Press 2015

The MCI the only Austrian university to be placed among the top 3 in all categories in this year’s Universum ranking: first place for Best Career Service, second place for Best Employability, second place for Brand Perception.Management Center Innsbruck (MCI) has chalked up yet another international success: The recently published Universum ranking (Universum Talent Research) has again put the MCI at the top of all Austrian universities; the Entrepreneurial School® is the only university in Austria to be placed among the first 3 in all categories.This year is the first time the prestigious awards have been made in three categories: In one category, students were asked how satisfied they were with the services provided by the Career Center (Best Career Service Satisfaction Award) and, with 7.9 out of 10 points, the MCI was the clear winner in the whole of Austria, followed by Leoben with 7.0 points. The other categories were employability, i.e. the degree to which students are equipped for the job market (Best Employability Rating Award), and the general level of students’ satisfaction with their university (Best University Brand Perception Award). In both cases the MCI came second. In the Brand Perception category, the MCI had an outstanding score of 8.3 points compared with the Austrian average of 7.3 points.This highly gratifying outcome is in keeping with the results of a variety of polls, rankings and awards over the last few years. Academic standards, practical relevance, a commitment to achievement, an international orientation, professional services and consistent quality assurance have always been the guiding principles at the MCI. Exemplary curricula, the international composition of both faculty and the student body, an effective careers center and a wide range of student services are further factors in this repeat of the MCI’s previous achievements in the Universum rankings.Universum is a global specialist for employer branding. The annual Universum Talent Research poll also provides insights into students’ level of satisfaction with their universities. In 2015, some 1.3 million students and young professionals were polled in 55 countries. In Austria, about 15,000 students and young professionals participated.Statements:Brigitte Huter, Director of the MCI Career Center: “This distinction is a reward for the intensive work we do to help our students make an optimum start in the professional world. Our students particularly appreciate the numerous opportunities we provide for making contact with potential employers. That is behind our open and creative approach in establishing and maintaining a dialog with business so as to further develop our careers network.”Brigitte Auer, Head of Quality Management at the MCI: “The gratifying result of the Universum Talent Research poll strengthens our commitment to ongoing development in terms of the quality and range of our degree and executive education programs, research activities and student services.”Andreas Altmann, Rector of the MCI: “We owe this distinction to the whole MCI team and the strong focus our sponsors and stakeholders place on achievement, commitment and responsibility.”       {phocagallery view=category|categoryid=1001}Presscontact: {mcicontact view=presse|id=1}

StudyPortals’ international award confirms students’ high level of satisfaction with the Entrepreneurial School®MCI Management Center Innsbruck has just received some very good news: For the extremely high level of satisfaction of its international student body, the MCI has been chosen for the Very Good International Student Satisfaction Award 2015, which is made by the global student platform StudyPortals. The award was based on an evaluation of more than 17,000 student reviews. These reviews provide valuable feedback into the universities’ performance from the student point of view. The MCI finished up with an outstanding score of 8+ out of 10.Reviews of the MCI (excerpt)Studyportals, which is headquartered in Eindhoven/Netherlands was founded by a group of students in 2008. Today it is one of the world’s biggest platforms for student information and advice on choosing a study program, with a total of 2,100 listed universities and more than 13 million visits a year. For every student review posted on StudyPortals, the organization donates the cost of a brick to build a UNICEF school in Guinea Bissau.{phocagallery view=category|categoryid=999}Press contact:{mcicontact view=presse|id=1}

