Internationalisation Strategy
1. Introduction and Context
The FH bfi Vienna is part of the European Higher Education Area, with the Bologna
Process being the framework of the current internationalisation strategy. In
accordance with the education policy aims of the EU, we have designed an
internationalisation strategy, which updates and develops the previous strategy in
view of the FH mission statement and the FH’s strategic concept.
2. Strategic Aims
Internationalisation is an overarching theme at the FH, anchored in and linking many
fields – teaching and research, administration, personnel development, quality
management, and communication and infrastructure.
We see our students’ development into competent experts and leaders as our
mission. To prepare our students as well as possible to acting internationally, we
cater to the needs of our part-time and full-time students alike. Both full-time and
part-time students have the opportunity to gather international experience. Curricula
which integrate internationalisation as a cross-sectoral issue additionally guarantee
education at an international level.
3. Operational Aims
3.1
Internationalisation of Bachelor Degree Programmes

It is a central concern of the FH bfi Vienna to provide full-time and part-time
students with international experience. In order to facilitate this, every bachelor
programme has an international semester, aiming at combining windows of mobility
opportunities with increasing Internationalisation at Home (IaH) activities. Virtual
mobility, the increased presence of guest lecturers, short-time mobility options and
internationalised curricula are thus encouraged.

The regional Black Sea Focus of the FH bfi Vienna will be enforced as a
cross-disciplinary theme in all teaching curricula. The Black Sea Region Module,
starting in winter term 2013, and Competence Team Black Sea Region, consisting of
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3 people1, will be active in teaching and research, and will make its expertise of the
Black Sea Region available through guest lectures and regular courses. All this will
guarantee that students can acquire know-how regarding the Black Sea region.
3.2
Internationalisation of Master Programmes

As an option for master programme students, double degree agreements are
being promoted. Harmonised curricula with clearly defined mobility paths as well as
international master theses warrant a qualitative boost of master degree
programmes. The opportunity to obtain two diplomas with no or hardly a delay in
students‘ studies enhances the master programmes‘ appeal even further.

Enlarging the master degree programmes offered in English also improves the
internalisation of these programmes. In addition, there is an internationalisation offer
for all those students who cannot go abroad for a longer period of time due to their
work here: the International Week with various teaching subjects and international
guest lecturers has been developed and will be implemented by 2014/15.
3.3
Increasing Student, Lecturer and Staff Mobility

In keeping with the mobility strategy of the European Higher Education Area,2
the FH will gear its internationalisation attempts towards increased mobility of
students, teachers, and staff. As for student mobility, the diverse needs of full-time
and part-time students need to be considered. Mobility should be enhanced through
long-term options (1 or 2 exchange semesters) and short-times ones. Moreover,
mobility through internships abroad should also be considered and promoted.

Teachers and staff are key agents in implementing these internationalisation
activities. A commitment to internalisation must be accompanied and strengthened by
increased teacher and staff mobility. Co-operations, building networks, individual
further training, and learning in an international context are a major concern of the
FH.
3.4
Partnerships and Networks

The FH bfi Vienna can boast a large and global network of partner universities.
In the next few years, the FH will focus on consolidating the existing networks and
co-operations. This aim is to be reached through increased staff and teacher mobility,
systematic evaluation of partnerships, co-operation in projects, and regular
participation in university conferences (e.g., EAIE, NAFSA).
1
With financial support by the Sponsorship Programme by the City of Vienna (Wiener Fachhochschulförderung
(Call 12: Endowed Chairs and Competence Teams in Teaching and Research), a competence team will be
promoted for up to 3 years.
2
Mobility for Better Learning. Mobility strategy 2020 for the European Higher Education Area. Working paper
of the BFUG Working Group Mobility, August 2011
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
The qualitative development is well-targeted at special regions and countries.
Besides the partnerships in the Black Sea Region, we continue to strive for a globally
attractive network. Consolidation and extension of the contacts to (non-) European
universities (especially anglophone, Spanish- speaking, and Russian-speaking
countries) is what we aim for.
3.5
International Projects

The FH bfi Vienna views itself as a project-oriented enterprise whose
international projects are supposed to increase the international reputation of the FH.
A further increase in international projects should guarantee the consolidation of cooperations with Black Sea Region partners, a stronger position in view of the
European dimension of the FH, and the promotion of excellence in the master degree
programmes.

Further clusters in future project submissions will be internationalisation in
study-and-work degrees, increased IaH activities, and the promotion of joint and
double degree programmes.
3.6
Research

The FH bfi Vienna sees research (apart from the regional focus) as an
international activity. Successful applied research implies knowledge of and
integration into international research processes. Enhanced internationalisation is to
be realised through intensified participation in international research co-operations in
the FH research focus fields, and though enhanced international mobility in research.

On top of a general European and global perspective in research processes,
research should be made even more international through the Black Sea Region
Research Competence Team. In close co-operation and harmonisation with the
degree programmes, application-oriented research projects related to the Black Sea
Region (e.g. business-field-specific investment and business location analyses) will
be carried out.
3.7
Gender Mainstreaming and Diversity

The FH is committed to considering the special needs and conditions of parttime working students, which is reflected in the efforts at internationalization at the
FH. Increased short-time mobility options and IaH activities are to guarantee that
part-time students can also acquire international experience during their studies, and
thus acquire the required competencies.

International students (Incoming students and regular students with an
international background) decisively contribute to a high degree of
internationalisation of a university. The increasing diversity at the FH bfi Vienna is
seen and used as a potential, which is why teachers and staff are prepared through
further education measures to tackle diversity and proactively act against inequality.
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