Living internationality on campusAalen University adopts new internationalization strategy and pushes ahead with international flair
Aalen University promotes international exchange. Photo: Aalen University | Jan Walford
Aalen University, together with the university's International Center, is pleased to announce that it has received around one million euros in funding from the German federal government to implement and realize its new internationalization strategy, which was recently approved by the university's Senate.
Internationalization is a cross-sectional task of the university, which is now being supported with funding as part of the new "INTENSE" project. The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) selected the university's project idea alongside 14 other applications nationwide. The Aalen project in the HAW.International program is being funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) with around one million euros for four years and builds on the results of the program's predecessor project, which ended at the turn of the year and was already funded with almost half a million euros.
Within the framework of INTENSE, Aalen University will expand practice-oriented study programs with international cooperation partners and develop new mobility and exchange formats. The funds will be used, among other things, to test virtual exchanges, for an international qualification offering with a seal of approval for students, and to promote global competencies among students and employees, in order to foster the university's educational, research, and innovative strength. To implement the project, the university's International Center has 2.5 staff positions at its disposal, among other things to strengthen the areas of international university marketing and digitization.
Important objective of Aalen University
Professor Dr. Harald Riegel, Rector of Aalen University and former Vice-Rector for Internationalization is the overall leader of the new project and is committed to an international mindset on the university campus. "An international campus characterized by intercultural competencies is an excellent basis for later international cooperation in industry and provides our graduates with another important competitive advantage for the global job market, in addition to the future-oriented qualifications from their studies," says Riegel. The new internationalization strategy will also serve Aalen University, which stands for diversity, cultural variety, tolerance, respect and responsibility, to underline its positioning as an international university.