Big smiles at Management Center Innsbruck – Top scores in the prestigious Trendence Graduate Barometer Europe 2015 – Strong points in study program quality, internationality, cooperation with business, practical relevance, career opportunities and student satisfactionManagement Center Innsbruck (MCI) has something to celebrate in the form of outstanding results in a European university ranking. In the recently published Trendence Graduate Barometer Europe 2015, the MCI is again up among the winners with a score of 2.2, well above the Austrian average of 2.5 and the European average of 2.9 and higher than the average for every country of Europe. (Scores are awarded on a scale ranging from 1=very satisfied to 7=very dissatisfied.)The Entrepreneurial School® did particularly well in the following quality criteria: international character of the study program, university cooperation with business, practical relevance, career opportunities and career services, and student activities.“My sincere congratulations go to the committed team at the MCI. The university ranking shows once again that the Tyrol’s Entrepreneurial School is doing excellent work. The MCI is a key player in the Tyrolean university scene and an international showcase for the region. The new MCI campus being planned with the full support of the regional and municipal authorities will make it possible to further consolidate the MCI’s top position,” says a highly satisfied Governor Günther Platter.“The results are the fruits of a consistent commitment to quality, internationality, a business orientation, practical relevance and career opportunities. Study is not an end in itself; in addition to an excellent education and support for personal development, it must also generate subsequent opportunities in professional life. That is something our students are very much aware of. We see this repeat top ranking as inspiration and a mandate to become even better,” says the MCI’s Rector Andreas Altmann from his current location abroad. University orCountry  Score  1 to 7  Score  1 to 5   MCI 2,2 1,57 United Kingdom 2,3 1,64 Germany 2,4 1,71 Ireland 2,4 1,71 Austria 2,5 1,79 Czech. Rep. 2,5 1,79 France 2,6 1,86 Russia 2,7 1,93 Switzerland 2,7 1,93 Belgium 2,8 2,00 Poland 2,8 2,00 Slovakei 2,8 2,00 Europe 2,9 2,07 Norway 2,9 2,07 Denmark 3,0 2,14 Sweden 3,0 2,14 Turkey 3,0 2,14 Bulgaria 3,1 2,21 Romania 3,1 2,21 Finland 3,2 2,29 Netherlands 3,2 2,29 Portugal 3,3 2,36 Greece 3,4 2,43 Hungary 3,4 2,43 Spain 3,6 2,57 Italy 3,8 2,71 Ranking design / methodologyThe Trendence Graduate Barometer is Europe’s biggest graduate poll on the subject of education and careers. The 2015 poll attracted a response of 281,749 students in 24 countries, who were asked about their level of satisfaction with their universities in addition to their expectations with regard to their future careers and the attractiveness of potential employers. The poll was conducted from October 2014 to February 2015. Statistical analysis of the data was performed pursuant to the provisions of MRS, ESOMAR and ISO 20952.{phocagallery view=category|categoryid=998}Press contact:Ulrike FuchsHead of DepartmentMarketing & Communication+43 512 2070-1510ulrike.fuchs@mci.edu

2014 Bachelor of Business Administration online program highly successful – MBA online program to start fall 2015: Cooperation with renowned Royal Roads University in Vancouver, Canada With the introduction of the Bachelor of Business Administration online program, the MCI has been able to set a benchmark in Western Austria. MCI Rector Andreas Altmann summarizes the MCI’s motivation to install the online program as follows: “With the Internet and E-commerce prevailing in banking, trade and industry 4.0, we are expecting significant changes in the fields of science, education and universities.” The BA online program, which was introduced last year, strongly focuses on innovative technologies and blended learning. “We have decided to face this development and take an active role. This concept offers fantastic opportunities for students that are working or live outside urban areas.”“The bachelor program was initially conceived for 25 students per year, so the 145 applications we received exceeded all our expectations. We finally accepted the 48 best applicants,” says Program Director Prof. Matthias Seeler, highly content with the turnout. “The new program has really taken off. Our lecturers as well as our students are thrilled with the new opportunities. We have already closed the admission process for 2015. Demand was even higher than the year before.”“We are now taking the next steps,” explains Susanne Herzog, head of the Executive Education at MCI. “In the fall of 2015 we will be launching the Master of Business Administration online program for executives and decision makers. The entire program will be taught in English and is conducted in cooperation with Royal Roads University, the leading business school for online and blended learning technologies in Canada.”Prof. Claudia Mössenlechner, head of the newly founded MCI Learning Solution Center adds: “We’ve been able to maintain our quality at a consistently high level, which is a key objective of MCI. New technologies combined with intensive sessions on campus have allowed us to attain performance levels that sometimes even exceed the performance of regular on-campus programs.”The new MBA online program will be offered as a blended learning concept and will predominantly consist of online lectures, interactive course materials, extensive online mentoring and additional intensive modules at the universities in Innsbruck and Vancouver.Further information:International Business MBA OnlineFor advice & registration contact: vanessa.gampert@mci.eduBusiness Administration Online{phocagallery view=category|categoryid=997}Press contact:Ulrike FuchsHead of DepartmentMarketing & Communication+43 512 2070-1510ulrike.fuchs@mci.edu

