From June 30 to July 5, 2025, the TransLearnN Summer School Course C2 “Sustainable Business Models (SBMod)” took place at Rzeszow University of Technology (Politechnika Rzeszowska im. Ignacego Łukasiewicza), Poland. The project and therefore the Summer School are co-financed by the EU under the Erasmus+ Cooperation Partnerships programme.

The third summer school “Innovative Practices” served as the culminating event in implementing the project’s objectives of creating interdisciplinary courses based on best European practices to assist Ukrainian higher education in post-war reconstruction conditions. The event was designed to equip students with knowledge and tools to address environmental, social, and governance (ESG) challenges by integrating sustainability principles into core business strategies through the application of key frameworks and practical approaches for developing responsible and profitable business models.

The programme was attended by students from various cities across Ukraine who expressed interest in mastering the interdisciplinary course. The course was developed jointly by teams from partner universities of the international TransLearnN consortium. The event was organized by Rzeszow University of Technology under the supervision of project supervisor Mirosław Śmieszek.

The main objective of the school was to develop student competencies in three key areas:

• Public administration – preparing future professionals for effective sustainable development management
• Economic sectors – training representatives from various economic industries
• Public activism – developing skills for civic leaders

Learning outcomes included:

• Understanding key transformation pathways from conventional to sustainable business models
• Assessing prerequisites for integrating sustainability principles into business processes
• Developing sustainability strategy from concept to implementation
• Building and managing communication with internal and external stakeholders
• Designing practical solutions and developing plans for sustainable business practices

The Summer School had a combined structure:

First part (online) – students were introduced to eight general lecture modules of the “Sustainable Business Models” course:

• Fundamentals of sustainable business models
• Circular economy and business
• ESG implementation: integrating sustainability principles into business strategies
• Multidimensional data visualization
• Environmental innovations and business planning
• Financial aspects of sustainable business models
• Sustainable business reporting and communication
• Corporate climate responsibility

Second part (June 30 – July 5, on-site in Poland) – intensive practical programme at the university campus in the nature reserve town of Bezmiechowa Góra. The programme included:

• Business model diagnosis (modules 1-2)
• Data assessment and visualization (modules 3-4)
• Designing a startup with ESG focus (module 5)
• Financial plan for sustainable innovation (module 6)
• Crowdfunding campaign for climate eco-innovations (modules 7-8)

The working programme of the interdisciplinary course involved familiarization with contemporary challenges, risks, and opportunities that business faces in the context of sustainable development, studying frameworks, strategies, and tools for transforming business practices into sustainable organizations.

The programme also included field studies and excursions: introduction to Rzeszów’s intelligent transport system, studying the green transition of Rzeszow University of Technology, familiarization with sustainable development projects and programmes in Rzeszów city and Podkarpackie Voivodeship, and a campus tour.

The course piloting during the summer school aimed to conduct testing and obtain expert feedback on achieving learning outcomes. Participants presented final presentations of their projects, demonstrating acquired knowledge and skills in sustainable business model development. The closing session included reflection on the pilot course, recommendations for improvement, and certificate presentation. Environmental games were also held, helping to reinforce the acquired knowledge in an informal setting.

We express our sincere gratitude to the Erasmus+ programme for generous financial support and the opportunity to implement this unique educational project. Special thanks to the rector and colleagues at Rzeszow University of Technology for providing the opportunity to conduct the summer school at one of the university’s finest campuses.

We thank the coordinator of the TransLearnN project Angela Dichte from Eberswalde University for Sustainable Development for methodological support and overall project leadership.

We are grateful to all course developer teachers from Ukrainian and European partner universities of the project for professional development of educational content and active participation in programme implementation.

We sincerely thank students from various cities of Ukraine for active participation, creativity, and openness to new knowledge. Thanks to your motivation and enthusiasm, this summer school became a powerful platform for forming future leaders of sustainable business.

TransLearnN – working together for Ukraine’s sustainable future! Together we have proven that international educational cooperation can create a solid foundation for Ukraine’s post-war reconstruction based on sustainable development principles. We look forward to further implementation of these courses in Ukrainian universities and new joint educational initiatives.