| Recruitment and Training of German Companies in Japan | German Institute for Japanese Studies (DIJ) | Germany, Japan | Since 2025 | |
| Sustainable Financial Education for Industrial-technical Apprenticeships (NaFi-Get-Aus) | Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) | Germany | 2025-2028 | |
| On the Road to a Local 'Skills Ecosystem'? Green Skills in Cologne (SkillsEco) | RheinEnergieStiftung Jugend/Beruf, Wissenschaft | Germany | 2024-2026 | |
| Recruitment Practices in Times of Demographic Change: The Case of Japan | University of Cologne (International Office) | Germany, Japan | 2024-2025 | Hennings, M., Pilz, M., & Bebenroth, R. (2025). Recruitment practices in times of demographic change: The case of Japan. International Journal of Training and Development, 29, 309–317. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijtd.12361 |
| Teaching Case Studies Online: How to Design and Teach Case Studies in Vocational School (TeC@ses) | European Union (EU) | Germany, Belgium, Finland, Czechia | 2023-2026 | Pilz, M. & Klein, P. (2024). Erasmus+-Projekt “TeC@ses” zur Stärkung berufsbildender Lehrkräfte im digitalen Zeitalter. Bildung und Beruf, 6, 23-24. https://kiosk.bvlb.de/ausgaben?publication=48f5c1de-e92a-435a-9e8b-b5d5a6262077&contentId=d4de0a00-875b-4471-8b0f-0868e07f2596 |
| The Transition from University to Employment in Japan in Times of Demographic Change | Partially funded by German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) | Germany, Japan | Ongoing since 2023 | |
| Green Skills in Vocational Education and Training in India | Partially funded by INGENIoS (DAAD) | India | 2023-2026 | Albertz, A. & Pilz, M. (2025). Green skills at Industrial Training Institutes in India: An exploratory study of VET teachers’ subjective theories,
International Journal of Educational Development, 118. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijedudev.2025.103406 Albertz, A., & Pilz, M. (2025). Green alignment, green vocational education and training, green skills and related subjects: A literature review on actors, contents and regional contexts. International Journal of Training and Development, 29(2), 243–254. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijtd.12359 |
| Recruiting and Training Activities of Indian and German Companies in India | | India | 2024 | |
| Recruiting of Indian Nurses for the German Labour Market: The Triple Win Programme in Kerala | Partially funded by German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ) | India | 2024 | Winzen, J., Albertz, A. & Pilz, M. (2025). Training of Nurses in India and Germany: A Curricular Comparison in the Context of Health Promotion. TVET@Asia, 25. https://tvet-online.asia/startseite/training-of-nurses-in-india-and-germany-a-curricular-comparison-in-the-context-of-health-promotion/ |
| Recognition of Good VET Practices for Refugees (RecoVET) | European Union (EU) | Germany, Italy, Austria, Spain | 2022-2024 | Schlüter, E. & Li, J. (2024). Qualitätsindikatoren für die Evaluation von beruflichen Integrationsprogrammen für Geflüchtete am Beispiel von ‚RecoVET‘ – Recognition of good VET practice for the refugees. Zeitschrift für Evaluation, 2024(2), 273–280. https://doi.org/10.31244/zfe.2024.02.07 Schlüter, E., Li, J., & Hautz, H. (2025). RecoVET – Berufliche Bildung für Menschen mit Fluchterfahrung. In M. Lang (Ed.), Bildung und Beruf (April 2025 Ausgabe, pp. 14–16). |
| Multinational Companies and Local Knowledge Base | German research committee (DFG) | USA, UK, France, Japan, China, Germany | 2019-2023 | Publikationen finden Sie hier |
| Quality Analysis in Indian Vocational Education and Training Institutions, with a Focus on Industrial Training Institutes and Polytechnic Colleges (Qualindia) | Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) | India | 2019-2023 | Regel, J., Schulte, J., Ramasamy, M., & Pilz, M. (2024). Quality development of vocational education and training in India: Supporting and restraining factors. In M. Gessler et al. (Eds.), Expanding horizons. Research on the Internationalization of Vocational Education and Training (pp. 93–118). Springer VS. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-658-43742-8_5
Pilz, M., & Regel, J. (2023). Qualitätsmanagement in indischen Berufsschulen: Perspektiven für ein bedarfsgerechtes Evaluationskonzept. Tertium Comparationis. Journal für International und Interkulturell Vergleichende Erziehungswissenschaft, 29(2), 217–244.