Alexander Richter has received the prestigious Lemelson Award at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology for his research in the field of microbial pest control.The 2015 Lemelson-MIT Award in the “Eat it” category, which is open to innovative inventions in the fields of nutrition and agriculture made by students and graduates of US universities, goes to Alexander Richter, who graduated in Environmental, Process & Biotechnology at the MCI and is currently doing research as a Ph.D. student at North Carolina State University.The focus of Richter’s work is the development of biodegradable nano particles for antimicrobial pest control. They offer the prospect of a reduction of up to 90 percent in the use of expensive chemical pesticides in agriculture. With his research, which is being tutored by Professor Orlin Velev of the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at NC State University, the MCI graduate is making a valuable contribution to potential increases in agricultural productivity, which will help avert food shortages resulting from today’s increasing world population. Alexander Richter received the prize in an award ceremony held at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology at the end of June. The Lemelson-MIT program was established in 1994 by the US inventor Jerome H. Lemelson and his wife Dorothy. The prizes are awarded annually to honor the best student inventor teams and graduates in the US for inventions in the fields of heath care, transportation, food and agriculture, and technical consumer goods. They are worth USD 10,000 for student teams and USD 15,000 for graduates. The judging criteria are inventiveness and creativity, social benefits and commercial applicability, and the impact of the invention on nature and society.Prizewinner Alexander Richter feels “extremely honored by the award” and says, “I should like to express my thanks to the MCI for the excellent interdisciplinary university training I was given, which has served me in such good stead for my Ph.D. at NC State University and laid the foundations for success in the Lemelson-MIT inventor contest.” The MCI’s Rector Andreas Altmann congratulated the prizewinner with the following words: “As the Entrepreneurial School®, we promote and challenge young people with an entrepreneurial mindset and are delighted with Alexander Richter’s prestigious academic award and his inventions in the field of pest control." Marco Rupprich, Had of the Department of Environmental, Process & Energy Engineering at the MCI, adds: “Alexander Richter is not only doing outstanding work at the scientific level. He is also a partner in a high-tech start-up by the name of Benanova Inc. This shows once again that the combination of quality teaching and research and international networking at the MCI offers an excellent basis for an international career.”Further information:MCI Bachelor Environmental, Process & Energy EngineeringMCI Master Environmental, Process & Energy EngineeringLemelson-MIT program{phocagallery view=category|categoryid=989}Press cotact:Mag. (FH) Ulrike FuchsLeiterinMarketing & Communication+43 512 2070-1510ulrike.fuchs@mci.edu

THE VENTURE has announced a business model contest for start-ups. MCI is the first Austrian university to support the initiative.THE VENTURE has been established in response to the fact that there is often a discrepancy between inventive creativity and entrepreneurial spirit that is an obstacle to the successful marketing of inventions and patents. To ensure that technologies that are ready for market are not shelved and left to gather dust, business start-ups are invited to develop unique products using existing patents. THE VENTURE is targeted at young entrepreneurs who see opportunities for successful business start-ups in existing technologies and have the motivation and ambition to move them forward. The contribution of THE VENTURE is to make existing patents available and enable students enrolled at partner universities to embark on start-up projects on the basis of technologies protected by the patents. THE VENTURE is initially limited to the German-speaking area. As the Entrepreneurial School®, the MCI is the first Austrian university to partner the scheme and is thus offering students and graduates a unique platform for entrepreneurial initiatives. Dr. Bernd Ebersberger, Professor at the MCI, has been appointed to THE VENTURE’s advisory board. For him the initiative is “a unique opportunity for students at the Entrepreneurial School to show their entrepreneurial spirit and develop the motivation needed to breathe life into otherwise dormant technologies”.Further information:www.the-venture.infoPress Information The VentureCounseling at the MCI:Professor Bernd Ebersberger, bernd.ebersberger@mci.edu{phocagallery view=category|categoryid=981}Press contact:Mag. (FH) Ulrike FuchsLeiterinMarketing & Communication+43 512 2070-1510ulrike.fuchs@mci.edu

The new student representatives at the Entrepreneurial School® have fresh energy and new ideas for their task.Nine new student representatives were elected in the 2015 student elections at the MCI. Eight of them are affiliated to the MCI Student Representatives group (StV-MCI) and one to the Union of Socialist Students in Austria (VSStÖ).  At the constitutive meeting, the student representatives elected the Chairperson and Deputy Chairpersons of the MCI Student Council. The following students were elected as Chairperson and Deputy Chairpersons: Matthias Mayr, Chairperson (StV-MCI / Industrial Engineering & Management) Julian Mair, 1st Deputy Chairperson (StV-MCI / Management, Communication & IT) Stefanie Wagner, 2nd Deputy Chairperson (StV-MCI / Nonprofit, Social & Health Care Management) The other student representatives: Sebastian Engels (StV-MCI / Nonprofit, Social & Health Care Management) Markus Egger (StV-MCI / Management, Communication & IT) Michael Seidl (StV-MCI / Nonprofit, Social & Health Care Management) Alexander Müller (StV-MCI / Management, Communication & IT) Markus Stotter (StV-MCI / Nonprofit, Social & Health Care Management) Rachel Immler (VSStÖ / Social Work) The MCI would like to thank all the outgoing student representatives for their extremely constructive spirit of cooperation and commitment and wishes to congratulate their successors. The Entrepreneurial School® is looking forward to working together with them. Further information:MCI election results2015 Students Union election resultsMCI student representatives{phocagallery view=category|categoryid=990}Press contact:Mag. (FH) Ulrike FuchsLeiterinMarketing & Communication+43 512 2070-1510ulrike.fuchs@mci.edu

