The masterclass "Change the Real Estate Industry" developed by the non-profit Greyfield Foundation and the University of St. Gallen (HSG) will be further developed into the official Certificate of Advanced Studies (CAS). After the premiere in 2025, the masterclass will take place for the second time in October 2026. The first year of the new CAS programme will then start in autumn 2027.
This takes the joint commitment of the Greyfield Foundation and the University of St. Gallen to the transformation of the construction and real estate industry to the next level. What initially began as a compact continuing education format for managers is being expanded into a comprehensive part-time university programme.
"For us, the further development into the CAS is a great success and at the same time a confirmation of our approach. When we launched the masterclass together with the University of St. Gallen, our aim was to enable managers not only to understand transformation, but to actually implement it in their companies. The fact that this is now being created as a permanent university program shows how great the need is in the industry," says Sarah Dungs, board member of the non-profit Greyfield Foundation.
Transformation needs new leadership skills
The starting point of the programme is the far-reaching changes that the construction and real estate industry is facing. Decarbonisation, digitalisation and artificial intelligence, new value creation models, regulatory requirements and volatile markets are not only changing business models. They are also placing new demands on leadership.
The focus of the future CAS is therefore on one question: How can managers get orientation and make sustainable decisions when framework conditions are becoming more complex and clear answers are lacking?
The programme does not rely solely on knowledge transfer. It combines scientific findings from the University of St. Gallen with real challenges from business practice, personal leadership development, peer coaching and exchange with personalities from business, science, technology and other industries.
"Transformation is not decided solely by technologies or new business models. It is primarily decided by whether people in responsibility are able to make decisions under uncertainty, to take organisations with them and to implement changes consistently. It is precisely these skills that we want to impart," explains Dr. Christoph Mund, Programme Manager Change & Innovation at the University of St. Gallen.
Three modules and learning journey
The planned CAS program follows a three-stage learning journey. The first module focuses on one's own leadership personality: How can sustainable decisions be made, orientation provided and personal effectiveness increased even under uncertainty? The second module focuses on teams and organizations. Participants deal with the psychology of change, corporate culture, high-performing teams and the question of how strategic transformation can actually be implemented. The third module deals with the future of the construction and real estate industry. Topics such as decarbonization, digitalization, artificial intelligence, new value creation models, scenario planning and innovation are linked to the question of how companies can recognize and actively shape change at an early stage.
The modules are accompanied by a learning journey with peer coaching and individual sparring. Participants can bring in real challenges and transformation projects from their own corporate context and work on them throughout the entire duration of the program. The aim is to directly combine further training with concrete implementation in the company.
Knowledge to flow back into the industry
A special feature of the concept is the development of a protected knowledge system with an AI-based coach. Findings and experiences from the program are to be bundled in it and made usable for participants in concrete questions in everyday management. In this way, a learning community is to be created beyond the individual modules beyond the completion of the studies.
"The construction and real estate industry has long had enormous expertise. The decisive question today is how change comes about. That's why we don't want to create a classic continuing education course in which knowledge is imparted and then tested. The decisive factor is what the participants do differently in their companies afterwards. It is precisely this transfer idea that was already at the core of the Masterclass and is consistently developed further in the CAS programme," says Prof. Dr. Roland Füss, Professor of Real Estate Finance at the University of St. Gallen.
For the Greyfield Foundation, the CAS is also part of a broader commitment to the transformation of the construction and real estate industry. The foundation initiates knowledge transfer, brings together stakeholders and develops formats that are intended to anchor change in the industry beyond individual projects and companies.
Dungs: "Individual projects can show that transformation works. However, an industry only changes when knowledge is shared and people in responsibility have the competence and courage to actually break new ground. With CAS, we are creating a long-term structure for this together with the University of St. Gallen."
Start planned for autumn 2027
The continuing education program "Leading the Real Estate Industry" will start in autumn 2027 and will include three face-to-face modules in St. Gallen and Munich. The program will be conducted in German. In addition to module-related performance certificates, participants will work on a company-related transfer project, which will be presented at the end and reflected on together with lecturers and participants.
In October 2026, the Masterclass "Change the Real Estate Industry" will take place at the University of St. Gallen for the second time. Graduates have the opportunity to have their qualification credited to the next degree programme. It is also the next milestone on the way to the new CAS programme. Further information and application at:
