Seminar: Design Thinking Intercontinental COIL Program – 4th Edition - Details

Seminar: Design Thinking Intercontinental COIL Program – 4th Edition - Details

General information

Course name Seminar: Design Thinking Intercontinental COIL Program – 4th Edition
Subtitle
Semester S 2026
Current number of participants 32
Home institute International Office
Courses type Seminar in category Teaching
First date Wednesday, 13.05.26, 17:00 - 18:00 o'clock H 0113
Type/Form
ECTS points 3

Rooms and times

H 0113

  • Wednesday, 18:00 - 20:00, Weekly (from 03.06.26)
  • Wednesday, 13.05.26, 17:00 - 18:00 o'clock
  • Friday, 17.07.26, 14:00 - 16:00 o'clock

Comment/Description

Design Thinking Intercontinental COIL Program – 4th Edition
How might we attract and retain young skilled employees in our region so they build a career, live a meaningful life and build wealth?
International School
Catharina Wassink, Economist, MBA Marketing Specialization
"More Than a Course — A Global Mindset.”

(a) Inhalt und Ansatz | Content and Approach
• Course Overview
o In this Summer 26 global Design Thinking experience, you will collaborate with students from Nigeria, Argentina, and Germany to tackle one of the most pressing regional challenges of our time:
o How might we retain young skilled employees in our region so they build a career, live a meaningful life and build wealth?
o Across many regions — including Südthüringen — demographic change, talent mobility, limited retention of graduates, and insufficient integration of international professionals are creating structural pressure on local labor markets and innovation ecosystems. At the same time, young professionals seek not only employment, but belonging, purpose, opportunity, and long-term economic stability.
o No visa needed. Just curiosity, empathy — and Wi-Fi.
o Through intercultural collaboration, you will co-create innovative, human-centered solutions that strengthen regional ecosystems and empower young talent to thrive locally while thinking globally.
o This program is embedded within Projekt WORTplus – Perspektiven schaffen, Talente binden, a strategic regional initiative of Hochschule Schmalkalden funded by the European Social Fund Plus. WORTplus goes beyond isolated measures and builds long-term structures that connect individuals, organizations, and regional stakeholders to foster intercultural openness, institutional transformation, and sustainable talent retention.
o Your Design Thinking work will contribute to this broader transformation process — generating ideas, prototypes, and perspectives that support the development of a welcoming, future-oriented region where young professionals can envision a meaningful and prosperous life.

• Key Topics
• Human-Centered Design
Develop empathy for young professionals, employers, policymakers, and communities. Move from insight to ideation, prototyping, and testing.
• Talent Retention & Regional Development
Explore economic ecosystems, career pathways, entrepreneurship, work-life balance, digital nomadism, and wealth creation models.
• Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL)
Engage in intercultural teamwork across America, Africa, and Europe.
• Cross-Cultural Collaboration
Understand how talent retention differs across continents and how regional contexts shape opportunity.
• Professional Skill Development
Strengthen pitching, stakeholder communication, systems thinking, and innovation strategy skills.
• Global Networking
Build meaningful professional relationships across regions and cultures.

(b) Learning Objectives

By the end of the course, students will:
• Work effectively in international, multicultural teams
• Apply Design Thinking to complex regional economic challenges
• Analyze talent retention from economic, social, and human perspectives
• Develop innovative and feasible solutions for regional ecosystems
• Pitch strategic concepts with clarity and impact
• Reflect on their role as future regional change-makers and global citizens

(c) Course Structure – Summer 26

Schedule
Onsite Classes are held weekly on 6 Tuesdays, from 17:00 to 19:00, Room H112. Camera must be turn on.
• 27 May – Kick-Off & Challenge Introduction




• 3 June – Empathy & Regional Insights
• 10 June – Define & Problem Framing
• 17 June – Ideation & Concept Development
• 24 June – Prototyping & Testing
• 8 July – Final Pitch Talk
Online Info Session: Date TBA

Weekly Focus
Session 1 – 27 May
• Introduction to COIL & global teams
• Understanding brain drain & regional dynamics
• Team formation
Session 2 – 3 June
• Stakeholder mapping
• Empathy interviews (young professionals, HR, entrepreneurs, policymakers)
• Insight generation
Session 3 – 10 June
• Problem definition
• “How Might We” refinement
• Systems mapping
Session 4 – 17 June
• Ideation sprint
• Business model canvas / ecosystem canvas
• Feasibility discussion
Session 5 – 24 June
• Rapid prototyping
• Peer feedback
• Pitch training
Session 6 – 8 July
• Final Pitch Presentations
• Jury feedback
• Reflection & Certification

Enhanced Learning Components
• Case Studies on talent retention strategies
• Design Thinking Workshops
• Innovation Lab Sessions
• Cross-continental Peer Review
• Stakeholder-Oriented Pitch Practice

(d) Contact
CatharinaWassink@gmail.com
+49 152 06573863
For questions or support, feel free to email or WhatsApp.

(e) Course Assessment
• Certification: Exchange students earn 2 ECTS credits
• Upon completion and meeting all requirements, participants receive a joint international certificate signed by Universidad Siglo 21 (Argentina), University of Lagos (Nigeria), and Hochschule Schmalkalden (Germany). A proof of your global mindset and innovation skills.
• Attendance Requirement: Minimum 80%
• Final Evaluation (8 July, 17:00–19:00):
o Attendance & Participation: 25%
o Team Deliverables (Canvas + Prototype): 30%
o Final Pitch Presentation: 45%



• Register via QIS portal
• Materials available on Stud.IP
• Communication via course Check Group