Prof Dr. Dietmar Grichnik is Vice-President for Innovation and Quality, Full Professor of Entrepreneurship and Director of the Institute of Technology Management (ITEM-HSG) at the University of St.Gallen. As founder and director of the Centre for Entrepreneurship (Startup@HSG) and the Global Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, he is committed to promoting HSG spin-offs and the Swiss start-up ecosystem. He is also a member of the Board of Trustees of the Foundation Switzerland Innovation and the Board of Directors of Switzerland Innovation Park Ost (SIP Ost). Dietmar Grichnik listed as one of the top 100 leading entrepreneurship professors worldwide.
Universities in the age of great challenges
We live in a complex world with polycausal challenges, characterised by wars, social polarisation, migration, technological development and fundamental questions of survival in the context of global climate change. These phenomena are not necessarily new, but in the past they usually did not occur in combination, in a weaker form or at a distance. This has changed, and they have become part of our societies and the associated discourses. Political organisations, different age groups and social classes are struggling to find an interpretation and solutions, unfortunately without success so far.
Universities can and must make a contribution to dealing with these major and central challenges. They must be a place for open and well-founded discussion, where we can jointly consider how the challenges can be met, which skills and knowledge are needed and which supposed old certainties should be discarded. The issues must be considered holistically, polycausally in terms of root cause analysis and creatively in terms of solution approaches. Well-founded specialist scientific education lays the foundation for this, transdisciplinary openness the basis for success in the search for solutions.
As today's students and graduates, you are part of our diverse university community and, in addition to individual questions that arise in the process of personal development, you will have to face all these overarching challenges. Together with our community, we will work on answers and solutions, break new ground, think and act creatively and collaboratively - for a sustainable, social, peaceful and prosperous future.
Workshop Sessions at SQUARE (inkl. Coffee Break)
The present is the place where the future is shaped. As educational institutions, universities are socially central places to deal with a future under uncertainty and to shape it through university teaching and learning. For this reason, the University of St.Gallen is organising workshops in the afternoon of the Academic Programme, which will bring together interdisciplinary perspectives on the close relationship between the place for research and reflection, entrepreneurship and community. The workshops aim to demonstrate how challenges are influenced and addressed in collaboration with universities, highlighting the role of the University of St.Gallen in this process through its research, and exploring the synergies that emerge for society through active participation and collective discussion.
Many business students aspire to make a positive difference, but few succeed. They join the business world with enthusiasm and creativity, only to become part of the system they wanted to change. How can we transform the system instead of conforming to it? This workshop draws on the theories of “Functional Stupidity” and “Images of Organization” to inspire you to challenge the status quo, not accept it. We use metaphors to help you (1) identify what causes organizational inertia, (2) empower your reflexivity and (2) find ways to craft islands of sanity not only within yourself but also within organisations.
Room: SQUARE, Vadian & Gallus (11-0111 & 11-0101)
This workshop invites you to reflect on some of the crucial challenges posed by the different meanings and articulations of sustainability and development in the 21st century. Focusing on environmental justice, inequalities between the Global North and South, and ecological and energy transitions, the workshop will ask participants to think of innovative solutions to solve real-world problems.
The workshop will explore key questions such as: How can local ecologies reconcile with planetary transformations? What does environmental justice look like in a world marked by economic and power imbalances? Can the costs and benefits of green transitions be distributed justly across diverse geographies, economies, and communities?
Room: SQUARE, Discovery Grid (11-0031)
Join us for an interactive workshop in which we will encircle the ever-growing topic of mental health through the lenses of success and vulnerability. Enabled by critical reflection and inspired by the personal stories of the lecturers, we will explore various strategies and techniques to rethink and design the (successful) life you are striving for and thus improve your mental well-being. Participants will have the opportunity to engage in individual contemplation and group-based discussions to finally select their practical ideas for implementation from the broad science of well-being. Together, let's make mental health a priority and create a healthier, happier community at HSG - starting from the beginning of your academic career, equipped with a personalized toolkit.
Please note: The workshop will not involve “soul striptease” or the duty to share personal thoughts, but the willingness to reflect critically upon one's values, beliefs, and motivators is a prerequisite.
