Published on
April 28, 2026
Last update: April 28, 2026
As part of International Week 2026 from 23 to 27 March, the CIVIS European University Alliance hosted three events at the University of Salzburg, offering a comprehensive look at what the alliance has to offer students, faculty, and administrative staff.
The series kicked off on Monday, 23 March, with a panel discussion titled “Four Years of CIVIS Alliance at the University of Salzburg: What has changed?”. Moderated by Eva Léchelle, CIVIS Institutional Coordinator, the panelists reflected on four years of CIVIS at the University of Salzburg. Participants included CIVIS Academic Coordinator Prof. Dr. Martin Knoll, Head of the Career Center Dr. Martin Mader as well as Ariane Schleifer, a student who had gained international mobility experience through CIVIS, and Maja Münch, Student Representative in the CIVIS Student Council.
The event focused on personal experiences and milestones achieved, as well as the question of what specific opportunities CIVIS has created: from Blended Intensive Programs (BIPs) and virtual mobility formats to joint teaching and research collaborations.
On Thursday, 26 March, two additional information sessions took place. Erika Blaschke and Elisabeth Kleinlerchner presented “Connecting Minds: CIVIS Opportunities for Staff and Teaching Collaboration,” for academic and administrative staff. Various mobility formats – such as job shadowing, particularly for administrative staff – were introduced, along with opportunities for research and HEI collaboration, including BIPs and asynchronous courses.
Dr. Margareta Strasser (Head of the Language Centre) and Dr. Martin Loidl (Head of Mobility Lab, Department of Geoinformatics) provided specific insights from their practical experience. The session concluded with a Q&A, during which the needs and wishes of the University community for future CIVIS activities were collected.
This was followed by a session led by Egzona Krasniqi and Tim Schötz titled “Blended Intensive Programs – Application Process & Student Experiences,” which was specifically aimed at students. In addition to a practical introduction to the structure, funding, and application process of Blended Intensive Programs (BIPs), participants could hear about a current student’s experience taking part, who stayed to answer questions from the group.
The University of Salzburg also used the International Week 2026 as an opportunity to invite students and staff to the local TRACEE kick-off event, officially marking the launch of the CIVIS Joint Master’s Programme in Transdisciplinary Studies of Climate, Environment and Energy.
On Wednesday, students – accompanied by lecturers from Salzburg and from the CIVIS partner university, the Université Libre de Bruxelles – took part in an excursion to the Salzburg region to gain initial thematic insights into the course content on site. On Thursday, programme-specific workshops were held in small groups.
On Friday morning, Michaela Rückl, Vice-Rector for Education and Student Experience at the University of Salzburg, welcomed attendees to a celebratory closing event to conclude the three-day kick-off. Students, academics and administrative staff heard from TRACEE lecturers and students how the first CIVIS Joint Master’s Programme was developed. Through short presentations, various phases of the development were highlighted and key questions answered, including: How did the programme progress from the initial idea to its design and launch, and how is the current implementation progressing?
The International Week 2026 provided an overview of the numerous opportunities offered by CIVIS at the University of Salzburg, ranging from an institutional perspective and opportunities for staff to accessible mobility programmes for students.
With this in mind, we would like to thank the many interested participants in the sessions, as well as the International Office team for organizing the International Week 2026. The entire CIVIS team is already looking forward to taking part next year!
