“We are global competitors, but also global co-operation partners”

Internationalization is one of the challenges of the present and the future for academic institutions. Leading staff of technical universities from all over Europe gathered in Graz to discuss possible solutions.

A man is talking in front of a crowd of people. You can see the back of their heads.

Rector Harald Kainz has been host of the conference for the first time this year.

60 representatives of renowned technical universities and organizations across Europe met at TU Graz last weekend to exchange their views on the important subject of internationalization at the 36th Conference of Rectors and Presidents of European Universities of Technology. The conference, founded in 1980 at the initiative of RWTH Aachen University and TU Wien, has a long tradition and raises important current issues for discussion.

Today we are working in a different environment in which digitalization and globalization are the key drivers. Universities compete internationally, but they also co-operate internationally.

“Much has changed in the 36 years since the first conference,“ explained Manfred Horvat, co-ordinator of the conference from TU Wien, in his welcoming address. “Today we are working in a different environment in which digitalization and globalization are the key drivers. Universities compete internationally, but they also co-operate internationally.“ Fittingly, competition and co-operation was the chosen subject of the two-day conference at TU Graz.

Different perspectives

The keynote speakers at first prepared the ground, shedding light on the big issue of internationalization from different angles. Then the rectors presented their own sometimes different approaches and discussed future scenarios for university education.

Next year the conference will take place in Glasgow, United Kingdom.