Master

Social Impact Measurement in Practice

Lecturers: Dr. Svenja Tobies & Dr. Christina Kannegießer

Format: Seminar

Study programs:

• Master Interdisciplinary Public and Nonprofit
• Students of the sustainability certificate
• Master Innovation, Business and Sustainability

Language: German

Stine link: Social Impact Measurement in Practice

More and more organizations, from charitable associations to non-profit organizations and social enterprises, are using methods to empirically record their social impact. The ability to work in an impact-oriented manner enables social projects and organizations to make their social commitment comprehensible and visible to themselves and outsiders. As an impact-oriented approach continuously questions existing actions as well as established processes and goals, it also provides impetus for ongoing further development and insights into the management of projects. 

In this seminar, students will participate in a series of workshops on social impact measurement together with a group of social organizations from Hamburg. In order to apply the acquired knowledge, the students will support the social organizations in developing an impact logic and an approach to impact measurement. The student teams will collect and analyze data to empirically evaluate the impact of the social organizations. The results will be recorded in an impact report. Participants will not only gain a deep understanding of how to develop an impact logic for social organizations, but will also apply it directly in practice by working with a specific partner organization. In this seminar, students will collaborate based on their preferences with a social organization from Hamburg to jointly develop the impact logic and collect data. Students will produce an impact report on their findings.

Case Study Research in Sustainability Management

Lecturers: Dr. Svenja Tobies & Dr. Christina Kannegießer

Format: Seminar

Study program: Master Innovation, Business and Sustainability

Language: English

Stine link: Case Study Research in Sustainability Management

This seminar gives students insights into case study research in the sustainability management field. After receiving a general introduction to qualitative case study research, participants of this course will work together in small groups to develop their own case study on a specific case related to sustainability management. Each group will present to the lecturers and their peers and discuss their specific case.

In this module, students will take an active role and independently develop, present, and discuss a case study related to sustainability management. Students will explore how their research interests could be translated to a case study research design. Overall, students of this module learn how to successfully design and present a qualitative case study on a specific sustainability issue in organizations.

Sustainability Documentaries

Lecturers: Dr. Svenja Tobies & Dr. Christina Kannegießer

Format: Seminar

Study program: Master Innovation, Business and Sustainability

Language: English

Stine link: Sustainability Documentaries

This seminar takes an in-depth perspective on specific aspects of sustainability and has the overall aim to enable students to learn about these topics by producing a video in the style of a documentary. Specifically, students will work together in groups on a specific topic related to sustainability. Through the dialogue with relevant stakeholders inside and outside the university, each group will present their insights by creating a video documentary which will be screened and discussed at a film festival and will be the basis for grading. Throughout the course, students will gain insights from research and practice on current sustainability issues. Furthermore, they will be introduced to concepts and techniques of filming and storytelling and will receive tutoring on filming and editing from a professional film producer. 

In this module, students will independently work on, elaborate, and present an issue regarding sustainability in the form of a video documentary. The course places special emphasis on the effective communication of insights using appropriate media.

Sustainability Innovation Lab

Lecturers: Dr. Svenja Tobies & Dr. Christina Kannegießer

Format: Seminar

Study program: Master Innovation, Business and Sustainability

Language: English

Stine link: Sustainability Innovation Lab

This seminar gives students insights into the areas of social innovation, social impact measurement, and social entrepreneurship. During the seminar, students work in teams and develop social innovation projects related to the topic of sustainability. Throughout the course, students gain a deeper understanding of the potential of social innovation to remedy social and/ or environmental problems and learn about potential ways to measure the social impact of their projects. At the end of the seminar, students pitch their social innovation ideas related to a specific sustainability issue in front of a jury of experts and practitioners.

In this module, students take on the role of social entrepreneurs. Participants of this course learn how social innovation can contribute to the solution of ecological and social problems and thus promote social innovation. Furthermore, students will be enabled to integrate concepts of social innovation and impact measurement into new business models and to discuss them from a scientific and practical perspective. Overall, students of this module learn how to successfully develop and implement a social innovation project related to a specific sustainability issue.