Room: SQUARE, Residency Grid (11-0131)
Have you ever landed in a filter bubble? Social media now serves as a primary news source, delivering personalized content via algorithms. Each user sees a unique feed, enabling political microtargeting which tailors political messages to specific audiences. This practice poses risks like voter manipulation, disinformation, and polarization, highlighted during the 2016 and 2020 U.S. elections. Policymakers and social media companies have responded with new measures for fair elections. In this workshop, we involve you in our research, exploring your views on these risks, sharing insights from our study on Instagram's algorithms, and discussing social media's broader impact on democracy.
Room: SQUARE, Hilti Innovation Rooms (11-1071 / 11-1081 / 11-1091)
Unser Workshop beginnt mit zwei Impulsreferaten zum Thema Kreativität (30 Min.). Der erste Vortrag thematisiert Freiraum und Perspektivwechsel in den darstellenden Künsten und betont Proben als Transferleistung: Ein sicherer Raum, der Ausprobieren und Fehler machen als Grundlage für Kreativität erlaubt. Zudem wird die „Figurenbrille“ vorgestellt, ein Konzept, das klare Parameter nutzt, um eine fremde Perspektive einzunehmen. Danach werden sechs Kleingruppen gebildet, um konkrete Vorschläge zur Kreativitätsverbesserung im Hochschulkontext zu erarbeiten (45 Min.). Abschliessend kommen alle zusammen, um Ergebnisse zu präsentieren und ein gemeinsames Kreativitätsstatement zu formulieren.
Room: SQUARE, Säntis (11-1131)
Wir alle haben die beeindruckende Fähigkeit von KI-Tools erlebt, Informationen nahtlos zu kombinieren, sie plausibel zu verknüpfen und in überzeugende, zusammenhängende Inhalte zu verpacken. Das Ergebnis ist nicht nur unglaublich schnell, sondern oft auch überzeugender als „handgemachte“ Inhalte und wirkt „echter“ als die Realität selbst (erinnern Sie sich an die Jetleg-Reiseführer für die nicht existierenden Länder 'Molwanîen', 'San Sombrèro' & Co. aus der Zeit vor der KI, die das Phänomen der Hyperrealität eindrucksvoll illustrierten).Die breite Palette an Werkzeugen, die für Fake News eingesetzt werden - bestehende Narrative, emotionale Auslöser, Bild- und Videomanipulation - ermöglicht es, die Verbreitung von Desinformationen und Fake News auf eine sehr grosse Zahl von Menschen auszuweiten und ihre weitere Verbreitung zu fördern.
In unserem Workshop werden wir gemeinsam mit Ihnen darüber nachdenken, wie Nachrichten analysiert werden können. Wir werden uns die aktuelle Berichterstattung über die US-Wahlen in den USA, Russland und der Schweiz genauer ansehen und eine praktische Anwendung der aktuellen Forschung zu diesem Thema zeigen.
Room: SQUARE, Main entrance Lounge
Join us for an empowering workshop designed to give you the tools to cultivate inner stability and resilience in the context of life's unpredictability. Through interactive exercises and reflective dialogue, you'll explore strategies for managing stress, strengthening emotional well-being and fostering a mindset of growth. Learn practical techniques for maintaining balance and confidence in the face of challenges. This workshop provides a nurturing space to connect with peers, share experiences and build a foundation of inner strength that will last through times of uncertainty.
Room: SQUARE, Rosenberg & Rotmonten (11-0051 / 11-0061)
The consequences of the technological breakthrough of large language models such as ChatGPT are a particular challenge for teaching and corporate practice. The University of St.Gallen is following events with interest and is putting forward for discussion the question as to whether and to what extent a reflexive approach to AI tools such as ChatGPT will be one of the essential requirements in studies and professional life in the future. And what are the critical pedagogical implications for artificial intelligence and university teaching?
Room: SQUARE, Arena (11-2091)
In this interactive workshop, participants will use LEGO Serious Play to explore individual understandings of democracy and work together to develop strategies for constructive engagement in political discussions. Through building with LEGO, participants will explore the challenges and opportunities of heterogeneous societies. The aim is to understand how a democratic and constructive culture of communication can succeed, ultimately improving the living together and political decision-making in heterogeneous democratic societies. This workshop is designed for students who wish to deepen their political discourse skills.
Room: SQUARE, Wintergarten (11-1111)
HSG Events Office
Guisanstrasse 1a
9010 St.Gallen
kick-off-days@unisg.ch
+41 71 224 23 34
