The SPHERE Study Visit to TH Köln offered participants a comprehensive and inspiring overview of how a university of applied sciences can strategically transform itself to meet the evolving demands of society, industry, and global challenges. Across the two days, participants witnessed how TH Köln integrates future skills, digitalisation, sustainability, and student-centred learning into a coherent institutional vision that connects teaching, research, and societal engagement.
The discussions and hands-on sessions highlighted the value of interdisciplinary collaboration, project-based learning, and innovative teaching formats such as Challenge-Based Learning, virtual and immersive environments, and AI-enhanced learning. Participants were able not only to observe these approaches but also to experience them directly, gaining practical insights into how such methods can support student motivation, autonomy, and employability.
STEM and STEAM teaching have been addressed, showcased in institutional practices and workshop sessions. This clearly demonstrated the importance of embedding STEM education in a more holistic institutional L&T approach, to ensure the quality of learning and teaching, but also interdisciplinary aspects and a broader stet of generic and transferable skills.
Visits to the Centre for Academic Development and the :metabolon Center for Learning and Research further demonstrated the importance of institutional structures that foster continuous professional development, curriculum innovation, and strong engagement with regional partners. These initiatives illustrated how universities can position themselves as catalysts for transformation, locally and globally, by promoting sustainability, inclusivity, and knowledge transfer.
Overall, the study visit provided a rich platform for exchange among HEREs, enabling them to reflect on their own national contexts and identify opportunities to advance transformative, future-oriented higher education. The experience underscored that meaningful change requires visionary leadership, coherent strategies, and a shared institutional culture that values creativity, experimentation, and collaboration. Participants left with renewed inspiration and practical ideas to bring back to their institutions and systems, contributing to the broader European agenda of strengthening STEM education and preparing graduates to navigate complex societal challenges.