Press 2017

The Entrepreneurial School®, Innsbruck honors Dr. Claudia Brauer with the title of ProfessorIn appreciation of her achievements in research and teaching, as well as of her exemplary translation of research results into practice and her consequent contribution to the development of the university sector, Management Center Innsbruck (MCI) recently conferred the title of Professor to Dr. Claudia Brauer.Claudia Brauer is a management expert with specialization in the fields of online marketing, e-commerce, web analytics, as well as social media marketing and analytics. After her graduation from the Harz University of Applied Sciences with a focus in management accounting and finance, she did a doctorate in Business Informatics at the Vienna University of Economics and Business. After completing her studies she worked at the Vienna University of Economics and Business, the University of Applied Sciences for Management and Communication, and the University of Jena as well as taught at the IMC University of Applied Sciences, Krems and the University of Applied Sciences Campus, Vienna.Since 2013, Claudia Brauer has been working full-time in research and teaching for MCI and made substantial contributions to the development of the Department of Business and Management as well as the Entrepreneurial School® itself.Her profound scientific qualifications and excellent teaching skills became apparent also in her inaugural address on the topic of “Social media monitoring: state of the art and trends of development”, which Brauer recently held in the presence of her family, companions, colleagues, and students. Under the heading of “Big data” her talk revealed options and opportunities for companies to collect, analyze, and interpret data on monitoring social media activities. Afterwards, MCI Rector Andreas Altmann and Professor Franz Pegger, Head of the Academic Council, handed over the certificate of appointment.{phocagallery view=category|categoryid=1245}Press contactDr. Peter Schwazer+43 512 2070-1510peter.schwazer@mci.edu

Again outstanding rankings in the university benchmarking carried out by the renowned Center for Higher Education | Entrepreneurial School® takes 89 (!) positions in top groupManagement Center Innsbruck has once more achieved excellent results within the framework of the university comparison test by the International Center for Higher Education Development (CHE). This year, the study programs in economics, industrial engineering, and social work were assessed. The Entrepreneurial School® has achieved a sensational 89 (!) postions in the top group.The CHE-ranking examined the following study programs at the Entrepreneurial School®: Business Administration Business & Management Management & Law Management, Communication & IT Tourism Business Studies Nonprofit, Social & Health Care Management Industrial Engineering & Management Social Work The students of MCI are especially enthusiastic about the following quality features at their university: Practicality Support in studying Practical and industry relevance Support by lecturers IT, labs, infrastructure & equipment All of the MCI study programs have achieved excellent results. The "Tourism Business Studies" program even received excellent marks exclusively when assessed by students; Management & Law, Management, Communication & IT, Business & Management, Business Administration, and Social work were also awarded with assessments almost exclusively in the top group.With these impressive scores, MCI once again confirms its position as one of the leading universities in the German-speaking world and consistently lives up to the successful rankings of the last few years.The CHE university ranking is the most comprehensive and detailed ranking in the German-speaking world and surveys more than 300 universities and institutions of higher education, 2,700 disciplines and 10,000 study programs.All results of the CHE university ranking are published at www.zeit.de/hochschulranking.Results CHE-Ranking 2017{phocagallery view=category|categoryid=1241}Press contactDr. Peter Schwazer+43 512 2070-1510peter.schwazer@mci.edu

