Associate Professor Christoph Breidbach, based at UQ Business School, helps students prepare to enter the world of digital innovation. With his incredible work at UQ, Christoph received a Citation for Outstanding Contributions to Learning and Student Learning, acknowledging his achievements.
As a leading academic in business information systems, Christoph teaches his students how technology and business come together.
From gaming to academia
Christoph's enjoyment of technology started early. When he was 10, his parents gave him a computer that he used as a gaming console, well before PlayStations or Nintendos were in every home. By the 1990s, he was logging on to AOL chat rooms and connecting with people worldwide. As the internet evolved, so did his interest in business and technology. Studying business information systems at university felt like the natural next step.
Transformative teaching for tomorrow
Today, Christoph teaches undergraduate and postgraduate students how digital tools are changing the way we live and work. His goal goes beyond technical knowledge. He wants students to build the human skills that machines cannot match, like creativity, communication and collaboration. In his words, many future tech jobs don't even exist yet!
Learning by doing
One of Christoph’s most impactful teaching projects is the Digital Transformation Hackathon, a 5-week challenge where students design tech solutions for real issues. Past teams have worked on ideas to address climate change and the housing crisis using cloud-based technologies. By the end, they’ve built working prototypes and business models and the winning teams get to pitch their ideas to tech giant Oracle at its Brisbane headquarters. This is just one example of how UQ connects students with industry, providing opportunities to meet and work with professionals in the field.
Award-winning learning
Throughout the Hackathon, Christoph pushes students to experiment and improve and reminds them that success rarely comes on the first try. Learning to grow and persist prepares students for a fast-paced career in tech.
This focus on innovative learning earned the Digital Transformation Hackathon a finalist position in the 2024 Engagement Australia Excellence Awards Outstanding Engagement for Student Learning category.
Preparing students for a global workforce
Christoph is part of a highly international academic community at UQ, working alongside colleagues from more than 100 countries. He sees this diversity as a major strength, preparing students to work across borders and industries. Whether they are entering startups, consulting firms or global tech companies, Christoph’s students leave UQ with the confidence, skills and experience to shape the digital future.
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