1994

Consideration on a Steinbeis academy

As early as 1994, Steinbeis was working on the fundamentals of a new academy. The idea of a private Steinbeis University in Baden-Württemberg was soon in coming. The circumstances at the time, however, were not advantageous. As a result, Johann Löhn, the then Steinbeis Foundation Chairman of the Board, chose not to pursue the idea further.

1998

Opening of Steinbeis University Berlin

As systemic coincidence would have it, lines of communication were established with the Berlin Senate Department of Science and Education. The Secretary of State at the time, Erich Thies, was a strong advocate of the university – even if it existed in thought only. In a matter of weeks, Steinbeis received state approval to move forward with SHB. The university opened its doors in the autumn of 1998 offering the MBE (Master of Business and Engineering). 

1999 saw the introduction of the MedienMBA, the fi rst MBA for senior managers working in the German media. In 2000 SHB added another string to its bow: MBA degrees for Chinese executives and German fast-track employees. In 2001 SHB launched its fi rst bachelor’s degree program.

From day one, the university’s entrepreneurial origins stood it in good stead: organized as a business, with the institutes acting more like “companies within a company”. This set-up and the Project Competence Concept have played a key role in SHB’s astounding growth. Degrees based on this model require students to “partner” with a company at the start of their studies and fl esh out a project that applies the lessons they learn in the classroom to a tangible business challenge. The degrees are rounded off by specialized seminars and training courses in key skills areas of technology, management and business – all adding to the richness of the Steinbeis curriculum.   

2003

SHB granted the right to award doctorates

In late 2003, SHB was granted the right to award doctorates. Designed for people in employment, the Project Competence Doctorate is based on the principles of “dual education” in the same way as the degree programs. The candidates’ research project acts as a foundation for their dissertation and is complemented with required colloquia and elective seminars on interdisciplinary subjects. As a result, SHB has created another USP for itself: “real-world” research as a fundamental part of its Project Skills approach.

2009

Over 4000 employed professionals are enrolled in SHB

Johann Löhn, the university’s President and Managing Director, has served as the SHB President since its foundation in 1998. He is supported by the University Council. Since its inception, SHB has been funded solely through tuition fees and project revenues – without a single euro of government subsidies. The university maintains its strict quality standards thanks to over 900 lecturers and 1100 project managers. SHB also joins forces with high-profi le partners (both in science and academia, and the corporate world) to impart knowledge in the classroom, in research and during transfer. More than 100 Steinbeis Transfer Institutes,  4000 students and about 3000 alumni belong to the SHB family today.

For detailed information on the history of SHB, please refer to “Steinbeis 1983–2008” (Friedrichs, S., Stuttgart 2008).