Psychology meets Computer Science

Lecturers: Dr. Larissa Gebken, Habiba Schiller, Dr. Matthias Pillny, Junbo Huang

Format: Project seminar

Study program: Studium Generale (*Cpmputer Science, Psychology)

Language: German

Stine link: Psychology meets Computer Science

This interdisciplinary project seminar (in the form of a block course) for students of computer science and psychology takes place in the summer and winter semesters.
You will learn how to meet the challenges of machine learning in psychology. To this end, the broadly applicable programming language Python will be taught with application to a psychological question: you will investigate the relationship between music consumption behavior and mental health.

Value-Sensitive Digital Social Innovations

Lecturer: Dr. Larissa Gebken

Format: Seminar

Study program: Master Innovation, Business and Sustainability

Language: German

Stine link: Value-Sensitive Digital Social Innovations

The development of value-sensitive Digital Social Innovations (DSI) is at the centre of the courses. The aim of DSI is to tackle social challenges - such as poverty and injustice, human rights violations or climate change - using suitable information and communication technology.
However, in order not to cause more harm than good in the development of a DSI, the seminar focuses in particular on critical reflection on the role that important ethical values and social challenges play in our DSI projects. In the course of the development, you will proactively deal with potential ethical dilemmas and the ethical and social aspects of your project and your own approach, of course with the guidance of the teachers. Dealing with dilemmas and proactively developing an understanding of values will be introduced to you with the help of Value Sensitive Design (VSD).

Digital Social Innovations

Lecturers: Prof. Dr. Janick Edinger; Prof. Dr. Laura Marie Edinger-Schons; Philipp Kisters

Format: Workshop

Study program: Studium Generale (*Computer Science, Psychology)

Target audience: Bachelor / Master

Language: Gerrman

Stine link: Digital social innovations

In this course, innovative, digital and social business models are designed and developed in the form of a mobile application during a four-week internship. Examples include digital assistance systems, applications for recording pollution and waste accumulation in cities, apps for sharing objects and programs to support homeless people. All of these projects are based on using digital innovation potential to promote one or more of the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals. The course is based on the computer science module “64-158 Practical course Development of context-sensitive applications for mobile devices”. While the students from the computer science module are largely responsible for the implementation of the mobile application, students from all disciplines are invited to develop concepts for digital social innovations in this module.

Experimental Methods in Sustainability Research

Lecturers: Dr. Svenja Tobies & Dr. Christina Kannegießer

Format: Seminar

Study program: Master Innovation, Business and Sustainability

Language: English

Stine link: Experimental Methods in Sustainability Research

In this seminar, participants will be introduced to experimental research methods as well as the methodological issues that arise in experimental and quasi-experimental research. Topics that are covered include:

• the development of research ideas;
• data collection and reliable measurement procedures
• control procedures and experimental designs
• and data analysis.

Throughout the course, students will work together in small groups and develop research ideas for experimental studies in the field of sustainable business that will be presented, discussed, and developed further in class. At the end of the seminar, students will report and discuss their results in form of a research presentation and a written elaboration based on the presentation.

Psychology meets Computer Science

Lecturers: Dr. Larissa Gebken, Habiba Schiller, Dr. Matthias Pillny, Junbo Huang

Format: Project seminar

Study program: Studium Generale (*Computer Science, Psychology)

Language: German

Stine link: Psychology meets computer science

This interdisciplinary project seminar (in the form of a block course) for students of computer science and psychology takes place in the summer and winter semesters.
You will learn how to meet the challenges of machine learning in psychology. To this end, the broadly applicable programming language Python will be taught with application to a psychological question: you will investigate the relationship between music consumption behavior and mental health.

Social Impact Measurement in Practice

Lecturers: Dr. Svenja Tobies & Dr. Christina Kannegießer

Format: Seminar

Study program: Master Interdisciplinary Public and Nonprofit Studies

Language: English

Stine link: Social impact measurement in practice

More and more organizations, from charitable associations to non-profit organizations and social enterprises, are using methods to empirically record their social impact. The ability to work in an impact-oriented manner enables social projects and organizations to make their social commitment comprehensible and visible to themselves and outsiders. As an impact-oriented approach continuously questions existing actions as well as established processes and goals, it also provides impetus for ongoing further development and insights into the management of projects. 