Sebastian Kurz, Austrian Federal Minister for Europe, Integration and Foreign Affairs and current Chair of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, visits the Entrepreneurial School®It was a special day when MCI had the honor to welcome Foreign Minister and OSCE Chair-in-Office, Sebastian Kurz: the event was part of the MCI Alumni & Friends lecture series and jointly organized by the Entrepreneurial School® and the Tyrol Federation of Austrian Industries.In an animated and interesting panel session, hosted by MCI Rector Andreas Altmann, Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz faced questions and discussion contributions of students, lecturers, and executives from industry as well as friends and other stakeholders of the Entrepreneurial School®.More than 800 guests seized the opportunity to gain first-hand information and views about Austria’s role in the world and answers to questions of global dimension, European policy, international peacekeeping, migration, integration, and the regular responsibilities to be met both nationally and internationally. The event was another highlight of the MCI Alumni & Friends academic lecture series and in the history of the Entrepreneurial Schoo ®.Foreign Minister Kurz began his talk by pointing out that our economy, society, and politics are characterized by unprecedented volatility and dynamics. Conflicts in the Ukraine, in Turkey, but also in distant countries such as Syria, Afghanistan, and Lybia have an impact on Austria. As an export-oriented country whose wealth is dependent on the economic ties and political cooperation with other countries, Austria is strongly affected by the negative influence of this instability, as is the whole of Europe.In answer to the question about what a sustainable concept for the European Union could look like, the Foreign Minister expressed his support of the principle of subsidiarity. Kurz believes that there are areas from which the European Union should withdraw its influence. Since the European states are culturally, economically, and politically distinct in many ways, Kurz considers it necessary to reduce central regulation on individual questions, and to foster the autonomy of member states. Yet, in the context of foreign policy and border protection, Kurz promotes an in part even closer cooperation than before.Moreover, Kurz supports an enlargement of the European Union to include the Western Balkans, provided all the required criteria are met. The Foreign Minister is well aware of the fact that these countries are torn between Russian and European interests, but he is convinced that this conflict can be resolved. Although the cultural proximity to Russia cannot be changed, it should still be in the interest of the EU, and the states concerned, to follow up on the EU perspective of including the Balkans. However, Kurz does not consider Turkey entering the EU an option as, in his view, the country is increasingly moving away from democratic and constitutional principles and additionally raising issues of political Islamism. Therefore, accession negotiations with Turkey should be abandoned immediately. A different form of cooperation between neighboring states should be sought. A similar approach could be adopted in the redefinition of partnership with Great Britain, despite its distinct position.Kurz concluded his talk by explaining his view on how to deal with illegal migrants to the EU. In his opinion, it would be most effective to step up local assistance. This is why, since the beginning of his term of office, he had quadrupled the means of the Foreign Disaster Fund of Austria. As Kurz stated, the poorest of the poor could generally not afford to leave their country. Consequently, one would have to invest into the regions themselves, improving their prospects and creating legal ways of controlled migration based on resettlement programs. At the same time, one would need to crush the smugglers’ basis of business and return illegal migrants that have been stopped and provided for at the outer borders to their home countries or to homes for asylum-seekers in safe third countries. Only thus could the increasing number of fatalities on the Mediterranean Sea be curbed and other excesses stopped.{phocagallery view=category|categoryid=1240}Press contactDr. Peter Schwazer+43 512 2070-1510peter.schwazer@mci.edu

The Tiroler Sparkasse bank awards MCI graduate Rebecca Wahler with the 2017 Special Award for Innovation and selects Parampreet Christopher Bindra as this year’s winnerEvery two years, the Tiroler Sparkasse bank offers the Count Chotek Award to honor excellent papers with a business or economics focus. This year, the 2017 Special Award for Innovation was awarded to Rebecca Wahler, graduate of the MCI master’s degree program in Entrepreneurship & Tourism. In her master’s thesis “Applying eye tracking within the scope of sensory marketing for the purpose of evaluating the user friendliness of tourist websites” Wahler deals with the effective use of technological innovations in the tourism sector. The main focus of her work is on the so-called Generation Y, whose members are assumed to have particularly high expectations from websites and online elements due to their broad technological know-how. MCI Rector Andreas Altmann is delighted with the graduate’s achievement and states: “Miss Wahler has devoted her research project to a highly relevant topic to tourism marketing and produced a scientifically sound discussion of the results; now she is receiving due credit for her excellent work.” Hubert Siller, head of the MCI Department of Tourism adds: “Miss Wahler did not shun the challenges posed by eye tracking and mastered the application with ease. The results of her study speak for themselves, and provide an important foundation for future applications.”The ten nominees, which were chosen from altogether 43 submissions, included the MCI graduates Lucas Huter (International Business & Law), Raimund Mayr (International Business), Sabine Maria Thaler (International Business & Law), and Julia Wäger (Entrepreneurship & Tourism).The Count Chotek Award of the Tiroler Sparkasse bank is an important initiative to support junior scholars. This year, the prize was awarded to Parampreet Christopher Bindra of the University of Innsbruck: “As a well-established regional bank looking back on 190 years of history, we consider it our responsibility to strengthen Tyrol as a research location. Therefore, the Count Chotek Award aims to support promising young talents,” Dr. Hans Unterdorfer, CEO of the Tiroler Sparkasse bank, explains the purpose of the prize.The prize is intended for the authors of excellent papers submitted at the University of Innsbruck, UMIT – The Health & Life Sciences University, or MCI and devoted to current topics and issues of business administration, economics, or social sciences. Criteria for the prize are practical relevance and scientific quality. With its prize money of €5,000, the award is one of the most lucrative awards for new graduates.MCI congratulates the winners!{phocagallery view=category|categoryid=1239}Press contactMag. (FH) Ulrike Fuchs+43 512 2070-1527ulrike.fuchs@mci.edu

