IMC Hochschule für Angewandte Wissenschaften Krems GmbH

"Around the world in one semester" – when one evening becomes a compass

Incoming students present their home countries, universities, and more – an evening that offers orientation, fosters exchange, and helps future outgoings choose their destination.

Internal screen promotion of the “Around the World” evenings

Objectives

The aim of this format is to support future outgoing students in making informed decisions about their exchange destinations. Since students must choose their host country early in their studies, the eight “Around the World” evenings per semester offer valuable orientation. Incoming students present their home countries, universities, and cultures in an authentic and interactive way. These evenings provide realistic insights, personal connections, and meaningful peer exchange. The format targets not only future outgoings, but also incoming students and IMC staff. It promotes intercultural competence, networking, and mobility decisions, directly supporting the university’s internationalization strategy.

Background

The idea for “Around the World in One Semester” emerged from several practical challenges and strategic considerations. First, despite various efforts, it had proven difficult to create meaningful connections between incoming exchange students and future outgoings. Yet this interaction holds great potential: incoming students offer authentic insights into their home countries and universities, precisely the kind of information future outgoings need when making their exchange decisions. Second, especially during the winter months, international students in a small town like Krems often lack regular, engaging opportunities to meet and socialize. The weekly evening events provide structure, community, and a reason to come together, fostering a sense of belonging and active participation. Third, the format was intentionally designed to include students from German-taught degree programs, who typically have limited contact with international peers. These evenings offer a relaxed and informative setting for intercultural exchange, lowering barriers and encouraging interaction. The concept was developed by the International Welcome Center (International Relations). The university actively supports the initiative through organizational resources and promotional efforts. The events have become a fixed part of the semester calendar and are continuously evolving.

(Implemented) Activities

As soon as the nomination deadline for incoming students closes, both the students and their home university coordinators are informed that hosting one “Around the World” evening and attending at least three additional ATW evenings is mandatory to successfully complete the course Intercultural Competence (3 ECTS), which includes several Welcome Days activities. This early communication gives students enough time to prepare, for example, by creating videos of their hometown or campus, or by bringing typical sweets, university merchandise, or traditional items from their home country. From the outset, it is emphasized that the format is informal and designed by students for students. The Welcome Center assigns students to groups based on their country of origin, home university, and geographic proximity (e.g., “Team Yellow” for Spain, which typically has a large number of students, or “Team Dark Blue” for Western Europe). During the first in-person meeting as part of the Welcome Days (“Meet & Greet”), the group assignments and group spokespersons are announced. These spokespersons serve as the main contact persons for organizational matters. Each group is fully responsible for designing their evening – the format is entirely up to them. As part of the Welcome Days, the Welcome Center hosts an “Around the World – Austria” evening. This serves as inspiration for the incoming groups and demonstrates how such an evening can be structured (e.g., with quizzes, music, traditional clothing, and regional food). These measures directly support all defined goals: future outgoing students gain authentic insights, incoming students experience community and visibility, and German-speaking students and staff benefit from a vibrant intercultural atmosphere.

Results

The “Around the World” evenings have become a permanent and valued part of the semester and are now an integral element of international campus life at IMC Krems. While we were initially pleased with around 20 participants per evening, we now regularly welcome between 50 and 80 attendees each week. For particularly popular destinations, demand is so high that we have had to implement a “first come, first served” policy. The impact on incoming students is especially remarkable: while some express skepticism during the first “Meet & Greet” (“Do I really have to do this?”), by the end of the semester, their feedback is filled with enthusiasm and pride. Students are excited to present their home countries and cultures – they bring homemade food, perform dances, wear traditional clothing, and organize interactive games. One standout example: Mexican Bingo was such a hit that five spontaneous rounds were played because everyone enjoyed it so much. For the Welcome Center team, this format is a prime example of how great impact can be achieved with relatively little effort. We support the process organizationally but do not interfere with the content. Each semester, we are amazed by the creativity and dedication of the students, and it is heartwarming to witness the strong sense of community that develops in such a short time. The added value is multifaceted: incoming students gain visibility and a sense of belonging, future outgoings receive authentic insights into potential destinations, and German-speaking students and staff benefit from a vibrant, lived international atmosphere. In the long term, the format strengthens intercultural competence, internal networking, and strategic mobility, fully aligned with IMC Krems’ internationalization goals.

Lessons learned

New ideas take time, and success rarely comes from day one. This has also been our experience with the “Around the World” evenings. In the beginning, it was difficult to predict how many participants would attend each event, which made planning challenging. Since introducing a mandatory registration system, organizing the evenings has become much easier, as we can now adjust room capacities accordingly. Another learning curve involved promoting the format. It took several semesters before students from German-taught degree programmes began to actively participate. We’ve learned that strong communication is essential. Promotion now starts during the Welcome Days for regular students and continues via internal screens and various digital platforms. One particularly effective measure was the introduction of a small incentive: groups that bring or prepare traditional snacks or dishes receive a supermarket voucher worth up to €30 (upon submission of receipts). This has significantly enhanced the atmosphere at the end of each evening – sharing food naturally encourages conversation and makes it easier to connect. We also regularly remind outgoing students to exchange contact details with the presenters. This way, when they later study at the same partner university, they already know someone from Krems, someone they share a connection with. Our key takeaway: initiatives that create real value for all involved don’t necessarily require major resources, but they do require time, trust, and continuous development.

Internationalisation Award 2025

2. place in category Gelebte internationale Hochschulkultur

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