PXL University of Applied Sciences and Arts, a member of the DIVERSE alliance, hosted a highly successful edition of the Blended Intensive Programme (BIP) in Hasselt, Belgium, during the second week of May. Under the title “Innovate with AI: Business, Technology & Market Impact”, the programme brought together Master’s students from TH Rosenheim (Germany), PXL (Belgium), and partners from Croatia, encouraging cross-border collaboration on cutting-edge digital business challenges.
The BIP offered participants a unique opportunity to explore the intersection of business innovation, artificial intelligence, and market disruption in an intensive, multicultural setting. 15 Master’s students from TH Rosenheim’s International Management programme joined international peers to form six interdisciplinary teams, developing forward-thinking business ideas in just a few days.
A distinctive feature of this year’s edition was the creation of personal digital avatars, designed by each student from a short video recording. These avatars were integrated into the final project work, blending digital identity, creativity, and emerging technologies in a hands-on educational experience.
The programme culminated in a final pitch competition, where each team presented its business concept to an international jury. The winning project, developed by team Smartstart, introduced an innovative onboarding toolkit for new employees — a solution praised for its practicality, user focus, and real-world relevance.
Professor Dr Carolin Fleischmann from TH Rosenheim reflected: “I was truly amazed by the professionalism and creativity of the students’ ideas – to see such well-developed concepts after only a few days was incredibly inspiring.”
Beyond academic work, participants enjoyed a variety of team-building and cultural activities, including a canal boat tour with karaoke, where even the teaching staff contributed to the lively atmosphere.
This BIP exemplifies the DIVERSE alliance’s mission to promote inclusive, innovative, and internationally connected learning experiences in higher education. The next edition of this successful programme will be hosted by TH Rosenheim in 2026.
