Syllabus
Anmeldung durch das Institut
| Day | Date | Time | Room |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | 03/16/26 | 02:00 PM - 07:00 PM | D4.0.039 |
| Friday | 03/20/26 | 01:00 PM - 05:00 PM | TC.2.01 |
| Wednesday | 03/25/26 | 08:00 AM - 01:00 PM | D4.0.019 |
| Monday | 04/13/26 | 02:00 PM - 07:00 PM | D4.0.019 |
| Wednesday | 04/29/26 | 08:00 AM - 01:00 PM | D2.0.392 |
| Wednesday | 05/06/26 | 08:00 AM - 01:00 PM | D1.2.088 |
| Wednesday | 05/13/26 | 08:00 AM - 01:00 PM | D4.0.133 |
| Wednesday | 05/20/26 | 08:00 AM - 01:00 PM | D4.0.127 |
| Wednesday | 06/10/26 | 08:00 AM - 01:00 PM | D4.0.127 |
| Wednesday | 06/17/26 | 08:00 AM - 01:00 PM | D4.0.133 |
| Monday | 06/22/26 | 02:00 PM - 07:00 PM | D2.0.038 |
The CEMS International Business Project is a consultancy-like project in which international MSc students in their final year of their CEMS program work with companies to help them solve real-life business problems. The project is a one-semester part-time activity in which the students will be able to apply their competences, tools and knowledge while adding value to the partner firm.
This course covers two different types of business projects with two great corporate partners. The projects will run totally independently of each other.
Project 1: UNIQA (academic supervisor: Jan Schmitt)
Designing the Future of Financial Provision
How will people provide for their financial future in a world of demographic change, shifting customer expectations, digital ecosystems, and increasing competition? In this project, students will act as inhouse consultants and work with UNIQA senior management to develop a strategic blueprint for UNIQA’s future role in financial provision. As part of the project, students will regularly work from the UNIQA Tower in Vienna and will get the chance to network with CEMS alumni currently working for UNIQA.
Phase I: The project challenges students to analyze market and consumer trends, assess UNIQA’s current life insurance and savings portfolio, and evaluate the competitive landscape across selected markets. Based on this, teams will derive concrete short-term recommendations up to 2028 (focus markets, portfolio evolution, and required capabilities).
Phase II: Building on this foundation, students will design a Vision 2030 by selecting a high-potential core market and developing a concept for a leading financial provision ecosystem, including a transformation roadmap from today’s business to the future target state.
The project will conclude with teams synthesizing their findings into a strategic narrative and presenting their recommendations and Vision 2030 directly to UNIQA top management. Combining strategy, innovation, and transformation, this project offers deep insight into how a major European insurance group shapes its long-term future.
Project 2: Beiersdorf (academic supervisor: Julian Jonathan Markus)
Digital Social Listenin
[Topic description will follow soon]
Upon completion of this course, students have the ability to:
- to collect, analyze, and structure data
- develop critical thinking and defend their developed arguments in class and in front of practitioners
- apply tools for analyzing challenges in the global environment
- conduct research on project-related topics
- gather and filter information efficiently and effectively on a specific research topic
- organize teamwork including presentation and report writing skills
- shift material quickly and efficiently to structure it into a coherent argument and to present it in a concise way tailored to a professional audience
- present this business project to the partner in a professional way, through personal presentation skills and support of suitable media
- utilize the theoretical knowledge and the interpersonal skills developed throughout their studies to solve a real-life challenge
Additional learning outcomes for the specific projects are added below.
Project 1: UNIQA
By the end of the project, students will have developed the ability to:
- Apply market, consumer, and competitive analysis frameworks to assess trends in financial provision ecosystems
- Develop short-term strategic recommendations and a long-term vision
- Design an integrated ecosystem, identifying relevant use cases, partners, and operating models
- Translate strategic ambition into a concrete roadmap with strategic initiatives
By working on this project, students will strengthen their:
- Executive level communication by working with and presenting directly to UNIQA senior management
- Team-based problem solving by managing complexity and structuring strategic questions
- Strategic storytelling by turning analysis into convincing narratives and management-ready slides for impactful recommendations
- Stakeholder management by learning how to align expectations and incorporate feedback.
Project 2: Beiersdorf
[Will be added later]
Full attendance at all sessions is expected. We require an attendance of minimum 80% of all sessions in order to successfully complete the course. If you are unable to attend a session due to unforeseeable circumstances, you need to inform your lecturer before the session takes place.
This business project uses a combination of discussions with the corporate partner, feedback sessions, presentations, group coaching, as well as individual/group work outside the classroom. Groups of students will be formed in the kick-off session.
Assessment is based on the quality of the mid- and end-term presentation, the participation during the classes, group members’ peer ratings, and the final report (final presentation document).
Group assessment:
- Mid-term Presentation (PowerPoint Document): 20%
- Mid-term Presentation (oral Presentation): 10%
- End-term Presentation (PowerPoint Document): 30%
- End-term Presentation to Corporate Partner: 20%
Individual:
- Peer rating: 20%
Students will be assessed on:
- their ability to understand and analyze international strategy and/or management challenges,
- their ability to use the appropriate analytical techniques and to come up with relevant advice,
- the quality of the presentations and the written reports; by quality in this context we mean the clarity and persuasiveness of each bit of work. This implies an ability to work in teams.
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