in and from organisations, political action and education in social work and schools as well as academic practice in social work. Contact: stefanie.kessler@iu.org

Prof. Dr. Karsten König, Professor of Social Work at IU International University of Applied Sciences in the dual study programme in Dresden. His work focuses on inclusive educational research from special schools to universities, social work in public spaces and empirical social work research and evaluation. Contact: karsten.koenig@iu.org    

Table of contents and reading samples as well as further information and material on the anthology „Scheitern in Praxis und Wissenschaft der Sozialen Arbeit. Reflexions- und Bewältigungspraktiken von Fehlern und Krisen.“ can be found here.

Erfurt, Germany, 13 December 2023. ChatGPT has been available since November 2022 and impresses with texts and solutions that could have come from humans. According to the study "ChatGPT & Co - personally used" by IU International University of Applied Sciences (IU), two thirds (66.9 per cent) of employees in Germany are familiar with AI bots such as ChatGPT or Google Bard.

Of those surveyed, 35.4 per cent have already used ChatGPT and Co themselves - albeit mostly for fun (54.4 per cent) or to pass the time or out of curiosity (51.3 per cent). ChatGPT or similar technologies are only used for work by just over a third (36.5 per cent).

While awareness of ChatGPT and similar AI technologies is generally high across all generations, there are major differences in terms of usage: almost two thirds of respondents from Generation Z (59.2 per cent) have already used ChatGPT and similar technologies themselves, compared to 17.0 per cent of 56- to 65-year-olds ("baby boomers"). 

It is also the up to 25-year-olds of Generation Z and the 26- to 40-year-olds of Generation Y who see the greatest influence of AI technologies among all generations in the medium term: 55.7 per cent of Generation Z respondents and 56.6 per cent of Generation Y respondents believe that ChatGPT and similar technologies will have a great to very great influence on their private lives in the next five years. Among baby boomers (aged 56 to 65), however, the figure is 34.8 per cent.

One fifth do not know how to access ChatGPT and Co

There are many reasons why employees in Germany do not yet use ChatGPT and other AI tools. It is striking that a fifth (20.0 per cent) of employees in Germany who have not yet used ChatGPT or other AI tools do not know where and how they can access them.

Almost as many (19.2 per cent) have concerns about data protection. Around half (51.3 and 49.3 per cent respectively) state that they do not need AI tools such as ChatGPT either privately or professionally. 13.8 per cent are of the opinion that AI is impersonal. One in ten respondents fear that the answers provided by AI are incorrect.

According to the IU study, the publication of ChatGPT has also led to an increased interest in AI degree programmes: 37.3 percent of respondents who are interested in studying or continuing their education agree somewhat to completely that they have become more interested in degree programmes involving artificial intelligence since the publication of ChatGPT.

"AI will become a key factor for innovation in many areas in the coming years. The opportunity to participate in the development and application of AI technologies is a strong attraction for prospective students. In addition, the demand for qualified professionals in this field is high and AI degree programmes therefore offer very good career opportunities. The presence of ChatGPT has given a small boost to interest in AI degree programmes - as the results of the study also show," says Prof. Dr Kamal Bhattacharya Professor of Computer Science and Pro-Rector, Research and Transfer at IU International University of Applied Sciences.

Since October 2023, IU has been offering elective courses in the field of AI in all degree programmes: In these elective courses, students are familiarised with AI prompting.

AI prompting is the use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) by influencing AI models via text instructions. The user enters certain requests or instructions in natural language and the AI responds with generated text or information. This input is then interpreted by AI models such as ChatGPT, MidJourney or Google Bard to generate text, videos or images.

By offering elective courses in the field of AI prompting, IU is emphasising its focus on "future skills". In this way, IU ensures that students acquire key skills that will be in greater demand on the labour market in the future. One of these essential future skills is learning the ability to assess the use of AI methods and to use AI technologies efficiently for work tasks.

About the study

For the study "ChatGPT & Co - personally used" by IU International University of Applied Sciences (IU), 2,030 workers in Germany between the ages of 16 and 65 were surveyed, representative of the German labour market by age and gender. The survey period was 14 April to 24 April 2023.

The complete study is available for download here.

 

Erfurt, Germany, 29 November 2023. The first part of the representative IU study "Work and career. Equal opportunities for all?" revealed some clear differences between women and men in management positions. But what happens to the careers of women and men (*) when children come into their lives is shown in the second part of the IU study "Kids and a career. Compatible for everyone?".

A key finding of the second part of the IU study is that having children continues to have a greater impact on women than on men: according to the study, 19.4 per cent of the working women surveyed stated that they had realigned their career goals due to parenthood. Among working men, the figure is only 11.3 per cent.

