From New Jersey to Graz

A showcase of how Erasmus+ funding made the strong collaboration between Montclair State University and the University of Graz even stronger.

Montclair State University, New Jersey

© MONTCLAIR STATE UNIVERSITY

“Given our deep commitment and breadth of cooperation, the University of Graz is the ideal institution to partner with in the Erasmus+ International Program. This initiative has been especially important to us as both a research doctoral university and public Hispanic-Serving Institution. Montclair State is grateful to the European Commission for supporting our ongoing internationalization efforts, and as ever, to the University of Graz for our robust and enduring partnership” (Domenica Dominguez, Director, International Engagement,

Montclair State University). Montclair State University (MSU) and the University of Graz (Uni Graz) have a long and extensive history of working together. Soon after World War II, the cities of Graz and Montclair formed a partnership as part of a peacebuilding initiative by President Dwight D. Eisenhower. The two universities were involved from the beginning; they started exchanging students in 1950 and have not stopped since. Throughout decades of cooperation, MSU and Uni Graz have worked together on a range of different activities - from a joint course in entrepreneurship to film projects, summer schools and a training initiative for teaching staff at Uni Graz. In 2014, the two institutions took their collaboration to another level and established a strategic partnership striving to increase bilateral cooperation in teaching, research and university development. Given this dynamic and long-standing partnership, engaging in Erasmus+ International Credit Mobility (Erasmus+ ICM) when it emerged in 2015 was a logical consequence.

MSU and Uni Graz both realized the strategic relevance of Erasmus+ ICM for advancing their common internationalization goals. The program has been an ideal opportunity for the universities to build on their long tradition of academic cooperation by allowing them to complement existing exchange activities as well as encouraging far more faculty engagement. Starting in 2016, MSU and Uni Graz have been able to secure funding within the highly competitive Erasmus+ ICM initiative for five consecutive years. The exchange program has been very well received by students, faculty and staff at both universities. A total of 17 mobilities have been implemented to date, funding for at least twelve more mobilities is available for the three coming years.

Academic links between MSU and Uni Graz traditionally focus on the humanities. Over the last years, however, a strong interest has developed on both sides to expand collaboration in the natural sciences and to boost academic contacts in business studies. The Erasmus+ ICM funding has been a tremendous asset in driving developments in these areas of cooperation. In the field of mathematics, for instance, a faculty exchange supported through Erasmus+ ICM made it possible for experts of both universities to work together on topics such as educational resources for students of Mathematics or mentoring especially for female mathematicians. With a view to sustainable development issues, Uni Graz wants to use future mobilities funded in the Erasmus+ ICM framework to learn from MSU’s Green Teams initiative where students are given the chance to work in paid internships as part of a transdisciplinary Green Team addressing sustainability problems posed by a corporation, local business or government agency. There are discussions on how Uni Graz can be incorporated in this initiative, which is highly interesting for Uni Graz as it ties in with its research focus on climate change.

The Transatlantic Entrepreneurship Academy is another cooperation format which interlaces smoothly with Erasmus+ ICM. In the Academy a group of 20 students from Graz and Montclair take a joint course, spending a week at the partner institution each year analyzing the different approaches to the start-up culture combined with a handson experience with prototyping and customer development. This initiative in turn substantially increased awareness among faculty in other fields of business about the opportunities at the partner institution. Erasmus+ ICM teaching and training mobilities will directly enable these colleagues to meet and engage with their academic counterparts and open up new fields of collaboration.

Looking at the bigger picture, Erasmus+ ICM is a powerful tool to help MSU and Uni Graz achieve some of their internationalization objectives. Naturally, our aim is to educate students who have an understanding of global issues and their responsibilities as citizens of the world. Studying abroad is an essential opportunity for students to gain the international experience and skills which prepare them to succeed in an increasingly globalized and fast-changing world. On top of that, the generous funding within Erasmus+ ICM also ensures that socially disadvantaged students have access to a study abroad experience. The dedicated focus on teaching and training in Erasmus+ ICM encourages faculty to initiate and nurture international collaborations, to adapt their teaching practices in the light of new input, broaden their own specialist knowledge and to engage in academic networking – all highly valuable skills for an academic career and enhancing the employability of faculty on an international scale.

In terms of institutional development, faculty exchange within Erasmus+ ICM has become an essential pillar in the development of sustainable relations between MSU and Uni Graz in areas of mutual expertise and interest. Although the immediate focus lies on teaching, these relations have the potential to go beyond teaching to also include long-term cooperation in research and university development. Working together for the implementation of Erasmus+ ICM has increased the trust MSU and Uni Graz have in their cooperation and has allowed them to harness the potential of their strategic partnership to an even greater extent. It has helped them explore new areas of collaboration and it will form the basis for joint ventures yet to come. Internationalization is a miracle of collaboration and working with an ingenious partner like MSU and a supportive program like Erasmus+ ICM are two of the magic ingredients!

Doris Knasar, Elisabeth Kirchner-Zingl

Additional information:

OeAD is the Austrian Agency for International Mobility and Cooperation in Education, Science and Research (www.oead.at). One of the tasks of the OeAD as national agency is the realization of the Erasmus+ Education program in Austria.

Since its establishment 32 years ago, the Erasmus+ programme has been a cornerstone of higher education in Europe, furthering internationalization, cooperation and lifelong learning. By bringing together higher education institutions within the European Union and beyond, Erasmus+ has greatly enhanced the skills and competences of students and staff, contributed to an increased quality in teaching and learning, and promoted the values of diversity and inclusion throughout. Since 2015, the Erasmus+ International Mobility scheme has been an opportunity for higher education institutions to build and strengthen connections all around the world. As such, it has played an important role in supporting the relationships between European and American HEIs.

The Erasmus+ International Mobility scheme is administrated by the OeAD as the Austrian Erasmus+ National Agency. It promotes both incoming and outgoing mobility exchange for higher education institution students and staff between Austria and Non-EU partner countries. Within this scheme, funding of around 24 million euros has been awarded to Austrian higher education institutions between 2015 and 2020, enabling a total of close to 7,000 mobility periods. Each year, an approximate number of 30 participants undertake an Erasmus+ mobility from Austria to the United States or vice versa.