Businesses receive vital support in meeting their specific challenges: innovative compact course receives excellent feedback for its promotion of sustainability, further development, and professionalization of a fundamental pillar of the economyFamily business owners and successors were able to actively deal with the systematic planning and future development of their enterprises in the framework of the four-month Family Business certificate course at MCI, which was specifically tailored to their needs. They were assisted in this important task by experienced and first-class lecturers, who themselves offered different perspectives on complex issues as well as interesting and practically relevant discussions.The focus of the course was on the typical interconnection of family and entrepreneurship and its multi-layered complexity arising from the requirements, expectations, responsibilities, as well as possible jurisdictional and role conflicts of family-owned businesses. In particular, the course dealt with the internal and external challenges to the family, the predecessors and successors, employees, banks, clients, and further stakeholders as well as to the business itself. Based on appropriate state-of-the-art methods and instruments, the course also taught its participants how to take action in critical situations successfully, and how to overcome conflicts.The first graduates are full of praise, not only for the innovative course, but also for the accompanying platform, which was recently launched by MCI. As a joint initiative of MCI and the Tyrolean Economic Chamber focusing on research, teaching, and further training the MCI Family Business Center in fact helps strengthen the economic power of owner-managed businesses. Susanne Neuhauser, managing partner of Idealtours, puts it in a nutshell: “I consider it very important and valuable to have a platform at hand which facilitates exchange based on trust and equality.” The participants particularly appreciated the combination of theory and practice. Wolfgang Sief, CEO of SIKO Solar, summarizes his experience as follows: “During the intense course, we were given the opportunity to look at our business from different perspectives and to discuss the theoretical content of the course in relation to our business.”Both participants recommend the new course to all family members who hold a position of responsibility in their family’s business, plan on taking it over, or are in the middle of takeover, irrespective of the size of the company. Susanne Neuhauser believes that, ideally, “predecessors and successors participate together to profit from the mutual exchange.”Anita Zehrer, head of the MCI Family Business Center is delighted with the positive response to the first completed course: “The Family Business study program was developed to help family businesses integrate innovative approaches into their structures, optimize their processes, strategically position their enterprises, and achieve significant overall improvements.”Susanne E. Herzog, head of the MCI Department of Executive Education & Development, adds: “We consider it our responsibility to contribute to the competitive capacity of family-owned businesses with this innovative and practically relevant certificate course.”{phocagallery view=category|categoryid=1234}Press contactMag. (FH) Ulrike Fuchs+43 512 2070-1527ulrike.fuchs@mci.edu

Management Center Innsbruck has once again been ranked as the best Austrian university for management and entrepreneurship in tourism, with Lena Hüttl and Moritz Busch as the award winnersEach year, the prestigious Austrian Society of Applied Research in the Tourism and Leisure Industry (ÖGAF) gives the TOURISSIMUS Award to Austrian universities that are exceptionally successful with their tourism research. Just as in previous years, the tourism courses of the Entrepreneurial School® were able to also win the 2017 TOURISSIMUS Award. The excellent academic papers of its graduates, which were assessed in several categories, earned MCI the popular prize.MCI achieved first place with Lena Hüttl in the Sustainability category and Moritz Busch in the Cities & Destinations category. Lena Hüttl excelled with her thesis “Managing sustainable destination development”, in which she addresses the question of how a destination can control the implementation of sustainable development strategies. In his paper “Destination brand image: independent factor or subject to the service providers’ influence” Moritz Busch deals with the question of in how far service provider experience within a destination influences the consumer-specific brand image of a respective destination. The two outstanding papers laid the foundation for MCI to achieve first place, shared with the Salzburg University of Applied Sciences. The submitted papers were evaluated in three different categories: Tourist Industry, Cities & Destinations, and Sustainability.“To be ranked as the best university within the framework of the TOURISSIMUS Award is another huge success for the MCI tourism team. On this note, I would like to congratulate the successful award winners,” Professor Hubert J. Siller, head of the MCI Department of Tourism Business Studies, emphasizes.{phocagallery view=category|categoryid=1233}Press contactMag. (FH) Ulrike Fuchs+43 512 2070-1527ulrike.fuchs@mci.edu

MCI employee Verena Schallhart is awarded for her excellent research activitiesA total of 136 inspiring papers were presented and discussed during the two-day Research Forum of the Association of Austrian Universities of Applied Sciences (UAS), which took place for the 11th time. The award ceremony for the Best Paper Award was the highlight of the event.The lucky winner of the award was Verena Schallhart, MCI project assistant in engines and emissions research, who excelled with her paper on “Model-based investigations of catalytic converter temperatures in public buses based on typical local driving profiles”.Schallhart’s exceptional research focuses on the temperature profile of catalytic converters in two different driving modes: in inner-city and in typical regional inter-city trips. It is essential to quickly achieve and maintain the required temperature of catalytic converters during regular operation, especially because this benefits the reduction of emissions. Furthermore, Schallhart examined the influence of start-stop systems on the thermal balance of catalytic converters and proved that their benefits only show after achieving the operating temperature.Schallhart’s work was assessed in a double-blind method by members of the UAS Research and Development Committee and, together with two other submissions, honored with the Best Paper Award.This year’s Universities of Applied Sciences Research Forum took place at the end of April at the IMC University of Applied Sciences, Krems; the motto was “Research – Innovation – Value”. As a comprehensive platform for the presentation of diverse research activities and findings, the forum is testimony to the productivity of applied research as conducted by Austrian universities of applied sciences.{phocagallery view=category|categoryid=1237}Press contactMag. (FH) Ulrike Fuchs+43 512 2070-1527ulrike.fuchs@mci.edu