The German Friends of the Universities in Innsbruck provide career support for high potentials – Three prizewinners from the Entrepreneurial School®In the framework of this year’s annual general meeting of the German Friends of the Universities in Innsbruck (DFK), the DFK again made its awards to outstanding students at the Innsbruck Leopold Francis University (LFUI), Innsbruck Medical University (MUI) and Management Center Innsbruck (MCI).The award, with its generous prize money, provides academic and professional career support for high potentials and is an emphatic form of recognition for their performance to date. Out of 35 entrants from the MCI, the prizewinners were chosen on the basis of their professional and personal achievements, their academic performance and their future perspectives.This year’s prestigious DFK prizes were awarded to the following students of the Entrepreneurial School®: Anna Stribl BA, BSc, Master program in International Business & Law, year group 2013.She will be using the prize money to attend a trainee program offered by a leading international company where she will be able to employ and extend her competence in the field of M&A (mergers and acquisitions). Christian Maurer BSc, MA, Master program in Environmental, Process & Energy Engineering, year group 2013.He is planning to combine the research fields addressed in his two Master theses, namely knowledge management and waste-water processing, in his Ph.D. program. The DFK prize will be used to finance experiments. Monika Weps, Bachelor program in International Business & Management, year group 2013.She will employ the DFK prize money to finance a course at a prominent summer school in Brazil as well as her semester abroad in Australia. The MCI would like to congratulate the prizewinners and wish them all the best for their further academic and professional careers. Congratulations also to the prizewinners from Innsbruck University and Innsbruck Medical University: Gregor Anich, BSc (LFUI), Katrin Schmiderer, BA (LFUI) rChristian Gatterer (MUI) and Romina Tschenett (MUI).{phocagallery view=category|categoryid=987}Press contact:Mag. (FH) Ulrike FuchsLeiterinMarketing & Communication+43 512 2070-1510ulrike.fuchs@mci.edu

Entrepreneurial School® to strengthen mainstay of Austrian economy  I  Joint project together with the Tyrol Chamber of Commerce  I  Speech by Harvard professor John A. Davis sets the ball rollingThe illustrious Harvard professor John A. Davis, Faculty Chair for Families in Business and Chairman of the Cambridge Institute for Family Enterprise, has launched a highly promising new initiative at the MCI. “Family businesses are the mainstay of the economy and possess some special strengths,” he said in his widely acclaimed speech at the Entrepreneurial School®. “These include outstanding dedication, solidarity, loyalty, a long-term vision, and a commitment to their local community. We need to focus our work on expanding these strengths in particular. At the same time, family-run companies need to be protected against potential risks and made more competitive.”“That is precisely what we’re aiming to do,” confirmed MCI Rector Andreas Altmann. “We’re working toward establishing a center for family enterprise that will support this key pillar of the economy with professional expertise in research, teaching, and continuing education, create a focal point and meeting place for family businesses, and promote networking, exchange, and dialog between them,” he said, outlining his vision for the new center, which will be set up in stages in partnership with the Tyrol Chamber of Commerce. Its President Jürgen Bodenseer welcomed the joint project: “In Tyrol especially, family-owned enterprises are the lifeblood and driving force of economic growth, employment, and social responsibility. Having the Tyrol Chamber of Commerce and the Entrepreneurial School® work together in this area in particular is an obvious move and allows us to pool the forces of both institutions.”Someone who has played a starring role in the preparations is Harvard graduate Dr. Bernhard Baumgartner, himself an accredited expert on family businesses and a longstanding friend of Harvard professor John A. Davis, who brought him to the MCI to support the creation of the Center for Family Enterprise with his expertise and his contacts. “That some 90 percent of the companies in Austria are family-owned says all you need to know about the importance of this sector, which generally receives far too little attention.” He continued: “We need to do all we can to make these businesses stronger. If I can do my bit in this regard, then I’m happy,” said Bernhard Baumgartner, a keen supporter of the joint undertaking.The center will commence its activities in the 2015/16 academic year, before going on to add new services according to a set plan. Alongside traditional issues relating to family businesses, it will focus on matters of innovation, strategy, globalization, leadership, and growth. The center will thus take on national significance and will gradually expand the scope of its activities to cover other Austrian Federal States and neighboring countries. Companies, politicians, and associations have already expressed a genuine interest in working together.Cooperation enquiries:Mag. Bettina StichaunerBüro des Rektors+43 512 2070-1710bettina.stichauner@mci.edu{phocagallery view=category|categoryid=985}Press contact:Mag. (FH) Ulrike FuchsLeiterinMarketing & Communication+43 512 2070-1510ulrike.fuchs@mci.edu

