On Monday, June 23, 2025, the inaugural lecture of Assoc. Prof. Dr. Benjamin van Giffen took place at the University of Liechtenstein. Under the title "Tradition Meets Technology: Overcoming Cultural Tensions in AI Adoption within Lean Quality Management", the new Professor of Information Systems & Digital Innovation shed light on the challenges and opportunities that arise from the interplay between traditional Lean principles and modern AI technologies.

The official program began at 5:00 PM with a ceremonial opening. In their welcoming remarks, Dr. Christian Frommelt, Rector of the University of Liechtenstein, Dr. Gunter Beitinger, Senior Vice President Manufacturing and Head of Factory Digitalization at Siemens, and Karsten Neugebauer, founder of VIQTORIOUS AG and former CEO of the G2K Group, emphasized the relevance of the topic for business, science, and society. They underlined the university’s role as a driving force for digital innovation in the region and beyond. A common thread throughout all the speeches was the connection between excellent research and practical application.

At the heart of the subsequent lecture was the question of how companies can manage cultural tensions that arise when implementing artificial intelligence into established management systems. Benjamin van Giffen emphasized that the integration of AI requires not only technological, but above all cultural and organizational change. Using real-world examples and solid scientific insights, he demonstrated how companies can successfully manage this transformation and achieve both efficiency gains and innovation-friendly structures.

The lecture combined theoretical depth with a strong practical orientation, offering the audience insights into current research projects and concrete recommendations for leaders and organizations undergoing digital transformation. Professor van Giffen particularly emphasized the importance of a human-centered innovation approach, grounded in Design Thinking and attentive to both ethical and governance-related aspects of AI use.

With this inaugural lecture, Professor van Giffen presented himself not only as a recognized expert in the design and scaling of AI systems, but also as a bridge-builder between academic excellence and business practice. His broad experience in research, teaching, and industry consulting – including collaborations with companies in Liechtenstein, Europe, and the United States – gives his work special relevance for both regional and international business.

Following the lecture, the University hosted a networking reception, where guests from academia, industry, and public administration took the opportunity to exchange ideas in an informal setting. In many conversations, the topic of the lecture was taken up, further explored, and discussed in the context of concrete entrepreneurial challenges. The reception also provided a valuable opportunity to meet Assoc. Prof. Dr. van Giffen in person and establish initial contacts for potential collaborations.

The Professorship for Economic Criminal Law, Compliance and Digitalisation conducted the Intensive Course on Corruption on 12 and 13 June 2025.

Corruption is a global issue that can cause severe economic damage in both the public and private sectors, undermine trust in institutions, and threaten the rule of law. At the international level, the main monitoring mechanisms include the Council of Europe’s Group of States against Corruption (GRECO), the OECD Working Group on Bribery, and the Implementation Review Mechanism of the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC).

The focus of the course was on identifying corruption and the structure of corruption-related offences as defined in the Criminal Code. Prof. Dr. Konstantina Papathanasiou, LL.M., opened the course with an overview of the legal framework concerning acceptance of advantages (§ 305 of the Criminal Code), granting of advantages (§ 307a), bribery (§ 304), and corruption (§ 307).

Dr. Markus Höcher, postdoctoral assistant at the Professorship for Economic Criminal Law, Compliance and Digitalisation, then explained the legal system governing anti-corruption offences and presented the corresponding offences in both the public and private sectors. He first gave an in-depth explanation of the terms “public official” and “holder of a public office”, which served as the basis for understanding the abuse of official authority (§ 302), bribery and corruption (§§ 304/307), acceptance and granting of advantages (§§ 305/307a), acceptance or granting of advantages to influence decisions (§§ 306/307b), as well as the offence of prohibited intervention (§ 308).

The session continued with a discussion of corruption-related offences relevant to the private sector, namely breach of trust (§ 153) and bribery and corruption in commercial transactions (§ 309). All topics were illustrated with examples from theory and practice.

On Wednesday, 4 June 2025, the University of Liechtenstein invited children aged 8 to 12 to a special workshop in the university auditorium. Under the motto “Let’s Make the World a Better Place – Together!”, the young participants explored in a playful and creative way why it is important—and exciting—to get involved: for others, for the environment, and for their own future.

With curiosity and imagination, the children immersed themselves in a world full of ideas and challenges. Participation, collaboration, and co-creating solutions were at the heart of the workshop. They learned that even small actions can make a big difference—and that doing good together is even more fun!

Accompanying Programme for Adults: The Responsibility of Educational Institutions

While the children engaged their spirit of discovery, adults received inspiring input on current topics related to education, sustainability, and social responsibility. In a talk followed by a discussion, the University of Liechtenstein’s pro bono team demonstrated how higher education institutions can empower future generations to connect economic and ecological goals—and why now, more than ever, it is crucial to support projects with meaningful societal impact.