Schools aren’t a federal matter in Germany. State ministries are responsible for personnel and syllabus questions. And the ‘dual system’ approach, which combines practical experience with classroom learning, is also a unique aspect of education here.

There will be a shortfall of 24,000 teachers in Germany's state schools by 2025. So now it's been made much easier for people who didn't train as teachers to qualify and change careers. But this retraining scheme is trickier than it sounds.

Hans Anand Pant is the head of the German School Academy and a leading expert on education research. He'd like to see a transformation of the school system, but says it has to come from the schools themselves.

The Elisabeth Selbert vocational school is Germany's 2017 School of the Year. Around 2,000 students from 34 countries attend the Elisabeth-Selbert-Schule in Hameln. Why was this vocational school awarded?

Why do so few women pursue careers in engineering? Cristina Cubas asks Juliane Siegeris, professor of computing and economics at the University of Applied Sciences in Berlin.

After several years abroad, Khulan Davaadorj returned home to Ulaanbaatar and founded an organic cosmetics company. What hurdles did she have to clear to get her start-up off the ground?

Business is about taking risks; success is never guaranteed. Although the majority of start-ups never get off the ground, speaking about failure remains a taboo. Now some entrepreneurs are breaking their silence with the aim of encouraging others.

Managers face difficult decisions every day. Stephan Kalhamer thinks poker could help. The former poker champion teaches top movers and shakers how to manage risk and assess negotiating partners.

In Germany, there is little appetite for risk-taking. But there’s no such thing as zero risk. Risk analyst Gerd Gigerenzer says it’s all about managing it. Germans, in particular, may have a lot to learn.

There are far too few women founding companies in Germany. Sophie Chung is a young doctor who founded Qunomedical in Berlin - an online platform that connects foreign patients to hospitals. She spoke to us about the hurdles and prejudices.