Dr. Theres Konrad
Courses
Course Description:
This immersive and interactive course provides students with the opportunity to develop the knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary to drive positive change by starting an impact startup. Through experiential learning, cognitive apprenticeship, and a flipped classroom approach, students will engage in hands-on experiences that foster entrepreneurial, emotional, and sustainability competency development.
Course Structure:
This course is designed to be a collaborative and dynamic learning experience. Throughout the semester, students will work in teams to explore a real-world problem, develop solutions, and validate their ideas. Course sessions will include input sessions on methods & tools, guest lectures / workshops, and networking events.
This immersive and interactive course provides students with the opportunity to develop the knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary to drive positive change by starting an impact startup. Through experiential learning, cognitive apprenticeship, and a flipped classroom approach, students will engage in hands-on experiences that foster entrepreneurial, emotional, and sustainability competency development.
Course Structure:
This course is designed to be a collaborative and dynamic learning experience. Throughout the semester, students will work in teams to explore a real-world problem, develop solutions, and validate their ideas. Course sessions will include input sessions on methods & tools, guest lectures / workshops, and networking events.
Most PhD programs equip students with in-depth theoretical and methodological knowledge to better grasp “how the world currently is” (system knowledge) and “how it ought to be” (target knowledge) on a topic under investigation. However, most PhD students typically lack an understanding of transformation knowledge to also be able to act as change agents and implement their knowledge in transforming the state of the word towards a desirable future, i.e. have societal impact. To address this gap in our current PhD education at Leuphana University, the course will embark on a transformative learning journey that allows us to experience the co-creation of solution-oriented knowledge together with different stakeholders.
On the one hand, the course will bring diverse audiences and perspective together, offering valuable insights on impact (co-)creation. On the other hand, the course offers participants a safe learning environment to experiment with solution-oriented knowledge translation.
The course is split into 3 parts: (1) An introductory session at Leuphana clarifies the course design, roles and responsibilities; (2) a 1-week field trip to interesting places in Northern Europe (Stockholm, Helsinki) offers an embodied learning experience on co-creating impact, by learning from and engaging with best-practice examples; (3) participating students present their “impact stories and/or artefacts” during a Transformation Lab event in the summer semester on campus.
This pedagogical design promotes students (1) gaining a deeper understanding on different types of knowledge and their relevance in societal transformation; (2) reflecting on the authority of science in transformative processes; and (3) learning to (co-)create societal impact in their own research.
Insights into the first course of this kind can be found on the Linkedin page of the "Regenerative Entrepreneurial Action Lab" (REAL).
To apply for a spot in this unique course you are asked to submit a motivation letter (max 2 pages) responding to the following questions:
1. Why do you pursue a PhD and what is your topic?
2. How would your PhD benefit from this course?
3. What do you envision to contribute to the co-creative learning experience?
Please send your motivation letter (in pdf format, named Surname_Name_ML) to the following email addresses: steffen.farny@leuphana.de and theres.konrad@leuphana.de latest by October 21st 2026 at noon.
Shortlisted candidates will be informed soon after. Note that the dates are still subject to slight modification. Candidates still need to confirm their active participation after acceptance.
On the one hand, the course will bring diverse audiences and perspective together, offering valuable insights on impact (co-)creation. On the other hand, the course offers participants a safe learning environment to experiment with solution-oriented knowledge translation.
The course is split into 3 parts: (1) An introductory session at Leuphana clarifies the course design, roles and responsibilities; (2) a 1-week field trip to interesting places in Northern Europe (Stockholm, Helsinki) offers an embodied learning experience on co-creating impact, by learning from and engaging with best-practice examples; (3) participating students present their “impact stories and/or artefacts” during a Transformation Lab event in the summer semester on campus.
This pedagogical design promotes students (1) gaining a deeper understanding on different types of knowledge and their relevance in societal transformation; (2) reflecting on the authority of science in transformative processes; and (3) learning to (co-)create societal impact in their own research.
Insights into the first course of this kind can be found on the Linkedin page of the "Regenerative Entrepreneurial Action Lab" (REAL).
