Educational Simulations of Sustainable International Business
The international cooperation partnership project entitled Simulation of Sustainable International Business (S.O.S. IB), supported by the Erasmus+ Programme, brings together three higher education institutions from the fields of accounting, finance and management as well as the Croatian Institute for Corporate Social Responsibility to develop digital simulations on the topic of sustainable international business.
The simulations will be performed in a purposely designed digital tool as well as adapted to a mobile game. They will enable (virtual) international collaboration of lecturers in the development of innovative teaching content and international collaboration of students in learning through practical simulated examples.
Just like the real thing! Teaching and learning through simulations provide an innovative, interactive and realistic learning environment.
TRANSVERSAL SKILLS ARE CRUCIAL
The business world is international, interdisciplinary and increasingly sustainability-oriented. It often requires transversal skills in addition to specialist knowledge. These are hardly acquired by students in traditional teaching processes.
DEVELOPING DIGITAL SIMULATIONS
Therefore, our international partnership is engaged in developing digital simulations of sustainable international business that will enable international collaboration of educators from different disciplines as well as international and interdisciplinary collaboration of students. We will simulate the operation of international companies with different business challenges in the fields of sustainability, accounting, management, finance, intercultural communication, etc. Educators will set the challenges and students from different disciplines will work together to solve them. In a later phase of the project dissemination, we will work with new partners to extend the simulated challenges to other areas of international business, or to upgrade and adapt the existing simulations.
S.O.S. IB meeting in Zagreb
The Simulation of Sustainable International Business project partners finally met again in person. This time all core project participants were present in Zagreb. At the two-day meeting we looked back to what was achieved so far, performed the second internal project evaluation, made plans for the upcoming dissemination activities and activities for exploitation of project results.
Second testing of the digital tool in classrooms
The SOS IB pedagogy team is pleased to move into the second phase of testing the SOS IB digital tool, which boasts enhanced features for lecturer collaboration. Based on preliminary testing with lecturers and programmers, we have adapted some of the tool’s functionalities to the needs of lecturers in co-designing learning simulations and in networking and exploring potential (international) collaborative learning processes.
Second round of interviews commences
The SOS IB pedagogy team is pleased to move into the second phase of testing the SOS IB digital tool, which boasts enhanced features for lecturer collaboration. Based on preliminary testing with lecturers and programmers, we have adapted some of the tool’s functionalities to the needs of lecturers in co-designing learning simulations and in networking and exploring potential (international) collaborative learning processes.
Project S.O.S. International Business
To enhance the quality of teaching and learning practices as well as international and interdisciplinary networking of lecturers and students by introducing innovative teaching methods and tools.
The project aims to establish teaching practices that are based on the principles of innovative teaching and are supported by digital technology. They will facilitate peer-to-peer, international and interdisciplinary collaboration among students and educators in the filed of sustainable international business.
THE MAIN PROJECT OBJECTIVES:
- To develop a free digital tool for simulation of sustainable international business in higher education and in business training processes;
- To train teaching staff to use digital simulations and related methods of innovative teaching in their teaching processes and in introducing the aspects of sustainability into international business curricula;
- To develop and test the digital simulations of sustainable international business;
- To develop and deliver trainings about the use of the digital tool in higher education and business;
- To develop a free mobile game on sustainable international business;
- To conduct a case study of increasing internationalisation through digitisation of teaching practices in smaller higher education institutions—project partners.
The project runs for three years, from 15 December 2021 to 14 December 2024.
However, the project results will be used long after the official conclusion of the project.
Four main results will be developed as part of the project: a digital tool, simulations, a mobile game and a case study. All results will be freely available. We will also offer trainings in their use!
Main project results
- A digital tool for development and implementation of digital simulations of sustainable international business operations, which will be used in both higher education and business environments. The content of the simulations can be developed by anyone. A user guide (with some examples of simulations) will be included in the tool itself, and training will be provided.
2. Examples of simulations of sustainable international business, which will be tested in the teaching practices of the partner HEIs during the project lifetime and further disseminated among other interested HEIs and other stakeholders. Summaries of developed simulation cases can be read here.
