How do we teach sustainability beyond buzzwords? That was one of the core questions explored during the Green Business Transformation Summer School 2025, held from 12 to 17 May at FH Joanneum University of Applied Sciences in Graz, Austria. As part of this vibrant, interdisciplinary event, the SPM² project was featured prominently in both teaching and mentoring sessions, reaching over 50 students and faculty members from across Central and Southeast Europe.
From Research to Teaching: SPM² in the Classroom
In a dedicated lecture titled “Navigating ‘Sustainability By’ vs. ‘Sustainability Of’ in a Projectified World,” Prof. Dr. Danijela Ćirić Lalić introduced participants to the methodological foundations and practical applications of the SPM² project. The session illustrated:
- How the project’s empirical results, based on responses from 986 professionals in 15 countries, offer evidence-based insights for designing more relevant curricula;
- How SPM² serves as a tool for institutional reform, enabling universities and training providers to better prepare project managers for green transition challenges.
“SPM² is not just a research project—it’s a roadmap for translating sustainability into everyday project decisions,” noted Prof. Ćirić Lalić during the session.
Applied Learning for a Greener Future
The Summer School was jointly organized by FH Joanneum and the Faculty of Technical Sciences, University of Novi Sad, under the CEEPUS Network ‘Greening Project Management’. It combined thematic lectures, workshops, and hands-on project work, including:
- Faculty-led coaching on green business models, project logic, and sustainability integration;
- Mentoring sessions and student presentations addressing real-world sustainability challenges;
- International and cross-disciplinary collaboration among students from Austria, Serbia, Croatia, North Macedonia, and beyond.
SPM² served as both a case study and a didactic model, inspiring students to approach sustainability not just as a topic, but as a competence to be acquired, practiced, and improved.
Who Was Involved?
- Students: Master’s and senior Bachelor students from universities in the CEEPUS network;
- Faculty: Academic staff from partner institutions specializing in green innovation and project management;
- Guest Lecturers: International experts in digital transition, sustainability, and education reform.
Over 50 participants worked in multidisciplinary teams, with SPM² data and concepts guiding their problem-solving processes.
Feedback and Impact
The response was overwhelmingly positive:
- Students found the real-world data from SPM² both inspiring and applicable to their future careers;
- Faculty members expressed interest in adapting SPM² results for their own teaching and curriculum design;
- The integration of quantitative insights into hands-on learning made a strong impression on participants.
“We’ve read about sustainability, but this was the first time we analyzed it using actual competence data,”shared one student from Croatia.
Dissemination and Legacy
- SPM² was featured in the official Summer School agenda and integrated into course materials;
- It sparked cross-border conversations on how to build greener project cultures through education;
- The presentation was followed by informal networking and visibility through the CEEPUS Green PM community and LinkedIn posts.
📘 SPM² continues to serve as a bridge between evidence and education, helping the next generation of professionals make sustainability actionable.
👉 Download the Survey Report to discover how.
