For the second time, the TH Köln is cooperating with the Diakonie Michaelshoven and would like to give students the opportunity to approach real-life topics in a practice-oriented manner. Uwe Ufer, commercial director of Diakonie Michaelshoven, is a lecturer at the TH Köln and led the seminar “Management in non-profit organizations” for the second time. The total of 10 students who took the seminar were taught the basics of business administration and social law in non-profit companies. Instead of a final exam, the students were evaluated on the basis of their homework, which had the topic of “founding a hospice”. From finding a name, through personnel acquisition and management, to complete financing using all standard business administration elements, they have developed innovative ideas in their homework.
At the final meeting in the Diakonie Michaelshoven, Uwe Ufer emphasized that all the housework was really good. “Seldom have I had so much fun going through the chores. It is work that the students can be proud of and that has value, ”said Uwe Ufer. Christian Potthoff, managing director of Altenhilfe Michaelshoven, also confirmed that all results will be incorporated into the considerations for opening a hospice. During their work, he supported the students both professionally and in terms of content.
The cooperation with the TH Köln is a win for both sides. “As an institute, we have broken new ground that we were able to win over to Mr. Ufer, because this way Diakonie Michaelshoven can also make a profit from the work. And that is exactly what the idea of building a bridge between theory and practice, ”said the dean of the TH Köln, Prof. Dr. Erich Hölter. Another collaboration is planned for the next semester, for which there are already more registrations than seminar places. The students found the topic very exciting and also incorporated their own ideas about the last phase of life into the work. You really enjoyed the six-week preparation of the term paper. One student said that he would rather do a practical term paper than take an exam.