Regel, J., Ramasamy, M., & Pilz, M. (2022). Ownership in international vocational education and training transfer: The example of quality development in India. International Journal of Training and Development, 26(4), 664–685. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijtd.12290
Ramasamy, M., Regel, J., Sharma, H., Rajagopalan, A., & Pilz, M. (2021). Measuring quality in Indian VET institutions: Development steps towards a framework adapted to the national context. International Journal for Research in Vocational Education and Training, 8(4), 44–66. https://doi.org/10.13152/IJRVET.8.4.3 Regel, J., Ramasamy, M., & Pilz, M. (2021). Entwicklung eines kulturell adaptierten Ansatzes zur Evaluation von Berufsbildungsinstitutionen in Indien. Kölner Zeitschrift für Wirtschaft und Pädagogik, 35(69), 85–112.
Pilz, M., & Regel, J. (2021). Vocational education and training in India: Prospects and challenges from an outside perspective. Margin: The Journal of Applied Economic Research, 15(1), 101–121. https://doi.org/10.1177/097380102097661
Pilz, M., Regel, J., & Ramasamy, M. (2020). Forschungspartnerschaften in der internationalen Berufsbildungsforschung: Das Beispiel Qualitätsmessung im indischen Berufsbildungssektor. In Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt (Hrsg.), Berufsbildung International: Rolle der Forschung in internationalen Berufsbildungsprojekten (pp. 69–71).
Regel, I. J., & Pilz, M. (2019). Informal learning and skill formation within the Indian informal tailoring sector. International Journal of Training Research, 17(2), 140-156. https://doi.org/10.1080/14480220.2019.1624350 |
| Competence Development in VET. A Comparative Analysis of Intended and Implemented Curricula in the Field of Business Administration (CodeVET) | Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) | Germany, China, Russia | 2019-2022 | Publikationen finden Sie hier |
| Integrating Basic Economic Understanding into Non-Economic Courses of Study. An Example of Case-Based University Education for Prospective Biologists (BioFit) | Stifterverband | Germany | 2018-2021 | Pilz, M., Hofmeister, C., Faßbender, U., & Papenbrock, J. (2020). Entrepreneurship Education für Studierende der Biologie: Didaktisches Design und Befunde. die hochschullehre, 6, 263–278. https://doi.org/10.3278/HSL2015W |
| Locally Rooted – Worldwide Linked up: Mexico – Success Conditions for Transfer of Vocational Education and Training and Dual Practices (DualReg) | Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) | Mexico | 2019-2023 | Publikationen finden Sie hier |
| Innovative Online Learning Environments: Using Business Case Studies in Higher Education (e³-Cases) | European Union (EU) | Germany, Belgium, Poland, Czech Republic | 2018-2021 | Vítečková, K., Cramer, T., Pilz, M., Tögel, J., Albers, S., van den Oord, S., & Rachwał, T. (2025). Case studies in business education: An investigation of a learner-friendly approach. Journal of International Education in Business, 18(2), 149–176. https://doi.org/10.1108/JIEB-03-2024-0031 Pilz, M., Tögel, J., Albers, S., van den Oord, S., Cramer, T., & Vítečková, K. (2024). Teaching with business cases in higher education: Expectations and practical implementation by lecturers of management. The International Journal of Management Education, 22(3). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijme.2024.101068 |
| Demand Driven Approaches in VET in India | Partially funded by Centre for Modern Indian Studies (CeMIS) | India | 2018-2020 | Ramasamy, M., & Pilz, M. (2020). Vocational training for rural populations: A demand-driven approach and its implications in India. International Journal for Research in Vocational Education and Training, 7(3), 256–277. https://doi.org/10.13152/IJRVET.7.3.1 Schneider, S., & Pilz, M. (2018). Demand-driven – Ansätze als Schlüssel zum nachhaltigen Kompetenzerwerb: Erfahrungen aus Meghalaya/Indien. Berufs- und Wirtschaftspädagogik online, Profil 4, 1–21. |
| Indicators of Good VET Practice for Refugees (GoodVET) | European Union (EU) | Italy, Denmark, Austria, Germany | 2017-2019 | Li, J., Posch, K., & Pilz, M. (2021). Integration von Geflüchteten durch Berufsbildung: Qualität als „Missing Link“. Bildung und Beruf, 4(5), 172–184. |
