Günter Faltin
Encyclopedia
Günter Faltin is a German economist
and entrepreneur
.
(1972). His doctoral thesis investigates Milton Friedman's
theory of consumer behavior. Since 1977 he is Professor of Economics at the Berlin Free University
, where he directs the entrepreneurship
department since 2003. Several years ago he was appointed German Academic Exchange Service
visiting professor in Asia. He conducted a scientific series of lectures and workshops, a. o. in the US, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Japan, South Korea, Thailand and India. Deputy president of the German Society for Education, Invention and Innovation, (DABEI), Berlin Section, 1984 - 1988. Visiting professor and research consultant at Thammasat University
, Bangkok, 1986, and Chiang Mai University
1988 - 1990 (sponsored by the German Academic Exchange Service
). He is the co-founder of the International Academy Berlin (INA), 1995. In 1997, Faltin put up the "Concept for Educational and Entrepreneurial Excellence", a proposal for an international school that integrates innovative entrepreneurship into the curriculum. In 1999 he founded the Entrepreneurship Lab (Labor für Entrepreneurship) at Berlin Free University, which was taken on by Volkswagen's
“Innovationscampus Wolfsburg" in 2000. As an expert for the project "Entrepreneurship in Education and Training in Russia and Ukraine", he conducted a series of workshops for the European Training Foundation (an institution of the European Union) in St. Petersburg and Kiew from 2000 to 2003.
In 2010 he followed an invitation of the government of Bhutan for a keynote to the conference on “High-tech and Entrepreneurship".
is taking charge of the project on location in Darjeeling, India. The company also introduced waterhyacinth furniture to Germany. In 2006, he started the “CO2-Kampagne". He is business angel and coach of startups such as “eBuero AG" (2001) and RatioDrink AG" (2005).
Economist
An economist is a professional in the social science discipline of economics. The individual may also study, develop, and apply theories and concepts from economics and write about economic policy...
and entrepreneur
Entrepreneur
An entrepreneur is an owner or manager of a business enterprise who makes money through risk and initiative.The term was originally a loanword from French and was first defined by the Irish-French economist Richard Cantillon. Entrepreneur in English is a term applied to a person who is willing to...
.
Academic career
Faltin graduated with a Dr. rer.soc. from the University of KonstanzUniversity of Konstanz
The University of Konstanz is a university in the city of Konstanz in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It was founded in 1966, and the main campus on the Gießberg was opened in 1972. As one of nine German Excellence Universities today University of Konstanz is counted among Germany's most prestigious...
(1972). His doctoral thesis investigates Milton Friedman's
Milton Friedman
Milton Friedman was an American economist, statistician, academic, and author who taught at the University of Chicago for more than three decades...
theory of consumer behavior. Since 1977 he is Professor of Economics at the Berlin Free University
Free University of Berlin
Freie Universität Berlin is one of the leading and most prestigious research universities in Germany and continental Europe. It distinguishes itself through its modern and international character. It is the largest of the four universities in Berlin. Research at the university is focused on the...
, where he directs the entrepreneurship
Entrepreneurship
Entrepreneurship is the act of being an entrepreneur, which can be defined as "one who undertakes innovations, finance and business acumen in an effort to transform innovations into economic goods". This may result in new organizations or may be part of revitalizing mature organizations in response...
department since 2003. Several years ago he was appointed German Academic Exchange Service
German Academic Exchange Service
The German Academic Exchange Service or DAAD is the largest German support organisation in the field of international academic co-operation....
visiting professor in Asia. He conducted a scientific series of lectures and workshops, a. o. in the US, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Japan, South Korea, Thailand and India. Deputy president of the German Society for Education, Invention and Innovation, (DABEI), Berlin Section, 1984 - 1988. Visiting professor and research consultant at Thammasat University
Thammasat University
Thammasat University , or in brief TU , is Thailand's second oldest university. Officially established on 27 June 1934, the university was originally named by founder Pridi Banomyong, University of Moral Science and Politics , reflecting the political fervor of the time...
, Bangkok, 1986, and Chiang Mai University
Chiang Mai University
Chiang Mai University is a public research university in northern Thailand founded in 1964 with a strong emphasis on engineering, science, and agriculture. Its instructional mission includes undergraduate, graduate, professional and continuing education offered through resident instruction...
1988 - 1990 (sponsored by the German Academic Exchange Service
German Academic Exchange Service
The German Academic Exchange Service or DAAD is the largest German support organisation in the field of international academic co-operation....
). He is the co-founder of the International Academy Berlin (INA), 1995. In 1997, Faltin put up the "Concept for Educational and Entrepreneurial Excellence", a proposal for an international school that integrates innovative entrepreneurship into the curriculum. In 1999 he founded the Entrepreneurship Lab (Labor für Entrepreneurship) at Berlin Free University, which was taken on by Volkswagen's
Volkswagen
Volkswagen is a German automobile manufacturer and is the original and biggest-selling marque of the Volkswagen Group, which now also owns the Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, SEAT, and Škoda marques and the truck manufacturer Scania.Volkswagen means "people's car" in German, where it is...
