TOPSIM International: Mastering Global Expansion at the Makerere University

Students in Uganda

Mastering Global Expansion is going global! Professor Dr. Klaus Schulte and his bachelor’s degree students from Münster University of Applied Sciences traveled to Kampala, Uganda, to participate in a one-week seminar with the partner university, playing our business simulation at the Makerere University.

At the Münster University of Applied Sciences, Mastering Global Expansion is used in the third or fourth semester of the Bachelor of Business Administration. This year, however, the course for business management was a little different. For the first visit to the new partner, Makerere University, Klaus Schulte with his team came up with something special. Why not start the cooperation with a business simulations?

Knowledge Exchange and Team Dynamics

For a week 6 students from the FH competed in mixed teams with 30 students from Bachelor and Master programs from the Makerere University in Uganda. Participating in a business simulation was a completely new experience for the students in Uganda, so in the first test round students had the chance to get to know the simulation and the interface of the TOPSIM-Cloud. After a reset, participants played 2 to 3 periods up to period 8 every day.

The German students were evaluated for the seminar, for the students of the partner university the participations in the business simulation was voluntary. But both sides were more than enthusiastic. Mastering Global Expansion was particularly suitable for an international trip; it is a good business simulation to incorporate previous knowledge and to go through concepts such as financial planning in a realistic but risk-free environment.

New experience in an international environment

The one-week seminar received very positive feedback from the students. Both the use of the business simulation and the warm atmosphere in Kampala made the seminar something very special. The organizing team from Uganda, who first got to know the method of business simulations in this seminar, are now also considering integrating TOPSIM into their teaching concept on a permanent basis. The initiator Klaus Schulte is also enthusiastic: For him it was a unique experience and an absolute tip for everyone who is also planning similar projects abroad.