| Tasks in Business Academic Teaching (AufbaU) | Partially funded by Faculty of Economics and Social Sciences, University of Cologne | Germany | 2017-2018 | Li, J., Pilz, M., & Gronowski, C. (2021). Lernaufgaben in der Hochschuldidaktik: Eine Untersuchung zum Einsatz von Lernaufgaben. Bildung und Erziehung, 74(1), 31–50. Pilz, M., Li, J. & Gronowski, C. (2019). Leitfaden zur Erstellung von Lernaufgaben. [Materialien zum Projekt]. |
| Apprenticeship in the Aerospace Industry in the UK and Germany | German Research Foundation (DFG) | Germany, England | 2017-2018 | Li, J., Lahiff, A., Unwin, L., & Pilz, M. (2020). Comparative methods in practice: Using an iterative approach to explore aviation apprenticeships in England and Germany. In M. Pilz & J. Li (Eds.), Comparative vocational education research: Enduring challenges and new ways forward (pp. 243–257). Springer VS. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-658-29924-8_14 Lahiff, A., Li, J., Zenner-Höffkes, L., Unwin, L., & Pilz, M. (2019). Industrial standardisation as a driver for cross-national convergence in training processes: Aviation apprenticeships in England and Germany. European Journal of Training and Development, 43(7/8), 752–766. https://doi.org/10.1108/EJTD-11-2018-0112 |
| Recruitment and Training Cultures in SMEs in Australia, Germany and the United States | Partially funded by Faculty of Economics and Social Sciences, University of Cologne | Australia, Germany, USA | 2016-2023 | Zenner-Höffkes, L., Harris, R., Zirkle, C., & Pilz, M. (2021). A comparative study of the expectations of SME employers recruiting young people in Germany, Australia and the United States. International Journal of Training and Development, 25(2), 124–143. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijtd.12214 Pilz, M., Harris, R., Zenner-Höffkes, L., & Zirkle, C. (2020). Undertaking comparative VET research in international teams: The example of exploring recruitment and training cultures in SMEs in Germany, Australia and the United States. In M. Pilz & J. Li (Eds.), Comparative vocational education research: Enduring challenges and new ways forward (pp. 291–309). Springer VS. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-658-29924-8_17 Pilz, M., & Sakano, S. (2023). Recruitment and training in Japanese SMEs: A case study concerning lifelong learning in the manufacturing industry at the Tokyo Metropolitan Area. In W. O. Lee, P. Brown, A. L. Goodwin, & A. Green (Eds.), International handbook on education development in the Asia-Pacific (pp. 903–919). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-6887-7_40 |
| Global Strategies and Local Forms of Vocational Education and Training in German Multinational Companies | German Research Foundation (DFG) | China, India, Mexico | 2015-2018 | Wiemann, K., & Pilz, M. (2019). Welche Faktoren beeinflussen die Übertragung dualer Ausbildungsansätze ins Ausland? Eine Analyse aus der Perspektive deutscher Produktionsunternehmen in China, Indien und Mexiko. Zeitschrift für Berufs- und Wirtschaftspädagogik, 115(3), 420–446. Wiemann, J., Wiemann, K., Pilz, M., & Fuchs, M. (2019). Duale Ausbildung im Ausland: Ein „Heimspiel“? Zur Qualifizierung von Produktionsbeschäftigten in deutschen Unternehmen in China, Indien und Mexiko. In M. Gessler, M. Fuchs, & M. Pilz (Hrsg.), Konzepte und Wirkungen des Transfers dualer Berufsausbildung (pp. 359–392). Pilz, M., & Wiemann, K. (2017). „You train them, you teach them and then they leave you!“ – Ein Vergleich der betrieblichen Bildungsaktivitäten deutscher und indischer Unternehmen in Indien. bwp@ Berufs- und Wirtschaftspädagogik – online, 32, 1–21. http://www.bwpat.de/ausgabe32/pilz_wiemann_bwpat32.pdf Wiemann, K., & Pilz, M. (2017). Berufliche Ausbildung durch mexikanische und deutsche Unternehmen in Mexiko – ein Home-International-Vergleich. Tertium Comparationis – Journal für International und Interkulturell Vergleichende Erziehungswissenschaft, 23(2), 217–245. Pilz, M., Fuchs, M., Wiemann, K., & Wiemann, J. (2016). Ausbildungsaktivitäten deutscher Unternehmen im Ausland: The same procedure as everywhere? berufsbildung - Zeitschrift für Praxis und Theorie in Betrieb und Schule, 70(161), 44–46. |
| Retail Sector Competencies for all Teachers (ReCall) | European Union (EU) | Germany, Italy, Poland | 2015-2017 | Publikationen finden sie hier |