Children are more likely to lead to a career break for women than for men: more than three times as many women (11.4 per cent) as men (3.2 per cent) have given up their management responsibilities due to the birth of a child.

However, working women rate the skills they have gained through motherhood higher than men: 54.4 percent of women compared to 41.1 percent of men believe that working parents can bring better organisational skills to their everyday working life in terms of their parenting skills.  The situation is similar with time management (51.0 per cent of women vs. 41.0 per cent of men) or the ability to multitask (36.7 per cent of women vs. 24.2 per cent of men).

"Children change careers - that is often the case. Reasons for this include the reorganisation of priorities and the development of new soft skills that can be used in the job. As women continue to take parental leave much more frequently, they benefit particularly from these changes," says Prof Dr Alexandra Wuttig, Chancellor of IU International University of Applied Sciences and Professor of Innovation and Entrepreneurship.

Men take far less parental leave, probably mainly for financial reasons

Other major differences between working fathers and mothers can also be seen in the take-up and distribution of parental leave: although each parent has been legally entitled to up to 36 months of parental leave since 2007 (**), women take parental leave more often than men: 71.3 per cent of women compared to 28.3 per cent of men with child(ren) have taken parental leave at least once.

According to the Parental Leave Act, parental leave can be split between the parents, taken consecutively or in parallel. However, the IU study shows that 96.1 per cent of women and only 18.9 per cent of men have taken parental leave alone or for the most part. Two thirds of men even stated that their partner took the majority of their parental leave.

One reason why men take parental leave comparatively rarely could be financial concerns: 45.1 per cent of the women and 37.4 per cent of the men surveyed believe that taking parental leave has or could have a negative impact on them. And for 46.7 per cent of men who believe that parental leave has disadvantages, these would be a reason not to take parental leave in the first place. This contrasts with 25.2 per cent of women.

Companies offer flexibility above all

It is interesting to note that just as many working women as men - more than two thirds in each case - state that taking parental leave is well regarded and supported in their company.

However, a different picture emerges when it comes to the specific measures offered by companies:  More than four out of five respondents state that their company offers some flexibility in terms of work organisation. Women primarily mention the possibility of flexible working time models, men most frequently mention flexible working hours and forms of work.

Only a few companies offer support with childcare: Only a few of the respondents (9.7 per cent of women and 12.9 per cent of men) state that they are supported by their companies when it comes to childcare.

Men see themselves more often in the classic provider role

More time for the family - this is the most frequently cited reason for adjusting career goals due to parenthood among the working mothers (67.3 per cent) and fathers (66.8 per cent) surveyed. Many respondents (50.6 per cent of women; 44.4 per cent of men) also stated that children and parenthood had changed their priorities.

The biggest difference between the sexes (*) is in terms of money: 42.5 per cent of men want to earn more money in order to provide their children with a certain standard of living. Only 26.7 per cent of working women say the same.

"Parenthood often reinforces role models that literally played no role before starting a family. Fathers want to earn more money, women rethink their career goals. Social pressure, structures and clichés reinforce these individual tendencies and behaviours, which are still reflected in employment rates and career paths years later," explains Prof. Dr. Malte Martensen, MBA course director and Professor of Human Resources & Organisation at IU International University of Applied Sciences.

Almost a third of women are solely responsible for childcare

The inequalities and discrepancies are also evident in the division of care work: 30.2 per cent of women state that they do all the care work and a further 40.8 per cent of working women state that they do most of the care work. 23.8 per cent of women and 37.0 per cent of men stated that care work was shared equally between their partners. It is interesting to note that men rate the division of care and housework as "equally shared" more often than women.

ABOUT THE STUDY

The study "Children and careers - compatible for everyone?" by IU International University of Applied Sciences shows what happens to the careers of women and men as soon as children enter their lives and how this affects women in particular. For the study, IU surveyed 4,480 people between the ages of 16 and 65 who are in employment, representative of the German labour market by age and gender (*). 

The complete study is available for download here. 

The study is the second part of a series of studies. The first part, entitled "Work and career. Equal opportunities for all?" was published in October.

(*) Although gender requires more than a binary classification into female and male, the data currently available for such an analysis is limited. In general, the numbers are too small to allow for a breakdown by additional variables. For this reason, gender is only considered in a binary system in this study.

(**) According to the Federal Act on Parental Allowance and Parental Leave, there has been a statutory right to parental leave since 2007. Each parent is entitled to parental leave until the child reaches the age of three. The survey also includes men and women whose children were born and raised at an earlier age. The parental allowance/parental leave regulations applied to them.
 