3. A mobile game on sustainable international business for individual learning. It will be based on gamification methods, but without the interactivity of simulations.
4. A study of the effects of introducing the digital tool (with innovative teaching methods) on internationalisation of small HEIs. A case study of partner HEIs, based on mixed methods from social sciences, will be conducted throughout the project. At the end of the project, the findings will be publicly presented and an open access online publication will be produced.
The project brings together three higher education institutions and one institute, as well as a number of other associated partners from the HE and business sectors.
In addition to the VŠR College of Accounting and Finance as the lead partner, the core project partnership consists of two higher education institutions from Croatia and Bulgaria (University of Applied Sciences RRiF, and VUM Varna University of Management), and the Croatian Institute for Corporate Social Responsibility (IDOP).
More than 30 associate partners (colleges, faculties, public institutions, companies and NGOs) from all three countries have already shown interest in the project and in using its results. We invite you to join us in using and disseminating the results as well!
More about the VŠR project partners:
University of Applied Sciences RRiF
Zagreb, Croatia
Full name in the national language | Veleučilište RRiF |
Acronym | RRiF |
Website | |
Institutional project coordinator | Goran Topić |
Telephone | +385 1 46 99 735 |
University of Applied Sciences RRiF is a Higher Education Institution founded in 2006. Its main aim is providing the education with high standards of teaching and quality. RRiF University offers a three-year professional study Accounting and Finance and a two-year specialist professional graduate study Corporate finance. The study programmes of RRiF University are focused on educating the professionals to independently performs tasks in the fields of financial management, financial accounting and reporting, taxation and managerial accounting as well as to efficently perform the managerial activities at the level of the middle or higher management in corporations.
VUM – Varna University of Management
Varna, Bulgaria
Full name in the national language | Висше учиище по мениджмънт |
Acronym | Bум |
Website | |
Institutional project coordinator | Christina Armutlieva |
Telephone | +359 52 300 680 |
Varna University of Management (VUM) is a private HEI with approx. 600 students, over 25% of them being international and coming from more than 40 countries around the world. VUM is specialised in social and computer sciences and offers undergraduate and master programmes in International Business and Management and Business Administration, Software Engineering and Business Information Systems, and Tourism and Hospitality. All study programmes are fully delivered in English and lead to the award of double degrees offered in collaboration with various universities in the EU and beyond.
VUM faculty is engaged in various international science and research projects. VUM Research Institute issues internationally recognized science journals incl European Journal of Tourism Research (EJTR) and VUM Management Review. According to Scopus, EJTR is among the highest ranked European journals in the field of tourism research.
The Croatian Institute for CSR (IDOP)
Zagreb, Croatia
Full name in the national language | Institut za društveno odgovorno poslovanje |
Acronym | IDOP |
Website | |
Institutional project coordinator | Nikolina Markota Vukić |
The Croatian Institute for CSR (IDOP), established in 2015, is a think-thank research and advisory organization focused on development and digitalization of sustainability practices. In Croatia IDOP is connecting academia, businesses, government and society on the sustainability and social responsibility topics. Through educational programmes, consultancy work for business sector, IT solutions and EU projects, IDOP is focusing on sustainable solutions while applying multidisciplinary approach.
IDOP is a member of strong international organizations like Global Reporting Initiative and of CSR International. Through these memberships and with a help of the European stakeholders, IDOP works in forming new social responsibility strategies and policies important for both adult education and research.
Project is co-funded by the European Union under the Erasmus+ programme (KA2: Cooperation Partnerships in Higher Education). More about the Erasmus+ Programme.
At the VŠR College the project is coordinated by Barbara Drole and Mojca Mayr (contact: international@vsr.si).
Innovative, interactive and realistic digital learning environment
International collaboration in the development of educational content without the need for physical mobility
Interdisciplinary teaching and learning about sustainable international business
Mobile game—learning tool for individual learners
In 2024 we can provide training about the usage of the digital tool in your (internal) educational processes. We can also cooperate with other HEIs and develop new examples of sustainable international business simulations for your and our students, thereby strengthening collaboration within the HE sector. We also invite you to use the mobile game and read the findings of the study!
Contact us for more information at: international@vsr.si.
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Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.
