Fachhochschule Kufstein Tirol Bildungs GmbH

International WinterSchool - Sustainable Urban Development Project

International WinterSchool - Sustainable Urban Development Project at the FH Kufstein Tirol: an international, innovative and interdisciplinary teaching & learning experience.

Objectives

Competence learning in an international context by developing a sustainable project with a focus on energy & sustainability management as well as facility management & real estate management. The WinterSchool is also an international meeting point for experts from the energy & sustainability management and facility management & real estate industries.

Background

The WinterSchool is an international program with students taking part from the USA as well as Europe, with a focus on the Netherlands, Germany and Austria. Each year, more than 200 students come to Kufstein for a week in winter (2021 & 2022- 100% digital, 2023 hybrid planned). The presentation of the WinterSchool results is also an internationally established meeting point for professionals from the facility management and real estate industry to network and make new contacts.

(Implemented) Activities

With the support of the experts, students have to solve realistic and practical problems in the context of the WinterSchool theme. Students come together in internationally mixed teams (6-12 students) to solve the tasks and can thus demonstrate and improve their knowledge and skills in the fields of engineering, economics, sustainability, facility management, finance, architecture, real estate development and project management. Case-based lectures are offered to fill any knowledge gaps, students share knowledge with each other (peer learning) and receive individual coachings. Coaches prepare project - & task related knowledge & skills input. During the project work period, students can "book" the coaches to ask questions and get more information. During the project work, students can expand their knowledge and have the opportunity to get to know different views as well as international colleagues.

Results

Since 2012 the international short study program of the FH Kufstein Tirol is an international, innovative and interdisciplinary course with the aim to develop a sustainable project with special focuses to energy, sustainability & real estate management. In doing so, it not only brings together students from different countries, but also from a wide range of disciplines. People from engineering, energy management, sustainability management, facility management, architecture, real estate economists, but also geography & sociology are working on the WinterSchool project. They come from the USA and from Europe – especially from the Netherlands, Germany, as well as Austria. The international cooperation promotes above all the interdisciplinary and intercultural skills of the participating persons as well as to work independently on practice-oriented topics, to publish scientific papers, to carry out project management and communication and to reflect critically on their own results. Particularly noteworthy are also the long-standing international partnerships, for which the WinterSchool was honored by the Federal Ministry of Sustainability and Tourism and the Ministry of Education, Science and Research with the Sustainability Award together with the Inholland University of Applied Sciences, the Zuyd University of Applied Sciences and the Pratt Institute New York.

Lessons learned

Special needs require special solutions, which is why after almost a decade the 10th and 11th WinterSchool took place digitally in 2021 and 2022. This was seen and used as an opportunity to offer the already established and award-winning WinterSchool for 10 years to even more students and universities, providing a unique opportunity for intercultural exchange from home. In 2023, the WinterSchool will include a mix of virtual and physical components.