# What did the EU4Dual Winter School teach us?

> Two Master’s students reflect on service design, leadership and sustainability.

## About EU4Dual
EU4Dual is an European University Alliance comprising nine higher education institutions across the continent. Launched in 2022, the consortium is dedicated to bridging the gap between academia and the professional world, aiming to redefine dual education on a global scale. The EU4Dual Winter School 2026 brought together 53 students from Finland, France, and Spain for a BIP (Blended Intensive Programme) innovation week in Kuopio, where they solved real business cases through sustainable design and pitching.

## The Innovation Journey
The Winter School was an intensive innovation journey held in Kuopio, North Savo. Working in multidisciplinary and international teams, students tackled real-life challenges faced by local service-sector companies, including:
* Digital visibility
* Marketing
* Customer engagement
* Business development

Before the on-site week, students completed a pre-assignment to gain insights into the case companies. During the intensive phase, they applied service design and design thinking—using tools like design briefs, the Double Diamond model, and the "How Might We" approach—to move rapidly from problem understanding to solution development. The process functioned as a service design sprint, culminating in a five-minute pitch and peer feedback.

## Service Design Principles
Service design focuses on creating meaningful, sustainable, and functional services by considering the needs of both customers and service providers. Rather than focusing solely on outcomes, it emphasizes understanding experiences, interactions, and value creation. The Double Diamond framework was utilized to guide teams through exploring problems broadly before narrowing down to focused solutions.

## Leadership and Organizational Development
The course provided a practical environment for practicing leadership in diverse scenarios, such as:
* Managing remote meetings
* Instructing groups
* Building trust and team spirit
* Adapting communication styles
* Setting clear objectives

Navigating real-world challenges helped sharpen decision-making and fostered a psychologically safe environment for experimentation, which is essential for effective team leadership.

## Sustainability and Holistic Thinking
The Winter School aimed to strengthen European collaboration while integrating sustainability into innovation. Students evaluated the sustainability impacts of their solutions across social, cultural, financial, and environmental perspectives. This experience highlighted the importance of sustainable leadership in supporting both company growth and broader societal well-being.

## Conclusion
The Winter School demonstrated how innovation, leadership, and sustainability intersect in real-world business development. The intensive format encouraged fast learning and experimentation, providing practical insights into creating sustainable solutions and coordinating diverse perspectives.

## Authors
* **Laivo Maria**, Leadership and development in health care and social services (MBA) student, Savonia Master School
* **Silvola Jenni**, Sustainable Future (MBA) student, Savonia Master School

## References
* IKANGAI, 2026. *What is the Double Diamond design model?*
* IxDF – Interaction Design Foundation, 2016. *What is Service Design?*
* Savonia, N.d. *EU4Dual.*
* Savonia, 2026. *Winter School 2026 – syväsukellus elämyspalveluyritysten kehittämiseen ja Suomen talveen.*
* Stickdorn, M., Hormess, M. E., Lawrence, A., & Schneider, J. 2018. *This Is Service Design Doing: Applying Service Design Thinking in the Real World : A Practitioners’ Handbook.*
* Työterveyslaitos N.d. *Miten luoda peloton ilmapiiri?*