MCI employee Mai Anh Dao awarded 2015 prize – MCI graduate Daniela Wiesinger scoops SME Special Award for 2015This year, the coveted prize for outstanding theses with an economics or business management element went to Mai Anh Dao for her Master's thesis “The Common Ground Phenomenon and Its Influence on Cultural Integration in M&A,” which she wrote at the University of Innsbruck School of Management and which has already won several awards. Her work explores the influence of company characteristics on the success of mergers and acquisitions. Before following her Master’s program at the University of Innsbruck, Ms. Dao completed the MCI’s Bachelor’s program in Entrepreneurship & Tourism and is now on the academic staff at the Entrepreneurship School®.Explaining the jury’s decision, spokeswoman Prof. Dr. Anita Zehrer said: “This year saw 37 outstanding theses entered for the Tiroler Sparkasse’s Graf Chotek Prize. Ms. Dao’s work won over the jury thanks to the skill she showed in tackling the subject and her extremely thorough bibliographical research, which offered both depth and breadth and thus built on the latest research findings as well as generating significant added value for industry players. The jury felt that the winning submission was truly exemplary as it showed an excellent understanding of the academic approach.” The thesis was supervised by Prof. Dr. Florian Bauer, Study Coordinator Strategy and Organization at the MCI and Director of the SMA Research Lab. “Company acquisitions are a key issue, not least because they are worth more in volume terms each year than the GDP of Germany, for example,” he said. “However, the success rate of acquisitions is very low at around 40 percent. In her truly exemplary thesis, Ms. Dao looked at informal coordination and was able to demonstrate that, in certain circumstances, it offers a real alternative to structured or ‘top-down’ approaches.”The SME Special Award for 2015 went to Daniela Wieser, a graduate from the MCI’s International Business Master’s program, which is taught in English. This was in recognition of her thesis “Supply Chain Management as a Service: An Empirical Investigation in SMEs,” which studies the risks involved in procurement management.Other nominees included Astrid Früh, Sandra Muxel, and Julia Zraunig, all three of whom completed a Master’s program in the MCI’s Tourism Department. The Graf Chotek University Prize is sponsored by Tiroler Sparkasse and awarded every two years. It is an important initiative in support of young academics. “As a bank with over 190 years of history, we feel our responsibility also includes promoting Tyrol as a center of research,” said Dr. Hans Unterdorfer, CEO of Tiroler Sparkasse, explaining the motivation behind the award. “The Graf Chotek University Prize is designed to support hopeful, talented young individuals.” Entries are invited from the authors of theses dealing with current topics and problems in the fields of business management, economics, or social sciences and awarded top grades at the University of Innsbruck or the MCI. The winners are selected on the basis of the practical relevance and academic quality of the theses submitted. With a total of 5000 euros in prize money, the award is one of the biggest targeted at young academics.Congratulations to all the winners!Further information:Brochure on the Graf Chotek University Prize 2015Tiroler Sparkasse media release{phocagallery view=category|categoryid=980}Press contact:Mag. (FH) Ulrike FuchsLeiterinMarketing & Communication+43 512 2070-1510ulrike.fuchs@mci.edu

Raiffeisen-Bankengruppe Tirol helps the most highly motivated MCI students finance their semester abroad.As a MCI partner and sponsor of many years’ standing, Raiffeisen sets great store not only on academic training but also – and in particular – on getting to grips with one’s inter-cultural and international environment. The Raiffeisen International Award has therefore been presented to students intending to spend their semester abroad outside the EU.Pia Kurzendorfer and Maximilian Huber, both following a Bachelor’s program in Tourism Business Studies, are each to receive scholarships worth EUR 1,000. Pia is planning to spend her semester abroad at the University of the Philippines Diliman, while Maximilian is off to the Emirates Academy of Hospitality Management in Dubai. The two winners stood out thanks to their excellent performance as students to date, their convincing application dossiers, and their impressive plans for the rest of their studies and their future career.The awards were presented by Raiffeisen’s Marketing Manager Thomas Wass and the MCI’s Rector Andreas Altmann. Tiroler Raiffeisen Banks and the Entrepreneurial School® would like to take the opportunity to congratulate the winners and wish them an exciting semester abroad and all the best for their continued studies.{phocagallery view=category|categoryid=982}Press contact:Mag. (FH) Ulrike FuchsLeiterinMarketing & Communication+43 512 2070-1510ulrike.fuchs@mci.edu

