Kufstein University at EAIE Education Conference in Rotterdam

The EAIE is a non-profit organization dedicated to the promotion and development of international higher education in Europe and beyond. To facilitate networking and exchange of ideas between professionals in the field of education, the organization hosts an annual conference and exhibition. The University of Applied Sciences Kufstein Tirol regularly participates in this forum to underline its commitment to promoting and strengthening the global education community.

Establishing new partnerships, networking, and contract renewals

The aim of the University of Applied Sciences Kufstein was to establish new partnerships with universities and to intensify existing cooperations, something best done by meeting people in person with whom one would otherwise only correspond in writing. In this context, a contract extension agreement was signed with the Peruvian Universidad San Ignacio de Loyola (USIL). “We are delighted that we can continue this cooperation. The partnership between our universities has existed since May 2018 and is special because USIL was the 200th partner university that we signed a bilateral student exchange agreement with. It is very important to us to continue this successful partnership,” says Manuela Osterauer, Head of the International Relations Office (IRO) at the University of Applied Sciences Kufstein Tirol, who represented the University of Applied Sciences Kufstein in Rotterdam together with her colleague Kadri Hoffmann, International Exchange Coordinator.

Austrian-Czech Reception hosted at Euromast Rotterdam

More than 6,700 delegates from over 100 countries participated in the diverse program of the Rotterdam education conference and exhibition. With over 250 meetings, workshops, presentations, and plenary lectures on current issues and challenges in international education, the institutions were able to network and exchange ideas. A special highlight each year are the evening receptions, which present an additional opportunity for both national and international exchange. This year, the Austrian-Czech Reception was hosted at Euromast Rotterdam, a 185-metre-high observation tower with a restaurant offering visitors a panoramic view of up to 30 kilometers. The Austrian-Czech Reception, organized by the Austrian Agency for Education and Internationalization (OeAD) in cooperation with the Czech National Agency for International Education and Research (DZS), offered delegates the opportunity to network with colleagues from other international relations offices at Austrian and Czech universities. It was the first time the Austrian and Czech receptions were merged, creating an even more fertile platform for dialogue and exchange, enabling a broader perspective on international cooperation in education.

Erasmus+ as a forward-looking program

The conference not only offered opportunities for educational institutions to network and exchange ideas: Numerous lectures, presentations, and working sessions invited delegates to stay up to date and to boost their own knowledge. The representatives of the International Relations Office took this opportunity to find out more about the most recent developments in the Erasmus+ program and the funding landscape in higher education.  A session on digitization in the Erasmus+ program zoomed in on developments in the Erasmus Without Paper initiative. The presentation Erasmus+, SEMP, Taith and Turing: Mobility at the Intersection of Four Currents gave an overview of various funding schemes in the field of higher education and student mobility in the EU, Switzerland, and the UK, as well as an outlook on future developments.

Link:

• International Relations Office at the University of Applied Sciences Kufstein Tirol