“Innovationscampus Wolfsburg" in 2000. As an expert for the project "Entrepreneurship in Education and Training in Russia and Ukraine", he conducted a series of workshops for the European Training Foundation (an institution of the European Union) in St. Petersburg and Kiew from 2000 to 2003.
In 2010 he followed an invitation of the government of Bhutan for a keynote to the conference on “High-tech and Entrepreneurship".
Business career
In 1985, he founded "Projektwerkstatt GmbH" with the idea of "Teekampagne" ("tea campaign"), a tea import company which in 1995 became the world's largest importer of Darjeeling leaf tea. Teekampagne is Germany´s market leader in mail-order tea sales. The company turned the German tea market upside down by betting on consumer education, transparency, and traceability. Faltin introduced a new business model: selling pure Darjeeling tea, controlled for chemical residues, in large packages, by mail order, at extremely competitive prices, while supporting the economy and ecology of the region of Darjeeling. In 1992 Faltin launched and sponsored the reforestation project S.E.R.V.E. (“Save the Environment & Regenerate Vital Employment"); the WWFWorld Wide Fund for Nature
The World Wide Fund for Nature is an international non-governmental organization working on issues regarding the conservation, research and restoration of the environment, formerly named the World Wildlife Fund, which remains its official name in Canada and the United States...
is taking charge of the project on location in Darjeeling, India. The company also introduced waterhyacinth furniture to Germany. In 2006, he started the “CO2-Kampagne". He is business angel and coach of startups such as “eBuero AG" (2001) and RatioDrink AG" (2005).
Foundations
Since 1995, Faltin is a founding member of the Berlin Startup Institute (“Existenzgründer-Instituts e.V."). In 2001 he set up the “Entrepreneurship Foundation" (“Stiftung Entrepreneurship"). Through the Entrepreneurship Foundation he promotes a new culture of entrepreneurship in Germany. He worked with Prof. Muhammad Yunus – one of the board members since inception of the Foundation – for a workshop at Volkswagen in 2000 as well as at the Vision Summits in Berlin, 2008 and 2009.Honors
Faltin was granted the Award of the Price-Babson-Foundation, Boston, “For Bringing Entrepreneurial Vitality to Academe" in 1997; in 2007 he was given the "Vision Award for Entrepreneurship" on the occasion of the 2007 Berlin "Vision Summit". In 2009, he won the Deutscher Gruenderpreis (German Founder’s Award), as well as an award from Germany‘s Federal Ministry for Economics and Technology for his idea of „founding with components.” In 2010 he received the Federal Cross of Merit from the German president for his pioneer work on entrepreneurship.Publications
In his best-selling book „Kopf schlägt Kapital“ (brain beats capital), he proposes a radically new approach to generating entrepreneurial ventures with an emphasis on ecologically and culturally sensitive issues.- Bildung und Einkommenserzielung: Das Defizit: Unternehmerische Qualifikationen. In: Axt/Karcher/Schleich: Ausbildungs-oder Beschäftigungskrise in der Dritten Welt? Frankfurt o. M. (1987)
- The University and Entrepreneurship In: Education in Transition. Wiesbaden (1992)
- Reichtum von unten, (G. Faltin und J. Zimmer , Berlin 2. Ed 1996). Greek Ed. 2004
- Das Netz weiter werfen - Für eine neue Kultur unternehmerischen Handelns In: Faltin/Ripsas/Zimmer (Ed.) "Entrepreneurship. Wie aus Ideen Unternehmen werden". Munich (1998)
- Competencies for Innovative Entrepreneurship, In Adult Learning and the Future of Work, Unesco Institute for Education, Hamburg,(1999)
- Creating a Culture of Innovative Entrepreneurship In: Journal of International Business and Economy, Vol. 2, No. 1, (2001)
- Für eine Kultur des Unternehmerischen – Entrepreneurship als Qualifikation der Zukunft In: Leistung – Lust & Last Bucher/Lauermann/Walcher (Ed..). Vienna (2005)
- Erfolgreich gründen. Der Unternehmer als Künstler und Komponist. DIHK, Berlin (2007)
- Kopf schlägt Kapital. Die ganz andere Art, ein Unternehmen zu gründen. Von der Lust, ein Entrepreneur zu sein. Carl Hanser Verlag, Munich, 2008
- Kopf schlägt Kapital. Audio Book (7 compact discs), spoken by Stephan ReimertzStephan ReimertzStephan Reimertz is an art historian and novelist. He lives in Paris.- Life :Stephan Reimertz, 1962 born writer is the grandnephew of Nikolaus Groß. His grandfather was a democratic major and politician from Westphalia. His father was a mining engineer and met his mother, a Baltic German...
, 2009