New funding instrument provides capital and informationLast week MCI Management Center Innsbruck researchers Bernd Ebersberger and Annalena Wiesend presented their research on the role of crowd funding in innovation systems at the international EU-SPRI conference in Helsinki. EU-SPRI (European Forum for Studies of Policies for Research and Innovation, www.euspri-forum.eu) strives to build a strong and diverse interdisciplinary research community in the field of innovation policy.Ebersberger and Wiesend have shown that crowd funding as a new element within the innovation system is able to compensate existing deficiencies. As a relatively new funding instrument for business start-ups and innovators, crowd funding platforms allow a broad audience to co-finance new products or business ventures. Ebersberger and Wiesend have found that crowd funding not only equips companies with capital but also allows them to connect with potential clients within the innovation system, which is essential for the innovation process. This new kind of interaction between customers and innovators provides businesses with information that enables them to better assess market opportunities, modify innovations based on customer input, and ultimately become more successful.Ebersberger and Wiesend’s research papers have been supported by FIDIAS (www.fidias.eu).{phocagallery view=category|categoryid=979}Press contact:Mag. (FH) Ulrike FuchsLeiterinMarketing & Communication+43 512 2070-1510ulrike.fuchs@mci.edu

MCI Management Center Innsbruck supports the “Be the Best” award 2015 sponsored by Förderverein Technik Tirol, an association dedicated to promoting technical education in Tyrol. This year’s award goes to a paper written on “Test plant engineering for extraneous material removal” submitted by a project group from two local technical high schools (HTL Bau & Design and HTLinn) in cooperation with MCI.This year marks the fifth anniversary of the Be the Best award, which is presented annually by Förderverein Technik Tirol to the best thesis and project papers submitted by HTL students. Out of the 28 papers submitted, nine project groups were selected to demonstrate their technical know-how to a committee mid-April. The jury consisted of Wolfgang Eichinger, chairman of Förderverein Technik Tirol and vice president of the Industry Division of the Austrian Economic Chambers; Anton Lendl, state superintendent of schools; and Andreas Mehrle, head of the Mechatronics degree program at MCI.With their final paper Anna-Sophia Triendl, Elisabeth Gram and Lisa-Marie Nagele from HTL Bau & Design together with Reinhold Poscher and Martin Gruber from HTLinn were able to convince the jury and won the contest. The paper describes the students’ efforts to build a test plant designed to examine the removal of extraneous materials such as sand, glass and metal from the sludge in a wastewater treatment plant. The project was embedded in a larger research project.MCI actively supported the project group and has thus been able to expand its connections within the Tyrolean educational landscape. The project integrates the fields of process engineering, civil engineering and mechanical engineering while creating added value for all parties involved. As the project initiator Michael Kraxner puts it: “As an Entrepreneurial School® we constantly strive to best possibly bring together existing expertise and infrastructure. This project is yet another example of how award-winning success can be produced through the use of synergies within our innovative Tyrolean marketplace.” Jury member Andreas Mehrle, head of the Mechatronics degree program, adds, “We are proud of the success of our project partners and will continue to expand our cooperation with technical high schools in Tyrol to help spark young people’s curiosity in science.”The project group was rewarded for their successful work with an extended weekend trip to Barcelona. In addition, the top four participants will be entitled to a two-month internship with the Plansee Group that will include a stay abroad of several weeks.{phocagallery view=category|categoryid=960}Press contact:Mag. (FH) Ulrike FuchsLeiterinMarketing & Communication+43 512 2070-1510ulrike.fuchs@mci.edu

Prestigious third place for “Best International Student Recruitment Brochure” in Doha, QatarThe Management Center Innsbruck (MCI) has received another international accolade, with the Entrepreneurial School® securing bronze in the prestigious “Best International Student Recruitment Brochure Award” at this year’s QS Maple Conference in the Qatari capital Doha.The prize was presented by the illustrious Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) institute, which publishes the renowned annual World University Rankings, hosts academic conferences (which for many years have featured widely acclaimed papers given by the MCI), and rates universities’ communications work.“This international award is testament to the MCI’s efforts to inform prospective students about our range of study programs in a way that is comprehensive, professional, and easy to read,” said a delighted Ulrike Fuchs, Head of Marketing and Communications. “As well as high-quality teaching and research, a university also needs communications that are well prepared, rich in content, and complemented with personalized advice.”Rector Andreas Altmann added: “It’s no coincidence that people from around the world are now applying to study at the MCI and that it enjoys a global reputation. I’d like to thank Ulrike Fuchs and her dedicated Marketing team, which is doing a superlative job together with the academic departments and the management and service teams.”Further information:QS Maple Creative Awards5th QS-MAPLE Best International Student Recruitment Brochure – Bronze Winner{phocagallery view=category|categoryid=963}Press contact:Mag. (FH) Ulrike FuchsLeiterinMarketing & Communication+43 512 2070-1510ulrike.fuchs@mci.edu