Informal Learning in Vocational Education and Training in India | Partially funded by Centre for Modern Indian Studies (CeMIS) | India | 2014-2024 | Pilz, M., & Wiemann, K. (2021). Does dual training make the world go round? Training models in German companies in China, India and Mexico. Vocations and Learning, 14, 95–114. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12186-020-09255-z Vogelsang, B., & Pilz, M. (2021). Conditional factors for training activities in Chinese, Indian and Mexican subsidiaries of German companies. European Journal of Training and Development, 45(4/5), 419–435. https://doi.org/10.1108/EJTD-04-2020-0066 Pilz, M. (2016). Training patterns of German companies in India, China, Japan and the USA: What really works? International Journal for Research in Vocational Education and Training, 3(2), 66–87. https://doi.org/10.13152/IJRVET.3.2.1 Pilz, M. (2016). Training like at home or like the domestic competitors? A study of German and Indian companies in India. In Emerging trends in technical and vocational education and training (TVET) (pp. 2–14). Pilz, M., & Li, J. (2014). Tracing Teutonic footprints in VET around the world? The skills development strategies of German companies in the USA, China and India. European Journal of Training and Development, 38(8), 745–763. https://doi.org/10.1108/ejtd-10-2013-0110 |
| Training Strategies in German Companies in India | Partially funded by DFG, INGENIoS (DAAD) | Germany, India | 2014 Ongoing | Pilz, M. (2024). To what extend is informal learning contextualised? A study of five different occupations in India. In M. Pilz (Ed.), Informal learning in vocational education and training. Internationale Berufsbildungsforschung. Springer VS. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-658-44341-2_11 von der Bank, F., Pilz, M., & Venkatram, R. (2024). Farming is charming: Informal learning of farmers in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India. International Review of Education, 70, 497–518. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11159-023-10049-3 Koops, B., & Pilz, M. (2019). Skills development in the informal economy: A case study from South India. Indian Journal of Industrial Relations, 54(4), 580–600. https://www.jstor.org/stable/27124679 Regel, I. J., & Pilz, M. (2019). Informal learning and skill formation within the Indian informal tailoring sector. International Journal of Training Research, 17(2), 140–156. https://doi.org/10.1080/14480220.2019.1624350 Pilz, M., Uma, G., & Venkatram, R. (2015). Skills development in the informal sector in India: The case of street food vendors. International Review of Education, 61, 191–209. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11159-015-9485-x |
| Work Readiness of School Leavers in Germany and England | | Germany, England | 2014-2018 | |
| Training Strategies of German Companies | | Japan, China, India, USA | 2014-2018 | Pilz, M. (2016). Training patterns of German companies in India, China, Japan and the USA: What really works? International Journal for Research in Vocational Education and Training, 3(2), 66–87. https://doi.org/10.13152/IJRVET.3.2.1 van der Burgt, J., Li, J., Wilbertz, C., & Pilz, M. (2014). Qualifizierungsstrategien deutscher Unternehmen in Japan, Indien und China – Deutsche Vorbilder oder einheimische Verfahrensweisen? Zeitschrift für Erziehungswissenschaft, 14(1), 135–158. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11618-014-0480-y |
| Policy-Transfer of German Vocational Education and Training Evaluation Concepts to China | | Germany, China | 2013-2017 | Li, J. (2017). Policy-Transfer von deutschen Evaluationskonzepten der Berufsbildung nach China. Eine Analyse am Beispiel des Peer-Review-Verfahrens. Springer VS. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-658-18502-2 |
| Pre-vocational in India, China, USA and Germany | | India, China, USA, Germany | 2011-2017 | Pilz, M., Krisanthan, B., Michalik, B., Zenner, L., & Li, J. (2016). Learning for life and/or work: The status quo of pre-vocational education in India, China, Germany and the USA. Research in Comparative and International Education, 11(2), 117–134. https://doi.org/10.1177/1745499916637173 |
| Retail Sector Competencies (ReSoCo) | European Union (EU) | Germany, Italy, Poland | 2011-2013 | Publikationen finden Sie hier |