About EBSCO Information Services 

EBSCO Information Services (EBSCO) is a leading provider of online research content and search technologies serving academic, school, and public libraries; healthcare and medical institutions; corporations; and government agencies around the world. From research, acquisition management, subscription services and discovery to clinical decision support and patient care, learning, and research and development, EBSCO provides institutions with access to content and resources to serve the information and workflow needs of their users and organizations. For more information, visit the EBSCO website at: www.ebsco.com. 

For more information, please contact: 
Erica Gilson 
Senior Communications Specialist 
egilson@ebsco.com 
978-414-0385

Erfurt, 19 October 2023. Men work in management positions almost twice as often as women. This is shown by the new representative study "Work and career. Equal opportunities for all?" by IU International University of Applied Sciences (IU). According to the survey, one in three men (32.2 per cent) say they are in a managerial position. The figure for women is 17.6 per cent. 

And those women in management positions are also more likely to work part-time than men, according to the study: 31.3 per cent of women in managerial positions work 21 to 35 hours per week and 11.3 per cent work up to 20 hours part-time. Among male managers, half as many work part-time (15.1 percent, 21 to 35 hours per week and 4.9 percent, up to 20 hours per week). 

Another key finding of the IU study is that women are more likely to lead women: 42.0 per cent of women in management positions have a female manager. In contrast, 15.0 percent of male managers are led by a woman. But men also lead men significantly more often: 81.3 percent of men in leadership positions have a male superior. 

“In the end, gender is irrelevant. What is crucial is having leadership skills, such being able to inspire and motivate employees. And it should be possible to work flexibly, for both men and women”, said Prof. Dr. Alexandra Wuttig, Chancellor of IU International University of Applied Sciences and Professor of Innovation and Entrepreneurship. 

It is also interesting to note that, according to the IU study, gender does not seem to play a role in the role model function of managers. However, female managers are perceived as role models by both genders slightly more often than male managers: 44.2 percent of men and 44.4 percent of women perceive their direct male superior as a role model; 47.2 percent of men and 47.3 percent of women see their direct female executive as a role model. 

Children are more often a reason for women not to return to a leadership position: 11.4 percent of the women surveyed who held a leadership position in the past are currently no longer in a leadership position due to childbirth and parenthood. For men, the figure is 3.2 percent. 

The most frequently cited reasons by both genders for people who were in a leadership position but now no longer have leadership responsibility are: Change of company (women: 39.2 percent; men: 34.6 percent), professional reorientation (25 percent; 31.4 percent) and changed priorities (24.3 percent; 27.5 percent). 

Back to leadership: salary for all genders reason number one 

A third of men (32.8 per cent) who are not currently in a management position (any more) would like to be in a management position (again). Among women, slightly more than one in five (21.7 per cent) would like to take on a management role (again). Women and men cite similar reasons for wanting to move into management (again): "Higher salary" is cited most frequently (women: 69.9 percent; men: 66.2 percent), followed in second place by personal development (63.6 percent; 59.7 percent) and in third place by the answer "I would like to master new challenges" (56.8 percent; 46.6 percent). 

The answer "I want to advance my career" was the seventh most common reason given by both men and women (43.9 per cent; 44.0 per cent). 

Childcare support more often requested by women 

Another question was aimed at respondents who are not currently in a management role but who aspire to be in one in the future: "What actions by your employer would support you in taking on and maintaining a leadership role?" 
Both men and women cited training and development programmes (women: 63.1 per cent; men: 61.1 per cent) or salary increases (women: 60.9 per cent; men: 65.8 per cent). 

However, flexible working arrangements such as flexible working hours, flexible working arrangements and working time models are also frequently mentioned by both genders. Twice as many women as men (21.0 per cent vs. 10.9 per cent) would like their company to help them with childcare. 

“For leadership roles, skill and motivation are what matter. But it is also important for there to be structures that allow a leadership role to be effectively exercised. Mothers, but also fathers, are often faced with the challenge of balancing their work with their family responsibilities. Employers have an obligation: a change in culture towards real flexibility in working hours and working locations promotes equal opportunities and promotion prospects”, explains Prof. Dr. Malte Martensen, MBA Programme Director and Professor of Human Resources Management and Organisations at IU International University of Applied Sciences. 

ABOUT THE STUDY 

The study "Work and Career. Equal opportunities for all?" by the IU International University of Applied Sciences (IU) shows what is important to employees and why many women do not work in management positions. For the study, the IU surveyed 4,480 working people between the ages of 16 and 65 who are representative of the German labour market in terms of age and gender (*). 

The complete study is available for download here. 

(*) Although gender requires more than a binary classification into female and male, the data currently available for such an analysis are limited. In general, the numbers are too small to allow a breakdown by additional variables. Therefore, in this study, gender is only considered in a binary system.