Steinbeis-Hochschule Berlin

Steinbeis-Hochschule Berlin is a private German university, which was founded in 1998. The university is based in Berlin, but also owns institutes in Baden-Württemberg.The university mainly offers extra-occupational study courses. Besides Bachelor and Master programs, there are possibilities to get doctoral degrees. Although the university is mainly offering economic courses, there is also the opportunity to achieve a Bachelor of Engineering.The main idea of Steinbeis University is the "interdigitation of theory and practice", which means that the students can apply their gained theoretical knowledge directly to their job. Students are usually just accepted together with a sponsoring company, where the students have to work during their "practical training".The university is wholly owned by the Steinbeis Foundation.HistoryAs early as 1994, the Steinbeis Foundation was working on the fundamentals of a new academy. The idea of a private Steinbeis University in Baden-Württemberg was soon in coming. The circumstances at the time, however, were not advantageous. As a result, Johann Löhn, the then Steinbeis Foundation Chairman of the Board, chose not to pursue the idea further.As systemic coincidence would have it, lines of communication were established with the Berlin Senate Department of Science and Education. The Secretary of State at the time, Erich Thies, was a strong advocate of the university – even if it existed in thought only. In a matter of weeks, Steinbeis received state approval to move forward with SHB. The university opened its doors in the autumn of 1998 offering the MBE (Master of Business and Engineering).