Instructors From Across the Globe Enrich Academic Programs at the University of Applied Sciences Kufstein Tirol

With more than 215 partner universities across the globe, the University of Applied Sciences Kufstein Tirol is one among the universities in Austria with the widest international networks. However, this impressive range of global partnerships is not the only indicator of the institution’s international outlook. In addition, the university also prides itself on the way multiculturalism is actively lived on its campus. Thanks to a diverse learning environment, students have the opportunity to gain valuable intercultural skills, making them sought-after experts who help boost Tyrol’s local economy. Instructors from abroad enrich curricula with their specialist knowledge and form an important building block of students’ intercultural experience. The large number of international adjunct faculty who return every year also goes to show that it is not merely the students who appreciate this regular academic exchange, but also instructors themselves.

A global outlook rooted in local values and commitments

“Internationality is strategically integrated into everyday processes at our university of applied sciences and is actively lived,” says CEO Managing Director Prof. (FH) Dr. Thomas Madritsch. “For us, the global orientation and regional roots of the university are not opposites, but complementary aspects of our mission. Our visiting faculty, some of whom we have welcomed to Kufstein time and again, not only come from many different countries but also expand the range of courses on offer. They stimulate academic exchange and impart specialist expertise to our students. In this way, we not only promote diversity at our university but also provide students with unique insights into a wide range of scientific methods and their practical applications, as well as a variety of didactic approaches.”

The international adjunct faculty who enrich the degree programs at FH Kufstein with their valuable expertise and experience come from many different countries, among them:

• Canada
• Italy
• Greece
• Ghana
• Finland
• Switzerland
• Australia
• Germany
• U.S.A.

Visiting faculty value personal and supportive environment and high academic standards

For visiting faculty, their time at the University of Applied Sciences Kufstein Tirol is a welcome opportunity for international knowledge exchange. In particular, they appreciate the academic rigor of the curricula in combination with the practical training provided in the university’s own laboratories as well as jointly with local companies, not to mention the personal and supportive academic environment. The exceptional enthusiasm and commitment of students in Kufstein does not go unnoticed by them, either. This is all topped off for many by Tyrol’s stunning natural beauty. “I’ve repeatedly taught at the University of Applied Sciences Kufstein Tirol over the past five years and have tried many things that would be impossible in Amsterdam,” says Anne Marleen Olthof from the Netherlands. “For instance, I can work with state-of-the-art mixed reality programs in the Web Lab and can create and run them myself. I’m also enamored with Austria’s countryside. Going for a walk in the woods after class or swimming in Lake Hechtsee to me is the very definition of a high quality of life.”

Beyond teaching and research, a stay in Kufstein also gives visiting faculty insights into the working methods of regional companies and provides an overview of the innovative, cosmopolitan, and future-oriented economy of Tyrol. Prof. Dr. Louise Bielzer from Reinhold Würth University in Heilbronn, Germany, says: “Particularly in the master’s seminars with diverse groups of international students, collaborating on case studies from different regions of the world is always an inspiring experience.”

A focus on partnerships across the globe

To ensure international standards, further mobility, and continuously update their expertise, the staff of the International Relations Office (IRO) at the University of Applied Sciences Kufstein Tirol regularly take part in education fairs across the globe. This gives them the opportunity to meet partner universities from all over the world in person and to establish new contacts and partnerships. Additionally, the university promotes the mobility of its faculty and staff within the context of the Erasmus+ program. “The aim of our internationalization strategy is to promote the international mobility of our faculty and staff, particularly within the framework of Erasmus+. This gives them the opportunity to gain professional experience abroad, something which very much aligns with the strategic goals of university leadership,” says Mag. Manuela Osterauer, Head of the IRO.