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The Cusanus Hochschule für Gesellschaftsgestaltung

Today's societies face diverse and utterly complex challenges. Social, economic and ecological crises are among them, as are crises of democracy. Against this background, the Cusanus Hochschule für Gesellschaftsgestaltung (CHG) establishes a type of science that enables people to cope responsibly with these challenges and to live well in an often complex and contradictory world. The knodel foundation supports this educational institution because it offers exactly the kind of transformative teaching in economics that is needed for systemic transformation.

  • Cusanus Hochschule für Gesellschaftsgestaltung



  • Project duration

    2020 - 2023

The Cusanus Hochschule für Gesellschaftsgestaltung is a state-recognized university in Bernkastel-Kues in western Germany. Founded in 2014, it represents a new type of university in which teaching and research combine knowledge, action, and the power of imagination to create responsible and effective engagement. To this end, it develops didactic and scientific methods for design-oriented sciences. The active (co-)design of teaching, research, institution and society is an integral part of all four study programs.

The impact of CHG’s research and educational innovations is designed to radiate far beyond the university. Together with its now more than 130 students, 60 alumni (as of January 2021), as well as practice, research and funding partners, the CHG is becoming the center of a far-reaching network of change. In this way, it succeeds in pushing its established best practices into other universities and other educational institutions. To this end, the university works with transformers such as the “Fridays for Future” movement and innovative companies and foundations. This network gives rise to new possibilities to engage such as summer schools, digital lecture series and practical camps. With teaching materials and training courses, the university supports reform-minded teachers at other universities and convinces influential publishers. Finally, it increases the pressure on those who do not want to change of their own accord with education policy campaigns.

All of this is only possible because donors recognize ist impact and potential and support the university in its endeavors. Supported by a non-profit limited liability company (gGmbH), the university does not receive any basic state funding, but lives from donations and tuition fees.

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