To apply for a spot in this unique course you are asked to submit a motivation letter (max 2 pages) responding to the following questions:
1. Why do you pursue a PhD and what is your topic?
2. How would your PhD benefit from this course?
3. What do you envision to contribute to the co-creative learning experience?
Please send your motivation letter (in pdf format, named Surname_Name_ML) to the following email addresses: steffen.farny@leuphana.de and theres.konrad@leuphana.de latest by October 21st 2026 at noon.
Shortlisted candidates will be informed soon after. Note that the dates are still subject to slight modification. Candidates still need to confirm their active participation after acceptance.
In the first half of this course, students will engage in several embodied and creative exercises which constitute the point of departure for the following theoretical part: The exploration of certain educational theories, including an examination of critical pedagogy and critical entrepreneurship education.
The second half of this course will be actively informed by this engagement and co-created by the students, based upon their ideas, and inspired and aligned with "Die WerkStadt Lüneburg", where parts of the course will take place.
The course highlights the significance of (self-)awareness and consciousness, as the success of any intervention depends on the interior condition of the change-maker.
Students will cultivate an “entrepreneurial mindset” – a powerful leverage point for societal change – and be challenged to move from idea to conscious, co-created action, of personal value as much as of value for others.
Through self-reflection, introspection, embodied exercises, and engagement with critical theories, participants will develop core competencies such as personal leadership, collaboration, and implementation.
Educational theories will pave the way towards a critical awareness of science and practice, allowing students to put certain assumptions and norms into question - as a point of departure for regenerative entrepreneurship.
The course emphasizes proactive engagement, encouraging students to reflect on their ways of learning and translate insights into (new) practices.
#Identity & Values
The second half of this course will be actively informed by this engagement and co-created by the students, based upon their ideas, and inspired and aligned with "Die WerkStadt Lüneburg", where parts of the course will take place.
The course highlights the significance of (self-)awareness and consciousness, as the success of any intervention depends on the interior condition of the change-maker.
Students will cultivate an “entrepreneurial mindset” – a powerful leverage point for societal change – and be challenged to move from idea to conscious, co-created action, of personal value as much as of value for others.
Through self-reflection, introspection, embodied exercises, and engagement with critical theories, participants will develop core competencies such as personal leadership, collaboration, and implementation.
Educational theories will pave the way towards a critical awareness of science and practice, allowing students to put certain assumptions and norms into question - as a point of departure for regenerative entrepreneurship.
The course emphasizes proactive engagement, encouraging students to reflect on their ways of learning and translate insights into (new) practices.
#Identity & Values
How can organizations create meaningful social impact while staying financially sustainable?
This seminar dives into the fascinating world of social enterprises and hybrid organizations - businesses that blend profit and purpose to tackle urgent social and environmental challenges.
Through real-world cases like HEYHO, a muesli company that provides jobs for individuals with lived experiences (such as incarceration, homelessness, mental health disabilities and more), we will explore how organizations successfully combine market logic with mission-driven goals. Students will gain insights into the unique opportunities and challenges of social enterprises and hybrid organizations.
In this interactive course, we will not only study inspiring examples but also design innovative micro-trainings to apply these lessons in practice, thus equipping yourself with tools to foster positive change in future organizations.
If you’re interested in sustainability and new ways of doing business, this seminar will challenge and inspire you.
This seminar dives into the fascinating world of social enterprises and hybrid organizations - businesses that blend profit and purpose to tackle urgent social and environmental challenges.
Through real-world cases like HEYHO, a muesli company that provides jobs for individuals with lived experiences (such as incarceration, homelessness, mental health disabilities and more), we will explore how organizations successfully combine market logic with mission-driven goals. Students will gain insights into the unique opportunities and challenges of social enterprises and hybrid organizations.
In this interactive course, we will not only study inspiring examples but also design innovative micro-trainings to apply these lessons in practice, thus equipping yourself with tools to foster positive change in future organizations.
If you’re interested in sustainability and new ways of doing business, this seminar will challenge and inspire you.