Cooperation with Royal Roads University in Vancouver/Canada – Make the world your classroom! “Manage globally – learn differently” is the motto chosen by Management Center Innsbruck (MCI) for its English-language MBA in International Business, which starts in autumn 2015. This Executive Master serves the compatibility of job, family and study and is part of the consistent innovation, internationalization and online strategy pursued at the Entrepreneurial School®. The new online MBA is yet another addition to MCI’s product portfolio and is based on MCI’s extensive knowhow in the design and implementation of modern blended-learning formats.  Flexible learning: the living room as an office and lecture hallWith the help of the latest interactive media, the blended learning concept combines attendance modules (on campus), online modules (synchronous; i.e. directly linked in real time with teachers and other students), and individual online work and learning phases (asynchronous). The MBA program thus caters for students’ specific learning goals and needs. The innovative didactic concept enables students to decide for themselves when and above all where they wish to work and learn with multimedia support. An interactive design and practical orientation are integral features of the MBA program.International target groups and competenciesThe online MBA is targeted above all at professional decision-makers in the fields of technology, natural sciences, law, medicine, social and health sciences and the humanities who are planning their next career move. In addition to international management competencies, innovation, business startup and leadership skills, the program also has a focus on communicative and intercultural aspects.  Cooperation with a leading Canadian university The international orientation of the two-year MBA is reflected in the curriculum, in the partnership established with the noted Royal Roads University, which also provides for the possibility of an international double degree, in the presence of students from all over the world and the international makeup of faculty, with lecturers from Europe, the USA, Canada and Asia with a proven track record.Reduced tuition fees for the first year group A 20% reduction on tuition fees will be awarded to all students signing up in 2015/16. Further Informationwww.mci.edu/mba-international-business Download Broschüre{phocagallery view=category|categoryid=974}Press contact:Mag. (FH) Ulrike FuchsLeiterinMarketing & Communication+43 512 2070-1510ulrike.fuchs@mci.edu

MCI bids farewell to Philippian student on Tyrolean government grantWith her Philippine background, Vanessa Casareo had practically come from the other end of the world to study at MCI.Equipped with a scholarship granted by the State Government of Tyrol, Casareo spent one semester studying at MCI Management Center Innsbruck to obtain professional knowledge in the tourism and leisure industry. She will be able to put her newly acquired expertise directly to use upon her return to her home country. With over 7,000 islands, breathtaking scenery and an abundant underwater world, the Philippine Islands are increasingly establishing themselves as a global tourism destination.Philippine Honorary Consul Christian Traweger and MCI Chancellor Andreas Altman personally bid farewell to Casareo, noting it as bittersweet, “We are losing a dedicated student but gaining a convincing ambassador.”Casareo enthusiastically reports, “I cannot believe how much I've seen, learned and experienced in such a short period of time. I've become an excited fan and supporter of MCI. Thank you so much for all the friendship and support!“{phocagallery view=category|categoryid=970}Press contact:Mag. (FH) Ulrike FuchsLeiterinMarketing & Communication+43 512 2070-1510ulrike.fuchs@mci.edu

Industriemagazin lists best Austrian MBA schools – The Entrepreneurial School® among top 3 againThe recently published ranking by Industriemagazin confirms the reputation MCI Management Center Innsbruck has earned as a first-class career developer and a top provider of post graduate programs. With its General Management Executive Master of Business Administration program (short: General Management Executive MBA), The Entrepreneurial School® ranks among the top 3 again this year.The fact that The Entrepreneurial School® has been able to achieve a top rank again affirms MCI’s outstanding position in Austria. MCI’s top performance is also consistently confirmed by various accreditations, surveys and rankings and awards by the European Commission, CHE University Ranking, FIBAA Premium Seal, Universum Survey, Campus of Excellence, etc.The Austrian Industriemagazin regularly conducts surveys regarding the popularity and quality of MBA programs. In the April 2015 survey 152 human resource managers and CEOs of leading Austrian companies were interviewed on the popularity, image and usefulness of Executive MBA programs.Further information:Industriemagazin MBA Ranking{phocagallery view=category|categoryid=967}Press contact:Mag. (FH) Ulrike FuchsLeiterinMarketing & Communication+43 512 2070-1510ulrike.fuchs@mci.edu

