23 Feb 2026

HSBA Expands Junior Programmes: First-ever Intensive Summer Course for School Pupils

Business Administration? Many school pupils have only a limited understanding of what it actually involves. Since 2022, HSBA has been offering the Junior Academy (formerly known as the Young Academy), a compact programme designed to introduce interested pupils to the key concepts and topics in Business Administration while supporting them in their career planning.

Due to strong demand and consistently positive feedback, the programme will now be expanded: for the first time, HSBA will offer an intensive holiday week in summer 2026, providing an even more in-depth insight into the field.

“If you really want to understand economics, the best way is simply to experience it first-hand,” says Professor Max Johns, Vice President for Teaching and Learning at HSBA. “Under the umbrella of ‘Junior HSBA’, we are expanding our range of orientation programmes for school pupils and, alongside our established compact course, will be offering a one-week intensive course during the summer holidays for the first time.”

Gruppenfoto mit Laraphina Stelzer — Junior Academy with participant Laraphina Stelzer

HSBA student Laraphina Stelzer, a former participant in the Young Academy, highlights how the compact introduction to Business Administration helped her identify her interests and strengths:

“From a young age, I had always planned to become a teacher. It was only in upper secondary school that I realised how much I enjoyed politics and economics. The course helped me see that I truly wanted to study Business Administration within a dual programme. I also immediately felt at home at HSBA and was able to make some initial contacts.”

Junior HSBA – Orientation programmes for pupils aged 15 and above

NEW: Junior Summer School (Holiday Course)

The new Junior Summer School is an intensive Business Administration course offered during the summer holidays. Pupils gain an insight into typical course content as well as university learning and teaching methods. The programme also includes visits to two Hamburg-based companies and provides opportunities to meet current students, exchange ideas, and begin developing their own career plans. Two of the modules are taught in English.

At a glance:

One-week intensive course (40 contact hours)
9 subject modules, 2 company visits, including career planning
Language of instruction: German and English
For pupils aged 15–19
3–7 August 2026

Junior Academy

The Junior Academy takes place on eight Saturdays over a four-month period. The programme provides a solid foundation in economics and offers participants the opportunity to get to know Hamburg-based companies while making valuable initial contacts for a well-informed start to their careers.

At a glance:

Compact economics course delivered on 8 Saturdays
8 subject modules, including career planning
Company visits and speed-dating sessions with Hamburg-based companies
Language of instruction: German
For students aged 16–19
Next intake: October 2026

Thanks to the generous support of the Hapag-Lloyd Foundation, the Nissen Foundation, Sparda Bank and other sponsors from Hamburg’s business community, a number of scholarships are available to help finance participation in the programmes. These scholarships are awarded to particularly committed students, with financial circumstances also taken into consideration.