NORDAKADEMIE Non-profit Corporation University of Economics
Life is nothing but the art of balancing important things on a multi-edged sword. As then popular quote goes, ‘Reality is different than fiction,’ it is certainly true in this case. The tilting balance of important things resides the genesis of the business, on which the entire world around systematically revolves.
With the genesis of the business decades past, the idea of the economy was brought into the world by the forerunners of thought leadership. Today, economics and businesses run the world, but economics and businesses are much more than that.
“Economics is too important to leave it to the economists.”
Quoting Steve Keen and his strong foreshadowing perception of economics, it was found necessary for the change drivers to introduce multiple collaborations with business, economics, humanity, and learning.
Many proficient thinkers realised the need for a unique collaborative structure when the world was on the verge of entering an era of significant changes in 1981. In his venture to set up a dual course study in ‘Industrial Engineering and Management’ at the Schleswig-Holstein University of Cooperative Education, Dr. Georg Plate deliberately laid the foundation of NORDAKADEMIE Gemeinnützige Aktiengesellschaft Hochschule der Wirtschaft (NORDAKADEMIE Non-profit Corporation University of Economics).
In its quest to find ‘The Most Prominent Business School in Germany, 2022′, The Knowledge Review magazine, came across NORDAKADEMIE, a prominent business school that is making economics and business studies future ready for the world.
Being a business school, which has always been a step ahead of its current age since its inception, there is always an imitative outlook on the future on how the world will look from behind the stage.
While talking about the school’s uniqueness and its educational pedagogies for instilling the art of balancing the ideologies, ethics and rules of economics and business in the students, Prof. Dr. Stefan Wiedmann, President and Diploma Industrial Engineer, Christoph Fülscher, Chancellor of the university, shares the story of underpinned success of one of the most prominent business schools of 21st century
Laying the Foundation Stone of NORDAKADEMIE
The inception story of NORDAKADEMIE can date back to May 1981, when Dr Georg Plate initiated a project manager at the Schleswig-Holstewig University of Cooperative Education on 1 April 1981. In his practical attempt to set a dual course study program in ‘Industrial Engineering and Management’, he started with a simple mailing campaign.
Amongst the 500 mails sent, it resulted in one positive response from Drägerwerk AG, which agreed to provide two study places for a completely new- yet visionary, training model. In the attempt to keep the project alive, Dr. Georg Plate also found the need to bring more investment from major industry players.
Showcasing the importance of Dr Georg Plate in the inception of the university and in setting up the university into what it is today, the current president of the university, Dr Stefan Wiedmann, says, “In addition to Dräger, companies such as Airbus, Fette, Hatlapa, Körber, Mobil Oil, Philips, Rotring and Telefunken were involved from the beginning and played a decisive role in the founding of the later NORDAKADEMIE.”
“It was probably, in particular, the success of the dual study programme which tipped the scales in favour of founding a university supported by business and industry: all those involved – employers and graduates alike – were satisfied with the quality of the three-and-a-half-year course at the vocational academy. The only criticism was the lack of a formal, internationally recognised university degree,” the Chancellor of the university, Christoph Fülscher, added.
Journey from Academy to University of Applied Sciences
Moving swiftly in the field of education, all founding members of NORDAKADEMIE felt the need to establish the Academy as a private University of Applied Sciences. They were being supported by NORDMETALL, an employers association of the metal and electrical industry, by promoting this idea to their member companies. Thereby more businesses joined, and a unique business model was created: a University of Applied Sciences 100% owned by private companies in Germany
On 25th February 1992, 20 companies showed enthusiasm and agreed to the setup of a non-profit limited company, which was to be the sponsor of the future university.
With the support of member companies and a promising future for business academics, the state recognition of NORDAKADEMIE came on 22 October 1992 as a university of applied sciences with dual courses of study
Dr Stefan Wiedmann highlighted when the lectures began and how they have shaped themselves today: “Lectures began at the beginning of January 1993, and the university was officially opened on 19 February 1993. Today, around 1,500 Bachelor students live and learn on the NORDAKADEMIE Campus in Elmshon.
In 2013 NORDAKADEMIE opened the Graduate School in Hamburg, where part-time Master’s degrees can be obtained. Today, around 1,000 young professionals are studying for their Master’s degree there.”