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MCI Community Projects
MCI Community Projects are practical projects in which students across all MCI degree programs work for and with external partners on projects for the common good.
The aim of MCI community projects is to give students the opportunity to apply and further develop their knowledge and skills based on a concrete and practical question posed by a partner organisation which is committed to one or more of the following areas.
- society
- environment
- diversity
- education
- social entrepreneurship
The projects are conducted as part of regular, curricular courses and students are guided and supported methodically and content-wise by the respective course supervisors.
MCI Community Projects are built on a common foundation that encompasses the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the objectives of innovation, entrepreneurship and location impact, which are important principles at MCI. With this initiative, the MCI is pursuing the goal of "giving back" to society, increasing student awareness and engagement, increasing social impact and contributing to the community.
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In addition to non-profit organisations, we also invite submissions from companies, foundations, etc. who would like to make a positive contribution in the above-mentioned areas in cooperation with an academic partner and with the involvement of students.
MCI Community Projects complement practical projects in cooperation with industry and business, which are at the core of the MCI | The Entrepreneurial School®’s philosophy and strategy.
Submit your idea for a MCI Community Project!
If you are a non-profit organisation, a company, a foundation or other organisation planning a project that makes a contribution to the areas mentioned above, you can submit an application for a MCI community project.
Project submissions are continuously assessed by a jury of experts and, depending on capacity, are scheduled for the winter or summer semester in the relevant degree programs. Once a project has been approved and allocated, successful applicants will liaise directly with the program in which your project is being worked on.
General conditions
Project selection
Submissions for MCI Community Projects will be evaluated by a jury of MCI experts, and are selected according to the following criteria:
- Impact of the project
- Innovative character of the initiative
- Contribution of the project to the SDGs, or relevance regarding entrepreneurship, sustainability and local impact
- Feasibility of the project within the duration of the practice project
- Feasibility of the project in terms of student expertise
The community projects advertised here are usually shorter-term projects that give students across all MCI programs the opportunity to apply and develop their knowledge and skills on the basis of a concrete and practical problem from a partner organisation - and thus serve a good cause.
Community projects are carried out both in summer and winter semesters and usually start at the beginning of the semester (October or March), although this may vary depending on the study program. The duration of a project is typically between 6 weeks and 3 months.
The workload of students varies and can be between 2 and 4 ECTS (50-100 hours per student), with students usually working in groups of 5 or more.
The time required by the client should be calculated at about 20 hours per project for attending a project kick-off, providing possible answers to questions that come up, and participation in the project presentation at the end of the project.
MCI Community projects are selected by a jury and referred to MCI lecturers, who assign them to a team of students. At the beginning of the project, there is usually a meeting with the client to discuss the project's initial situation, problems and objectives in detail and to clarify any questions. The MCI student team then begins its work, and it is possible that further questions may arise for the client while the project is being carried out. Upon completion of the project, the client receives a briefing on the results and any reports, study results or other outputs that may have been prepared. The clients will usually also attend the final presentation of the project at MCI.
MCI does not charge for MCI Community Projects. However, material costs such as travel expenses incurred by the client, travel expenses incurred by the students visit the client organisation, or other costs may be incurred. These will be discussed jointly when the project is commissioned and are usually covered by the client.
The commitment of our students and the expert supervision by MCI lecturers usually lead to successful project results. However, since these are learning projects, the MCI cannot guarantee that the project objectives will be fully achieved.
The results of MCI community projects are usually presented in a final presentation with the participation of all project partners course, and are also featured with a short profile on the MCI website. The handling of confidential information must be clarified between the partners in advance of the project, including the use of photos, logos or other copyrighted materials.
- Our students develop creative solutions for you, based on current and up-to-date knowledge
- Students are supported and supervised by our MCI subject experts
- You get to know potential employees - it is not unusual for students to be hired by project partners after graduation
- You establish direct contacts with the MCI team
If you have any questions or require further information, please contact: prme@mci.edu