Fachhochschule Technikum Wien

Fit for the International Campus: Strengthening Language Skills on the Move

UASTW understands internationalisation as a holistic concept. The annual English language course in Dublin is an important measure to promote the internationalisation of all staff members.

A group of university staff stand in front of the Centre of English Studies in Dublin.

Objectives

The English course for employees and lecturers developed by the International Office of UAS Technikum Wien in 2019 aims to specifically strengthen language skills in academic and administrative contexts. Originally designed for employees from specialist departments such as the InfoCenter, IT or the Teaching & Learning Center, the offer was continuously expanded on the initiative of the Rectorate and a parallel format for lecturers was added for the first time in 2024. Both course formats support participants in communicating academic content and administrative processes confidently, precisely and appropriately in English. The focus is on practical exercises that relate directly to everyday professional life. At the same time, intercultural competence is promoted; a central building block for a professional, inclusive, and global communication culture within the institution. A further development step was initiated in 2025 with an invitation from the Politecnico di Torino: Staff from both institutions will take part in the exchange in Ireland to share resources, learn from each other, and deepen international partnerships in a targeted manner. This will be followed by reciprocal visits within the university structures in order to transfer good practices into everyday working life across national borders. The programme contributes to the university's strategic objective of systematically expanding the further development of general university staff and the promotion of transnational cooperation. The continuous growth in the number of participants, from 12 in the start year 2019 to 25 in 2025, demonstrates the relevance and dynamism of the format. The inclusion of international fellows for the first time in 2025 marks an important milestone in the further development of the programme and strengthens the university culture in the long term. The course has therefore become an integral part of the continuing education programme at UAS Technikum Wien.

Background

As part of its internationalisation strategy, UAS Technikum Wien has made a clear commitment to promoting high-quality, innovative and globally networked cooperation in studies, teaching and research. A key objective is to increase mobility and raise awareness of European and global diversity and intercultural skills among students and staff. With this in mind, the idea of offering an English language course specifically for general university staff was born in 2019. The aim was to support this group of employees in their linguistic and intercultural development and to prepare them for the demands of an increasingly international university environment. The course was first organised in Dublin and was funded by Erasmus+ Staff Training. The initiative was developed in collaboration with the International Office, Staff Development and the Rectorate. It is a response to the increased number of international students, the growing number of courses taught in English and the increasing mobility of teaching and administrative staff. UAS Technikum Wien actively supports this development through targeted measures to promote language skills and the further qualification of all employees. Particular attention is paid to the close link between staff development and internationalisation. With the growing range of English-language Master's programmes (currently seven) and the establishment of an international campus, the international networking of general university staff is also gaining strategic importance. The university is clearly committed to promoting staff mobility, which is also reflected in the institutional visibility and anchoring of corresponding measures. The successful implementation and continuous further development of the language course shows how central university strategies are implemented and lived in practice.

(Implemented) Activities

The first English course was successfully held in 2019 with 12 non-academic employees. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the programme had to be paused in 2020 and 2021, but was resumed annually from 2022. In 2024, the programme was significantly expanded: in addition to 13 employees from central departments, 12 lecturers from three faculties (Electronic Engineering, Industrial Engineering and Life Science Engineering) took part for the first time – a clear step towards institutionalising the programme. The course takes place annually for one week in July in cooperation with the Centre of English Studies in Dublin and comprises 30 lessons. The content is practice-orientated and tailored to the individual needs of the participants: from improving grammar and pronunciation to targeted training in presentation skills in a professional context. The language training is supplemented by sufficient free time to enable informal language and cultural experiences on site. The target group – employees from specialist departments such as HR, Finance, InfoCenter, IT, Marketing & Communications, the Teaching and Learning Center and the Technikum Wien Academy – benefit directly from the skills they learn in their day-to-day dealings with international students and colleagues. This international exchange will further promote the development of a shared culture of learning and communication. At the same time, the programme contributes directly to achieving the goals set: strengthening language and intercultural skills, expanding international networks, and promoting staff mobility. The continuously rising number of participants illustrates the relevance and impact of the programme.

Results

The project contributes in many ways to achieving the goals set and generates sustainable added value for the entire university. The targeted promotion of language and intercultural skills not only strengthens the international connectivity of general university staff, but also makes an important contribution to the strategic development of the university culture. A key success lies in creating new and low-threshold access to staff mobility, especially for employees with no previous experience abroad. The course provides a protected introduction in the form of an accompanied group trip and has established itself as an effective instrument for internal further training. Mobility is thus firmly anchored in the institution as an integral part of staff development. In addition, more effective communication within the organisation has been initiated. The shared learning experience strengthens cross-departmental understanding, promotes informal dialogue and creates long-term connections between colleagues. Former participants still meet regularly years later, which promotes social cohesion and internal networking in the long term. Further added value can be seen in international cooperation: the establishment of long-term partnerships – in this case with Politecnico di Torino – makes it possible to share resources, learn from each other, and institutionally anchor intercultural dialogue. Last but not least, the success is also reflected in the figures: in 2024, Austria recorded 1,091 Erasmus+ staff mobilities, around a tenth of which were at UAS Technikum Wien. Given the size of the institution, this is a remarkable figure and a clear sign of its commitment to international staff development.

Lessons learned

The implementation of the English course has provided valuable experience for international staff development at UAS Technikum Wien, as well as specific challenges that had to be overcome in the course of the programme. One key learning relates to organisational planning: implementing the programme requires careful preparation with sufficient lead time, especially when additional partner institutions are involved, as has been the case since 2025. As the number of participants increases, so does the administrative complexity. Experience from 2024 has shown that a group size of 25 people reaches the limit in terms of coordination and support. In future, it will therefore be necessary to specifically limit the number of participants in order to ensure the quality of support and implementation, and a second course per year is currently being discussed internally. Despite these challenges, the course has established itself as a low-threshold, effective measure. It provides employees and teachers with uncomplicated access to language training, without extensive prior knowledge or bureaucratic hurdles. The practical orientation of the training promotes the active use of English in everyday working life and strengthens self-confidence in international dialogue. One particularly positive aspect is that the participants experience a supportive learning environment in which language barriers are broken down and intercultural openness is strengthened. The course therefore not only creates linguistic progress, but also personal development and lasting motivation for further mobility experiences.

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