| Attractiveness of VET | Partially funded by Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS), Centre for Modern Indian Studies (CeMIS), and Economic & Social Research Council (ESRC) | Germany, India, China, Japan, Mexico | 2010-2025 | Pilz, M. (2025). Status, image, standing and so on: A conceptual framework to systematise attractiveness of vocational education and training. Education and Training. https://doi.org/10.1108/ET-01-2024-0038 Pilz, M., & Vogelsang, B. (2025). Co-operation between actors in dual training programmes: Conditions for success in the Mexican tourism sector. International Journal for Research in Vocational Education and Training, 12(3), 383–410. https://doi.org/10.13152/IJRVET.12.3.4 Hao, T., & Pilz, M. (2021). Attractiveness of VET in China: A study on secondary vocational students and their parents. Journal of Education and Work, 34(4), 472–487. https://doi.org/10.1080/13639080.2021.1946492 Pilz, M., & Ramasamy, M. (2022). Attractiveness of vocational education and training in India: Perspectives of different actors with a special focus on employers. In S. Billett, B. E. Stalder, V. Aarkrog, S. Choy, S. Hodge, & A. H. Le (Eds.), The standing of vocational education and the occupations it serves (Vol. 32). Springer VS. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-96237-1_9 Ajithkumar, U., & Pilz, M. (2019). Attractiveness of Industrial Training Institutes (ITI) in India: A study on ITI students and their parents. Education + Training, 61(2), 153–168. https://doi.org/10.1108/ET-04-2018-0102 Jambo, S., & Pilz, M. (2018). Perceptions of teachers in Industrial Training Institutes: An exploratory study of the attractiveness of vocational education in India. International Journal of Training Research, 16(1), 4–18. https://doi.org/10.1080/14480220.2017.1403945 Schneider, S. (2023). The attractiveness of polytechnics in Delhi and Mumbai: a study on the perception from the perspective of students and parents. International Journal of Training Research. https://doi.org/10.1080/14480220.2023.2213896 Schneider, S., & Pilz, M. (2019). The function and institutional embeddedness of polytechnics in the Indian education system. International Journal for Research in Vocational Education and Training, 6(3), 284–308. https://doi.org/10.13152/IJRVET.6.3.5 |
| A New Passage to India: Center for Modern Indian Studies | German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) | Germany, India | 2010-2017 | Zenner, L., Kumar, K., & Pilz, M. (2017). Entrepreneurship education at Indian Industrial Training Institutes: A case study of the prescribed, adopted and enacted curriculum in and around Bangalore. International Journal for Research in Vocational Education and Training, 4(1), 69–94. Tara, N., Kumar, S., & Pilz, M. (2016). Quality of VET in India: The case of industrial institutes. TVET@Asia, 7. https://tvet-online.asia/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/tara_etal_tvet7.pdf |
| Fit for Business: Developing Business Competencies in School (FiFoBi) | European Union (EU) | Germany, Latvia, Austria, Poland, Portugal, Scotland, Hungary | 2009-2011 | Pilz, M., Berger, S., & Canning, R. (Eds.). (2012). Fit for business. Pre-vocational education in European schools. Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-531-19028-0 Berger, S., & Pilz, M. (2010). Fit for business – Developing business competencies in school (FIFOBI): Vorstellung eines europäischen Vergleichsprojekts zur Optimierung der ökonomischen Bildung und Förderung des Unternehmertums an allgemein bildenden Schulen. Wirtschaft und Erziehung, 62(3), 70–72. |
| Promoting Self- and Social Competence in Secondary School Education to Further Develop Training Readiness (Sesoko-fit) | Research Association of the University of Education Baden-Württemberg | Germany | 2007-2010 | Pilz, M., Marsal, E., & Frey, U. (2010). Förderung von Selbst- und Sozialkompetenz im Hauptschulunterricht zur Weiterentwicklung der Ausbildungsreife (SeSoko-fit) [Abschlussbericht und Materialien zum Forschungsprojekt]. Freiburg i.Bg. Marsal, E., Frey, U., & Pilz, M. (2009). Problemfeld Ausbildungsreife: Förderung von Selbst- und Sozialkompetenz bei Hauptschülern. berufsbildung - Zeitschrift für Praxis und Theorie in Betrieb und Schule, 63(115), 31–33. Dobashi, T., Marsal, E., Pilz, M., & Frey, U. (2008). Lernen für das künftige Berufsleben (I): Die Vermittlung von Selbst- und Sozialkompetenz in der Schule. Bulletin of the Graduate School of Education, Hiroshima University, 57(1), 1–6. Frey, U., Pilz, M., Dobashi, T., & Marsal, E. (2008). Stolperstein Ausbildungsreife: Mangelnde Selbst- und Sozialkompetenz bei Schülern? In BerufsbildungsInfo, IHK Karlsruhe (Hrsg.), 03(08), 5–6. |