Artificial intelligence opens up new possibilities for work at universities. To make effective use of these opportunities, one needs not only technical knowledge but also the ability to identify challenges, develop ideas, and put solutions into practice. This is precisely where the collaboration between the Strascheg Center for Entrepreneurship (SCE) and the new AI continuing education program for research support staff at Munich University of Applied Sciences (HM) comes in.
At the kick-off event on September 28, 2026, 26 staff members from various departments at Munich University of Applied Sciences (HM) began the two-semester program. The program is designed to empower them to bring AI expertise to their faculties and departments, encourage colleagues to experiment, and initiate their own AI projects. The program is being developed and implemented jointly by bauwerk!, Human Resources Development, MUC.DAI, and the SCE.
Real-World Challenges, Collaborative Learning
Through the Real Project “AI for Innovators,” the SCE brings its practice-oriented entrepreneurship education to the program. Over the course of two sessions, Verena Knerich, Head of Professional Development at the SCE, guides participants through the innovation process and explains how entrepreneurial thinking and action help turn challenges into new solutions.
Conversely, SCE students participate in selected sessions of the continuing education program and gain insights into the fundamentals and potential applications of artificial intelligence. This fosters an exchange between staff and students, bringing together diverse perspectives and experiences.
Understanding, Critically Using, and Shaping AI
The Real Projects program focuses not only on what AI can achieve, but also on how it can be used responsibly and purposefully. Students use AI critically, both to support their innovation process and as a potential component of a solution. In doing so, they combine engagement with a future technology with practical work on innovation projects.
This collaboration demonstrates how the SCE’s Real Projects address current topics in science and society and integrate them into teaching. Students work on real-world problems, gain new perspectives, and experiment with entrepreneurial methods. At the same time, the participating organizations benefit from the exchange with students and their perspectives on new technologies and solutions.
The AI continuing education program runs for two semesters. While the initial focus is on the fundamentals, potential applications, and social and ethical issues surrounding AI, the program later shifts to the development of students’ own projects and functional AI prototypes.
Learn more about the SCE’s Real Projects: Practical Learning and Shaping Innovation
© Photos: Tabea Lüttich / Munich University of Applied Sciences
