15/09/2026
Cutting-Edge Research Meets a Sustainability- and Excellence-Oriented Learning Environment: International Professors in Direct Dialogue with Students at BBS I Uelzen
Uelzen. On September 7, 2026, OStD Stefan Nowatschin invited a high-profile international research group led by Prof. Markus Launer of the Institute for Nonprofit Services (Institut für gemeinnützige Dienstleistungen) to BBS I Uelzen. At the invitation of the school, researchers from the United States, Japan, Türkiye, Ukraine, Morocco, and Poland engaged directly with students in discussions about their future in a world increasingly shaped by AI, automation, robotics, and sustainability. The event was supported by the Lower Saxony Lotto-Sport Foundation (Niedersächsische Lotto-Sport-Stiftung).
BBS I Uelzen project coordinator OStR Frank Nierath presented a concept for integrating AI into learning and vocational education in a practical and application-oriented way. The extent to which personal responsibility and active engagement are already embedded at BBS I Uelzen, the Regional Competence Center for Vocational Education in the Uelzen district, is demonstrated by its established student-run enterprises. These include the Campus student enterprise, which sells sustainable Fairtrade coffee, as well as projects such as the “Health-o-Mat,” developed by students in grades 11 and 12 of the Fachoberschule on behalf of the student-run enterprises at BBS I.
Nierath, a vocational education specialist, explained that vocational learning institutions such as BBS I Uelzen face a dual challenge. On the one hand, they must integrate AI meaningfully into sustainability-oriented learning and vocational education. On the other hand, they must prepare young people to use AI competently and responsibly in companies, industry, and public administration later in their careers. As the technology continues to evolve at increasingly shorter intervals, teachers’ competencies must also be continuously updated.
Above all, the discussions made one point clear: the reflective use of AI in sustainability-oriented learning places equal demands on both sides. Students and teachers alike must learn to keep pace with these rapid developments—both now and in the future. Only when learners and educators jointly develop the competence to actively shape change can AI be used meaningfully and responsibly in both everyday life and the workplace.
The students’ perspective remained at the center of the debate throughout the event. Keno-Jeshua Franke, First Spokesperson of the District Student Council (KSR) and student representative at BBS I Uelzen, emphasized:
> “The fact that leading researchers come directly to our school shows that our perspective is being taken seriously. We were genuine discussion partners on an equal footing. Artificial Intelligence will shape vocational education and university studies—it is motivating, but it can also be intimidating. If BBS I already gives us the opportunity to understand these developments, we gain the tools to actively shape this transformation. AI does not mean that machines will replace us, but that we will use them responsibly together with our teachers.”
Janith Lemmermann emphasized that the foundation provided by BBS I Uelzen continues to have an impact well beyond a student’s time at school. A former BBS I student and student representative—now a student at Ostfalia University of Applied Sciences and a publisher—he focused on the opportunities these developments create for young people.
International perspectives enriched the debate. Prof. Burcu Tosun (Türkiye), Prof. Daria Suprun (Ukraine), Dr. Natsuko Uchida (Japan), Dr. Youssef El Archi (Morocco), and, joining online, Prof. Cihan Cobanoglu (USA), together with lecturer Joachim Delekat, demonstrated how AI is opening up new opportunities worldwide, ranging from social professions to location-independent learning.
Prof. Markus Launer, Head of the international CoSiM Conference, therefore emphasized the need to closely integrate vocational education, research, and industry. Europe must systematically strengthen its capabilities in Artificial Intelligence in order to avoid falling behind the United States and China in the global technological competition.
Teaching students how to use today’s AI applications, however, is not enough. Vocational schools, Regional Competence Centers for Vocational Education, and Centers of Vocational Excellence across Europe must develop the long-term capability to identify emerging technologies at an early stage, assess their implications for individual professions, and continuously adapt curricula to changes in everyday life and the world of work.
Joachim Delekat, member of the Uelzen City Council and lecturer, used the example of the Occupational Therapy School in Bad Bevensen to demonstrate how Artificial Intelligence can be applied in vocational education. The focus, he emphasized, must always be on benefits for people. AI should support professionals, improve work processes, and create new opportunities for action. The key is to connect technological innovation with the actual needs of employees, trainees, and businesses.
Prof. Burcu Tosun of Atilim University in Türkiye presented a framework for AI-based vocational education and contributed her expertise in e-business and management.
Prof. Daria Suprun from Ukraine presented approaches to the use of AI in social professions. Dr. Natsuko Uchida of Ferris University in Japan discussed current developments in robotics and their implications for education and the world of work.
Dr. Youssef El Archi from Morocco used the example of smart tourism and sustainability to demonstrate how AI competencies are creating new fields of activity and new qualification requirements in service professions.
Prof. Cihan Cobanoglu, Provost of Virscend University in California, USA, joined the event online and presented the possibilities of asynchronous Master’s degree programs. His example highlighted another dimension of the digital transformation of education. People living in rural regions can now study internationally and independently of location and time, while individually determining their learning pace and study schedule. As a result, geographical distance from international universities is becoming increasingly less significant.
The discussions are now leading to the development of a joint European research proposal. The conclusion of the day was clear: BBS I Uelzen directly involves its students in cutting-edge research and, together with its teachers, prepares them in a practical and application-oriented way for the future of everyday life, work, and professional careers.
Stefan Nowatschin, Head of BBS I Uelzen, emphasized:
> “When leading international researchers come directly to BBS I Uelzen, it demonstrates that the perspectives of our students matter. It also shows that cooperation between academic and non-academic learning institutions is possible across borders worldwide. BBS I Uelzen provides young people with the knowledge and skills they need to confidently embrace technological and sustainability-oriented transformation—whether in vocational training, higher education, the workplace, or when establishing their own business later in life.”
The discussions are now leading to the development of a joint European research proposal. The conclusion of the day was clear: BBS I Uelzen directly involves its students in cutting-edge research and, together with its teachers, prepares them in a practical and application-oriented way for the future of everyday life, work, and professional careers.
The common objective is to achieve excellent vocational education for sustainable development that does not merely respond to technological change, but empowers young people to actively and responsibly shape a world of life and work increasingly influenced by Artificial Intelligence. This may represent a particularly important opportunity for rural regions.
Authors: Stefan Nowatschin, OStD; Prof. Dr. Markus Launer; and Janith Lemmermann
Spitzenforschung trifft nachhaltigkeits- und exzellenzorientierten Lernort: Internationale Professoren im direkten Austausch mit Schülerinnen und Schülern der BBS I Uelzen
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