In this seminar, students will participate in a series of workshops on social impact measurement together with a group of social organizations from Hamburg. In order to apply the acquired knowledge, the students will support the social organizations in developing an impact logic and an approach to impact measurement. The student teams will collect and analyze data to empirically evaluate the impact of the social organizations. The results will be recorded in an impact report. Participants will not only gain a deep understanding of how to develop an impact logic for social organizations, but will also apply it directly in practice by working with a specific partner organization. In this seminar, students will collaborate based on their preferences with a social organization from Hamburg to jointly develop the impact logic and collect data. Students will produce an impact report on their findings.

Value-Sensitive Digital Social Innovations - Addressing Social Challenges with Technologies

Lecturers: Dr. Laura Fichtner and Dr. Larissa Gebken

Format: Project seminar

Study program: Studium generale

Target group: Bachelor / Master

Language: German

Stine link: Digital Social Innovations

The focus of the course is the development of value-sensitive Digital Social Innovations (DSI). DSI aim to address social challenges - such as poverty and injustice, human rights violations or climate change - using appropriate information and communication technology.
However, in order not to cause more harm than good in the development of a DSI, the seminar focuses especially on a critical reflection on the role that important ethical values and societal challenges play in our DSI projects. In doing so, you will proactively deal with potential ethical dilemmas and the ethical and societal aspects of your project and your own approach in the course of the development, of course under the guidance of your lecturer. Dealing with the dilemmas and proactively developing an understanding of values will be introduced to you, especially with the help of Value Sensitive Design (VSD).

In the course, you will (further) develop a data-driven value-sensitive DSI together with aid organizations (Rap for Refugees e. V., Wörterfabrik für Unterstützte Kommunikation UG, clubkinder e.V.) and affected persons. It is also possible to bring in your own ideas.

Sustainability Documentaries

Lecturers: Dr. Svenja Tobies & Dr. Christina Kannegießer

Format: Seminar

Study program: Master Innovation, Business and Sustainability

Language: English

Stine link: Sustainability Documentaries

This seminar takes an in-depth perspective on specific aspects of sustainability and has the overall aim to enable students to learn about these topics by producing a video in the style of a documentary. Specifically, students will work together in groups on a specific topic related to sustainability at the University of Hamburg (e.g., sustainable mobility, or green IT). Through the dialogue with relevant stakeholders inside and outside the university, each group will present their insights by creating a video documentary which will be screened and discussed at a film festival and will be the basis for grading. Throughout the course, students will gain insights from research and practice on current sustainability issues which are relevant to the sustainability strategy of the University of Hamburg. Furthermore, they will be introduced to concepts and techniques of filming and storytelling and will receive tutoring on filming and editing from a professional film producer.

In this module, students will independently work on, elaborate, and present an issue regarding sustainability in the form of a video documentary. The course places special emphasis on the effective communication of insights using appropriate media.

Sustainability Innovation Lab

Lecturers: Dr. Svenja Tobies & Dr. Christina Kannegießer

Format: Seminar

Study program: Master Innovation, Business and Sustainability

Language: English

Stine link: Sustainability Innovation Lab

This seminar gives students insights into the areas of social innovation, social impact measurement, and social entrepreneurship. During the seminar, students work in teams and develop social innovation projects related to the topic of sustainability at the University of Hamburg. Throughout the course, students gain a deeper understanding of the potential of social innovation to remedy social and/ or environmental problems and learn about potential ways to measure the social impact of their projects. At the end of the seminar, students pitch their social innovation ideas related to a specific sustainability issue at the University of Hamburg in front of a jury of experts and practitioners.

In this module, students take on the role of social entrepreneurs. Participants of this course learn how social innovation can contribute to the solution of ecological and social problems and thus promote social innovation. Furthermore, students will be enabled to integrate concepts of social innovation and impact measurement into new business models and to discuss them from a scientific and practical perspective. Overall, students of this module learn how to successfully develop and implement a social innovation project related to a specific sustainability issue.