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🎯 Introduction

Are you ready to elevate your studies with a unique international experience? Join us this autumn at the Technical University of Ostrava, located in a transformational metropolis in the heart of Europe. In this Erasmus+ Blended Intensive Programme (BIP), you will develop the skills needed to make informed decisions and effectively drive positive, sustainable change in your professional field.

Collaborate with fellow students from the Netherlands, Belgium, Portugal, and the Czech Republic in a truly interdisciplinary environment. Together, you will explore diverse cultural perspectives and tackle exciting challenges in your field of interest.

🧠 This course will enhance your ability to:

  • Deepen your understanding of sustainability through diverse lenses, including philosophy, ethics, finance, and computer science.
  • Analyze the role of leadership in planning, implementing, and monitoring sustainability within organizations.
  • Evaluate how AI tools can either strengthen or disrupt organizational culture.
  • Execute challenging development projects focused on sustainable and responsible business practices.

📅 5-WEEK COURSE PROGRAMME DETAILS

WEEK 1: IN PERSON

Intensive physical week in Ostrava, Czech Republic

Place: VSB-TUO campus.
Date: 31st of August until 4th of September 2026
Coordinators: VSB-TUO Ostrava.

WEEK 2-4: ONLINE

Online programme.

Date: 7th of September until 25th of September 2026
Coordinators: VSB-TUO Ostrava.

Presentation and evaluation of student projects on MS Teams platform.

🏁 Educational Goals

The primary objective of this project is to equip students with a robust understanding
of leadership within the context of global sustainability. Rather than focusing solely

on academic theory or political rhetoric, we approach sustainability as a practical, strategic tool for organizational development.

Throughout the programme, we will explore how leadership acts as a catalyst for developing human capital and fostering long-term resilience. Students will move beyond "classroom theory"

to understand how sustainable principles are applied in real-world business environments.

🧩 Programme Structure & Methodology

A cohort of 20 students—representing both our international partner universities and VŠB-TUO —will participate in a hybrid learning journey:

The Physical Exchange (Ostrava): Students will spend one intensive week on the VŠB-TUO campus. To ensure a transnational experience, participants will be divided into four interdisciplinary teams, each containing representatives from every partner university.

Daily Rhythm: Mornings are dedicated to academic lectures and interactive seminars. Afternoons are reserved for site visits to local companies and institutions, providing a firsthand look at sustainable leadership in practice.

Collaborative Project Phase: Following the physical week, teams will work remotely on a "Problem-Based Learning" (PBL) challenge.

🛠️ The Challenge: Integrated Sustainable Leadership

Teams will be tasked with implementing specific leadership models—such as Ethical Leadership— within a selected organization. Their proposals must demonstrate an integrated approach, addressing four key pillars:

  • Leadership Theory: Application of modern management styles.
  • Environment: Strategies for ecological responsibility.
  • Finance: Ensuring economic viability and sustainable investment.
  • AI Integration: Utilizing technology to enhance organizational culture and efficiency.

Past events

Annotation:

🎯 Programme Aim

The Blended Intensive Programme (BIP) International Winter School on Project and Grant Management – From Theory to Practice provides students with a comprehensive, practice-oriented introduction to contemporary project and grant management.

The programme combines theoretical foundations with hands-on application, drawing on internationally recognised methodologies such as PMI, IPMA, and PM².


📅 Programme Structure

  • Intensive five-day, full-time course
  • Blended format: on-site programme complemented by a virtual component
  • Focus on the entire project lifecycle:
    • Project idea development
    • Formulation and planning
    • Documentation and implementation logic

Special attention is given to European project funding, including EU grant schemes and co-financing mechanisms.


🧠 What Participants Will Learn

Participants gain the knowledge and skills required to operate in today’s project-based environments, including:

  • Public institutions
  • Private organisations
  • Academia and research

Key learning areas include:

  • Theoretical foundations of project management
  • Core terminology and process logic
  • Standardised procedures used in international projects

🛠️ Practical Skills & Tools

Strong emphasis is placed on practical applicability. Participants work with real project documentation, including:

  • Statement of Work (SoW)
  • Logical Framework Matrix (LFM)
  • Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)
  • Organisational Breakdown Structure (OBS)
  • RACI Matrix
  • Gantt Chart
  • Basic financial planning tools

Learning is supported by:

  • Real-life case studies
  • Examples of good practice
  • Exercises based on everyday project management experience

🧩 Project Planning & EU Funding

A core objective of the programme is to introduce participants to the identification and planning phases of projects, including:

  • Managerial, cultural, organisational and social aspects
  • Defining objectives, results and indicators
  • Resource and schedule planning
  • Preparation of complete project documentation

The programme also covers:

  • Fundamentals of EU funding mechanisms
  • Overview of relevant grant opportunities
  • Financial aspects of project planning

👉 Special focus is placed on the needs of PhD students and early-career researchers.


🤝 Teamwork & Soft Skills

The programme actively develops soft skills essential for effective project leadership:

  • Teamwork and collaboration
  • Communication skills
  • Leadership competences

Participants:

  • Work in multicultural teams
  • Collaboratively prepare a sample project proposal
  • Present their projects on the final day

🏁 Learning Outcomes

The programme culminates in a final project presentation, evaluated by the teaching staff.

By the end of the course, participants will be able to:

  • Understand and structure international projects
  • Prepare professional project documentation
  • Apply project management principles in academic, professional or research contexts

🌍 Programme Mission

The mission of the International Winter School is to strengthen students’ capacity to plan and manage projects in an international environment, enabling them to confidently apply newly acquired knowledge throughout their future careers.

Target group: Bachelors, Masters and PhD students.

Skill level:
≡ Basic or intermediate knowledge of project management.
≡ Practice project experience is not necessary.
≡ No prior subject knowledge is required to participate in this course,
but students are expected to have a keen interest in the subject area.

Language: English (Required level of English: B1).

Number of participants: max. 30 students.

Credits: 5 credits.

Registration deadline: April 30, 2026.

Please register here

Contact: Lenka Heczkova,