South Westphalia University of Applied Sciences celebrates the anniversary of the International Management & Information Systems programme
Soest. On 28 June, the Master's programme in International Management and Information Systems (IMIS) celebrated its tenth anniversary on Soest campus of South Westphalia University of Applied Sciences. Course directors Prof. Dr. Valerie Wulfhorst and Prof. Dr. Peter Weber invited alumni, employees, and students from a wide range of countries and industry partners to the event.
Combined with the 27th Annual Workshop of the Competence Centre E-Commerce, around 100 guests celebrated in a collaborative and festive environment. The theme of the anniversary workshop was digital transformation, which was explored from different perspectives by three guest speakers. Christian Walter from Cyber Security 9elements, IMIS graduate and Enterprise Architect C&A Xueyun Qian and XIONI Managing Director and Chairman of the Blockchain Bundesverband Daniel Heinen discussed with the guests.
"For me, it's important that we have a networking event here today and that our current students meet with professionals and alumni," says Professor Wulfhorst, who specialises in business administration. She adds: "That the alumni can benefit from the research presented here today, and that the practice partners can meet the students and perhaps recruit specialists." She is also keen to show that the course is dedicated to current issues in information technology that have an impact on a globalised economy.
"The guest lectures focus on the European Digital Product Passport and blockchain technology, digital transformation projects in the fashion sector and IT security through open source firmware," explains host Professor Weber. Together with poster presentations by students, this will create research impulses that all participants can discuss at the final get-together in the cafeteria. As is only logical for an international degree course and the numerous nations represented, the event was held in English.
Ten years ago the course started with 20 students; this year there are 99 first-year students. People from 57 countries have now chosen to study the IMIS programme in Soest. "At the moment, we have a huge demand for our graduates," says course director Wulfhorst. She considers the combination of business administration and applied computer science to be a recipe for success. Explaining her personal goal for success, she laughs: "I would like to work here for another 20 years and then completely cover the world map with the origins of our students."