MCI signs a double-degree agreement with ESC DijonManagement Center Innsbruck (MCI) now offers its students a further attractive option for study abroad: A double-degree agreement was recently signed with the well known ESC Dijon-Burgundy School of Business.Students enrolled in the double degree program will spend one part of their time at the MCI and the other part in Dijon. On completion of the course, they receive a Bachelor degree in Business & Management from the MCI and a Bachelor degree in Business & Management from ESC Dijon.An intelligent and fully coordinated curriculum with mutual recognition of credits received avoids all duplication of courses for students so that they do not have to attend all classes in both programs.Apart from the advantages of such a combined program in terms of content, students also have the significant benefit of a second international degree from another country, which is a huge advantage on the job market. They also benefit from the international experience, improved language skills and extended personal horizons.The MCI has been running an Erasmus exchange program with ESC Dijon since 2012. ESC Dijon is one of the “Grandes Écoles”, France’s leading quality-oriented universities. With its dynamic, practical and implementation-based approach, ESC Dijon is an ideal partner for the MCI.Dijon, a city of 150,000 inhabitants, lies at the heart of the Burgundy region. Apart from its standing with gourmets, it is also the commercial center for the region and a noted university city.Susanne Lichtmannegger, Head of MCI International Relations, has this to say about the agreement: “A semester abroad is a source of enrichment for students’ personal horizons. The double degree lends extra leverage to this added value; studying abroad is an intensive experience over a longer period of time, while the additional degree opens many doors in the francophone countries especially.”Bernd Kirschner, MCI Program Director, says: "Our Business & Management study program has a strongly international orientation. All students spend part of their time studying abroad. With ESC Dijon, we have recruited a premium partner for this double-degree agreement. Having spent several years working in France myself, I am especially pleased that we have landed this first with a university at the heart of Burgundy.”And MCI Rector Andreas Altmann adds: "MCI stands for quality and internationality. More than 200 partner universities throughout the world and students from 50 and teachers from 35 different countries show that we are on the right path. And we intend to continue to follow that path. That is something we owe to the Tyrol and the business community.” {phocagallery view=category|categoryid=959}Press contacts and queries:{mcicontact view=presse|id=1}

The Entrepreneurial School® welcomes the decision taken by the Tyrolean State Government on the building’s space and function program - International success story continuesManagement Center Innsbruck (MCI) welcomes today’s decision by the Tyrolean State Government on the space and function program for the new campus at the heart of Innsbruck as a milestone on the road to a new building for the MCI.“That means the new building now taking real shape and the next steps can be initiated,” says Rector Andreas Altmann, who is currently abroad in an official capacity, in a press release: "Since its foundation, the Entrepreneurial School® has regularly received awards and top places in the rankings. With 3,000 students, 200 partner universities and thousands of graduates worldwide, and quality-based achievements in teaching, research, executive training and innovation, the MCI makes a major contribution to the competitive strength of the Tyrol as a location for science and business. With the new campus, the MCI will continue to consistently apply its quality-first strategy.”www.tirol.gv.at/31-hoersaele-und-vieles-mehr{phocagallery view=category|categoryid=961}Press contacts and queries:{mcicontact view=presse|id=1}

Exemplary cooperation between the state authority, the tourism industry and the scientific community in the framework of Campus Tyrol – Groundbreaking initiative to strengthen the economy, competitivity and a common business and science locationWith 45 million bednights per year, the Tyrolean tourism industry is the region’s international calling card and an important pillar for the future of the Tyrol, for the further development of the infrastructure and the protection of jobs and affluence in the region.The Tyrolean tourism industry is also a competitor on a global market, one that is influenced to a high degree by changes in society and the natural environment. If it is to maintain its fundamental role for Tyrolean society in the future, it needs – among other things – a broad-based tourism and leisure research program of an international standard to address the specific challenges confronting businesses, destinations, associations, suppliers and employees. In this context, tourism is seen as a key pillar for the general societal development of the Tyrol.Against this background, Innsbruck University and Management Center Innsbruck are playing a committed role as driving forces for science, research, training and innovation in a joint Tyrolean Tourism Research Center and welcome the common initiative taken in the framework of Campus Tyrol: “With the Tyrolean Tourism Research Center – to be financed by the Tyrolean state authority, the Tyrolean Chamber of Commerce and the tourism associations and run jointly by Management Center Innsbruck and Innsbruck University – a systematic institutional basis has been created for the further development of the tourism industry and related research. This is an important step into the future for the Tyrol. Innsbruck University will contribute to this undertaking with the competencies of its various faculties bundled in a dedicated research center for leisure and tourism,” says a delighted Tilmann Märk as Rector of Innsbruck University.MCI Rector Andreas Altmann is equally pleased: "The results generated by the joint Tyrolean Tourism Research Center will supply a basis for decision-making in the development of optimum framework conditions at the level of the Tyrolean state and individual destinations and for key market segments. To that extent, the center will provide direct support for product development by individual businesses. Quality assurance will be handled in consultation with the Research Council in terms of the scientific basis and practical relevance of the results. The decision to pool the competencies of the actors involved is one of the keys to success and one of the main elements of Campus Tyrol."In the next few weeks, the details of the planned Tyrolean Tourism Research Center (work programs, committee, appointments, etc.) will be communicated at a joint press conference held by the Tyrolean state authority, the Tyrolean Chamber of Commerce, the tourism associations, Innsbruck University and the MCI.{phocagallery view=category|categoryid=958}Press contacts and queries University of Innsbruck:Mag. Uwe StegerBüro für ÖffentlichkeitsarbeitUniversität Innsbruck+43 512 507 32000uwe.steger@uibk.ac.atPress contacts and queries MCI:{mcicontact view=presse|id=1}