Students research ethical dilemmas faced by entrepreneurs on Chios

Frankfurt (Oder) / Chios, 19. December 2025

What ethical dilemmas do entrepreneurs have to overcome? Viadrina students were able to find out on the Greek island of Chios at a cosmetics company, a herb exporter and a wedding planner, among others. Together with students from Aegean University, they took part in an ERUA travel seminar entitled "Researching Responsibility: Ethical Dilemmas in Organisational Life". After the research stay on Chios in November 2025, a conference to evaluate the results took place on 9 December as part of the return visit to the Viadrina.

How does a wedding planner deal with the different demands and emotional challenges of her customers? What liberties can the franchisee of a cosmetics chain take? And what does an herbal expert do when she realises that she is offering her products too cheaply? German-Greek groups of students were able to explore these questions with entrepreneurs on Chios. Viadrina economists Prof. Dr Jana Costas and Lilo Meier developed the theoretical background knowledge on ethical dilemmas in organisations in on-site and online sessions with the students. The practical insights were made possible by their Greek colleague Prof Dr Niki Glaveli from Aegean University.

Prof Dr Jana Costas, Prof Dr Niki Glaveli and Lilo Meier (from left) jointly led the seminar at Aegean University and Viadrina

Group photo of all participants with Viadrina President Prof Dr Eduard Mühle

Konstantinos Reftopoulos (right) with his group at herb retailer Myrovolos Organics

Travel enables sustainable learning

The cooperation, which came about thanks to the European Reform University Alliance (ERUA), allowed the students to enjoy a very special learning experience. "It's motivating and a nice incentive to know that university isn't always just about strictly attending lectures," says Hong Anh Nguyen on the sidelines of the project presentations. She is in her fourth semester of a Master's degree in International Business Administration and is enthusiastic about the travel seminar. "It's a completely different approach to learning - we were constantly dealing with the topic while travelling. It's a way of learning that has a long-term impact and stays in your head."

When applying for one of the coveted seminar places, she was particularly interested in the topic; the trip was then a "cool surprise". "I find the whole ethics topic interesting in general. The rethinking of business and entrepreneurship is quite prominent; especially in the Berlin region, you notice that companies are paying attention to sustainability and social justice." However, she views this important development with caution because many things are presented differently to the outside world than they actually are. "I find it interesting to delve deeper into the topic, look behind the scenes and consider the theoretical perspectives," she says, explaining her interest in the subject.

Finding friends made easy

Nazila Khameneki and her group were able to take a look behind the scenes of a very typical economic sector on the island of Chios. She spoke to the President of a trade union for mastia producers - an aromatic resin from the mastic tree that is said to have healing properties. Despite language barriers and little preparation time, she gained interesting insights into a market that was previously completely unknown to her. "It wasn't easy to filter out a dilemma during the interview because the President of the union naturally wanted to present everything in a very positive light," she says. Nevertheless, a tension became clear between the desire to extract the resin traditionally and by hand and yet to produce it efficiently and act economically.

In addition to the opportunity to conduct research abroad, Nazila Khameneki was particularly impressed by the human aspects. "Even though the coronavirus restrictions ended a while ago, it's still not easy for us to socialise with other students," she says of everyday life at the university. A seminar experience like this brings people together and facilitates friendships. "I would advise everyone to attend a travelling seminar. I'm honestly sad that I only found out about this opportunity so late - at the end of my studies."

Unique opportunity to travel to Germany

For Konstantinos Reftopoulos, the trip with his fellow students from Aegean University was his first ever trip abroad. "It was too much of an opportunity to miss," he says. The 23-year-old business administration student enjoys the exchange with Viadrina students from very different cultures, not least because he is convinced: "Being able to work and communicate with people of different nationalities is a very useful skill." He was also inspired by an interview with a young entrepreneur from his home island who exports herbs. "Seeing how much she has built up in such a short time has motivated me," he says.

Like him, his fellow student Donta Panagiota Pouloudi is enthusiastic about her trip to Berlin and the Viadrina. "When our professor told us about the seminar, I immediately thought it was a great idea because I could meet people my age in another country." The best thing for her: the travel period. She had heard a lot about Christmas markets in Germany and so she immersed herself in a typical German industry during her pre-Christmas return visit.