Learn­ing be­tween tech­nol­o­gy and crit­i­cal think­ing, FHNW School of Business

What do you teach, and what fascinates you about your subject area?

I teach across several degree programmes in the School of Business, primarily in digital business, digital innovation, and digital transformation. My courses also cover design thinking and a value-sensitive design approach. I also teach a course titled Design Innovation for Businesses to master's students in International Management, as well as to master's students from the School of Arts and Design and the School of Applied Psychology. I also teach about augmented reality in a bachelor’s course in applied digital marketing and in a master’s course on E-commerce. The common thread is how businesses integrate technology in a thoughtful, strategic way, beyond a one-off initiative. Most of my courses are project based. Every semester, students come up with different ideas and solutions, even when the starting point is similar. That variety keeps me fresh and challenges my own thinking. It is one of the things I love about my work.

What do you enjoy most about teaching?

I enjoy the moments when students leave their laptops behind and start discussing, sketching and developing ideas together at a whiteboard or flip chart. I know they will use AI at some stage in their project, and I am fine with that. But I want them to reflect critically and work through their ideas together, rather than jump straight to a ready-made answer. I like coaching them through that process. Sometimes I get so interested in a project that I have to hold myself back from taking over.

What motivated you to become a lecturer?

It happened gradually. When I started working at the School of Business, I supported video production and filmed interviews and lectures. That gave me a closer look at teaching. I began giving guest lectures and helping students create digital media content for their projects. One guest lecture led to another, and I gradually found myself becoming a lecturer. I enjoyed the exchange with students, and I still do. I like creating a friendly atmosphere where they can challenge me, too. I do not need to have every answer, and I am comfortable saying that I do not know something and need to look into it. Teaching also keeps me up to date. With challenge-based teaching, there is always a new problem to explore every semester.

What skills do students acquire in your courses?

I want students to practice critical and creative thinking and learn to work with people who see things differently. For instance, when design and business students work on the same case, they often see different problems and have different priorities. Understanding each other is part of the learning, even when it is not an explicit task.

They can use AI as a partner at different stages, but they still need to question its suggestions and make their own judgments.

How would you describe your teaching style?

My teaching is project-based, with a lot of group discussions and workshops. I have a clear storyline, but I also sit down with groups, ask questions and work through their ideas with them. I connect theory with examples from everyday life and industry. With cloud computing, for example, we might start with how students use cloud services to save their documents. Then we look at what choosing a cloud service means for an enterprise. I like helping students connect their own experiences to business decisions and including multiple perspectives on the question at hand.

What makes teaching at our university special for you?

I enjoy the variety across locations, study programmes and student groups. I like teaching both full-time and part-time students. They bring different experiences and expectations; for example, part-time students often look for a direct connection to their work. I particularly enjoy bringing students from different programmes together. They can work on the same challenge and approach it from very different angles. Those discussions are one of the things I love about teaching here.

What should students know about you?

I am approachable and quite flexible. I see myself a bit like an older brother or uncle: someone they can talk to, ask questions and turn to for guidance.

What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?

As a father of two young children, I spend most of my free time with them. I am a family dad, so that is where most of my time outside work goes.

If your students were to describe you in one sentence at the end of a semester, what would you like them to say?

A student once wrote in a course evaluation that I had brought them away from their screens and AI shortcuts, encouraged them to work together, and pushed them beyond their comfort zones to think by themselves. That comment has stayed with me. It captures what I hope students take away from my courses.

What advice would you give to prospective students?

Stay curious. Ask questions, and do not be afraid to challenge a lecturer. Be clear about why you are choosing this programme and keep reminding yourself of that purpose. Think about how the different courses connect to what you want to learn and do.