Welcome back: Executive MBA students partially return to campus

In July, the TUM Institute for LifeLong Learning welcomed some participants of the Executive MBA programs of the Technical University of Munich back to campus. Adhering to all hygiene and safety regulations, some of those currently in progress are taking place in a blended format, consisting of online sessions and the opportunity to attend classes in the seminar rooms in Munich. Highlights included team building activities and a lecture by Harald Krüger, former CEO of BMW AG.

As part of the Executive MBA in Business & IT, Harald Krüger was a guest on July 12 – not virtually, but in the seminar rooms of the TUM Institute for LifeLong Learning. The topic of his lecture to the participants, who were also able to participate online, was “Leadership in the 21st Century”. He was thus one of the first lecturers whom the TUM Institute for LifeLong Learning had the pleasure of welcoming back in person.

Harald Krüger and Prof. Dr. Claudia Peus

The topic of his lecture, followed by a discussion, tied directly into the “new normal” of the Corona pandemic: Krüger explained that leadership was becoming the key competitive advantage for the future. One of the main components of the work of managers, he said, is to deal with upheaval and accompany transformation processes – such as Corona. His clear appeal: “Never stop learning!” Especially in a leadership position, you should never stop learning and developing, regardless of whether you are dealing with a new language, cultures or technologies. It is important to understand the people you work with and to listen carefully to employees and customers, in other words, to engage in “deep listening”. Only then is it possible to meet the challenges in a strengthened and responsible manner.

Testing new leadership skills: Teambuilding virtually and in the seminar room

Speaking of challenges, some participants of the Executive MBA in General Management module “Organizational Change & Communication” were also able to meet in person at the beginning of July while observing hygiene and safety rules. In a team-building event that took place simultaneously digitally and on-site, they used the knowledge they had acquired in the areas of leadership, project management and communication – and climbed an imaginary Mount Everest together.

“Adventure Everest”: A virtual and on-site teambuilding event

To create a high-quality and inclusive learning experience for all participants – whether virtual or in-person – our lecturers also split up: Whenever two people were teaching, one of them was connected digitally, and one or the other supervised the participants in the seminar rooms.

We are now looking forward to many more exciting modules and events with our participants in the coming weeks – whether digital, face-to-face, or both.

You can find more information about the Executive MBAs here.