Study programmes: Business Administration & Management and Business Psychology at CBS.
Practical project: Over the course of one semester, students developed concrete strategic recommendations for Union Investment in Frankfurt.
Focus topic: Strategies to attract and retain Generation Z talent.
Project content: Analyses of recruiting channels, application processes, education formats, career perspectives and employer branding.
Academic supervision: Guided by Prof. Dr. Mike Schulze throughout the entire project.
Final phase: Presentation of the results directly at Union Investment’s MainTor Porta location in Frankfurt with feedback from company representatives.
Practical relevance: The project demonstrates how real corporate collaboration is systematically integrated into CBS business study programmes.
Hands-on experience in a real business environment
Over the course of an entire semester, the teams developed practical solutions while receiving academic supervision from Prof. Dr. Mike Schulze.
The highlight of the project was the final presentation at Union Investment in Frankfurt. Students presented their results within the company environment and received direct feedback from industry professionals.
Projects like this are part of the CBS NXT GEN study model. Practical formats such as Business Projects and Guest Lectures are systematically embedded in the curriculum so that students not only develop strategies but also test and defend them in real business contexts.
Generation Z in focus: Strategic fields of action
The aim of the project was to develop concrete strategies for how Union Investment can more effectively attract, recruit and retain Generation Z talent in the future.
Students based their work on:
Status quo analyses
Academic literature
Benchmark comparisons
A focus group with students about to enter the job market
The project focused on five key strategic areas:
Recruiting channels
Application process
Education and study formats
Development and career opportunities
Employer branding
For each of these areas, the teams developed concrete and implementable recommendations, always taking into account the expectations and values of Generation Z.
Special thanks go to Union Investment for the trusted collaboration as well as Nils Lorey and Angelo Stockinger for their dedicated support during the project.
The presentation within the corporate environment allowed students to present their arguments to experienced decision-makers and engage in strategic discussions at eye level.
Real-world business experience systematically integrated into the curriculum
The Business Project with Union Investment exemplifies the structured approach to practical learning at CBS. Corporate collaborations are not occasional add-ons but an integral part of the study programmes.
In our business programmes, the integration of real-world business practice is systematicallyembedded through:
Business Projects tackling real strategic and operational challenges from partner companies.
Regular Guest Lectures by senior executives and industry experts.
Conventions providing a platform for interdisciplinary learning and hands-on leadership experience.
Case Studies and Simulation Games designed to solve typical corporate problems.
Mandatory Internships to apply specialized skills within a corporate context.
Dual Study Formats ensuring continuous integration into corporate structures.
A Network of over 1,300 Partner Companies across a wide range of industries.
This structured integration enables students not only to analyze economic challenges but also to develop well-founded decisions under real market conditions.
With initiatives like this, CBS reinforces its commitment to closelylinking business and academia and preparingstudents specifically for leadership roles in a globalized and sustainability-oriented economy.
Key Takeaways
Study programmes: Business Administration & Management and Business Psychology at CBS.
Practical project: Over the course of one semester, students developed concrete strategic recommendations for Union Investment in Frankfurt.
Focus topic: Strategies to attract and retain Generation Z talent.
Project content: Analyses of recruiting channels, application processes, education formats, career perspectives and employer branding.
Academic supervision: Guided by Prof. Dr. Mike Schulze throughout the entire project.
Final phase: Presentation of the results directly at Union Investment’s MainTor Porta location in Frankfurt with feedback from company representatives.
Practical relevance: The project demonstrates how real corporate collaboration is systematically integrated into CBS business study programmes.
Hands-on experience in a real business environment
Over the course of an entire semester, the teams developed practical solutions while receiving academic supervision from Prof. Dr. Mike Schulze.
The highlight of the project was the final presentation at Union Investment in Frankfurt. Students presented their results within the company environment and received direct feedback from industry professionals.
Projects like this are part of the CBS NXT GEN study model. Practical formats such as Business Projects and Guest Lectures are systematically embedded in the curriculum so that students not only develop strategies but also test and defend them in real business contexts.
Generation Z in focus: Strategic fields of action
The aim of the project was to develop concrete strategies for how Union Investment can more effectively attract, recruit and retain Generation Z talent in the future.
Students based their work on:
Status quo analyses
Academic literature
Benchmark comparisons
A focus group with students about to enter the job market
The project focused on five key strategic areas:
Recruiting channels
Application process
Education and study formats
Development and career opportunities
Employer branding
For each of these areas, the teams developed concrete and implementable recommendations, always taking into account the expectations and values of Generation Z.
Special thanks go to Union Investment for the trusted collaboration as well as Nils Lorey and Angelo Stockinger for their dedicated support during the project.
The presentation within the corporate environment allowed students to present their arguments to experienced decision-makers and engage in strategic discussions at eye level.
Real-world business experience systematically integrated into the curriculum
The Business Project with Union Investment exemplifies the structured approach to practical learning at CBS. Corporate collaborations are not occasional add-ons but an integral part of the study programmes.
In our business programmes, the integration of real-world business practice is systematicallyembedded through:
Business Projects tackling real strategic and operational challenges from partner companies.
Regular Guest Lectures by senior executives and industry experts.
Conventions providing a platform for interdisciplinary learning and hands-on leadership experience.
Case Studies and Simulation Games designed to solve typical corporate problems.
Mandatory Internships to apply specialized skills within a corporate context.
Dual Study Formats ensuring continuous integration into corporate structures.
A Network of over 1,300 Partner Companies across a wide range of industries.
This structured integration enables students not only to analyze economic challenges but also to develop well-founded decisions under real market conditions.
With initiatives like this, CBS reinforces its commitment to closelylinking business and academia and preparingstudents specifically for leadership roles in a globalized and sustainability-oriented economy.