Interesting exchange between business and university – change of perspectives and dialog produce creative impulses and exciting insights for family-owned businesses and studentsTogether with her team Anita Zehrer, head of the MCI Family Business Center, has created a special format to facilitate productive dialog and exchange between the business world and university. Within the framework of a World Café, selected family businesses met with 60 students from the master program in International Business & Management and Entrepreneurship & Tourism.The aim was to inform students about the peculiarities of family-owned enterprises, which are especially important for the local economy. In addition, Anita Zehrer intended to give entrepreneurs the opportunity to actively discuss current issues. Upon conclusion of the event, both entrepreneurs and students agreed that the World Café offered a great format that must be repeated. The participants appreciated in particular the mutual openness and the clever student questions, which brought up interesting ideas and new perspectives for discussion.The students were divided into nine groups, each of which discussed one topic that is particularly relevant to family enterprises, and prepared specific questions they wanted to ask the entrepreneurs. The topics discussed included internationalization, succession, innovation, entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial action, conflict management, and growth. Each group was given 15 minutes to interview the individual entrepreneurs and to ask the questions they had prepared. A summary was presented at the end of the event. The students will share their experience and personal findings with the entrepreneurs involved in the form of a written reflection.MCI would like to thank the following entrepreneurs for their participation: Thomas Auer (Auer Woodwork Manufacturers and Cabinet Makers), Andrea Berghofer (ADLER), Mario Gerber (Gerber Hotels), Elisabeth Hauser (Hotel Stanglwirt), Susanne Neuhauser (Idealtours), Wolfgang Sief (SIKO), Andrea Speckbacher (Eurogast), Harald Ultsch (Hotel Schwarzer Adler, Harry’s Home Hotels) and Martin Wetscher (Wetscher).Comments:Mario Gerber from Gerber Hotels, Kühtai: “It was a great evening with highly motivated students.”Harald Ultsch from the Family Ultsch Hotel Group: “A very successful format – it was important to see which questions students are interested in.”Andrea Berghofer from ADLER, a Tyrolean family business specialized on wood protection and wood paints: “It was great fun! I am impressed by the professional questions that were raised by the students. Congratulations!”Organizer Anita Zehrer: “I am absolutely delighted with the students’ enthusiasm as well as the extraordinary willingness of the family business owners to answer our students’ questions. Providing new impetus for the future, the forum is practically oriented and only one of the many innovative formats offered by MCI’s center for students and family businesses.”{phocagallery view=category|categoryid=1230}Press contactMag. (FH) Ulrike Fuchs+43 512 2070-1527ulrike.fuchs@mci.edu

First-time participation of the Entrepreneurial School® in the European Commission’s international university ranking yields top ratings for quality of teaching, internationality, and the transfer of knowledgeFounded on the initiative of the European Commission in 2014, the international U-Multirank university ranking already analyzes 1,500 universities with more than 10,500 degree programs from 99 countries across the globe.Besides the comprehensive information collected about participating universities, the analysis of publication and patent databases, and the assessment of statistical data, also more than 100,000 student opinions on the quality of teaching at their universities were taken into account.MCI participated in the U-Multirank ranking for the first time with its degree courses in social sciences and economics. MCI achieved top results straight off in the following categories: International Orientation Teaching & Learning Particularly positive results were achieved for international orientation of bachelor and master programs, high student mobility, international academic staff, and an excellent graduation rate. MCI can also be proud of excellent ratings in the Knowledge Transfer category, with top results obtained for private third party funding, academic spin-offs, and an extraordinarily well-positioned further training program. Comments:European Commissioner for Education, Culture, Youth and Sport Tibor Navracsics highlights the significance of U-Multirank as providing a basis for decision-making: “U-Multirank gives students, parents and other stakeholders a valuable insight into the higher education institutions of their choice, across a range of parameters. This is vital to help drive informed decisions.”Head of MCI Quality Management Brigitte Auer is delighted: “The most important success factors for MCI include excellent teaching, international orientation and networking, as well as innovation and the transfer of know-how. The fact that we have been able to achieve top results in precisely these disciplines in the U-Multirank ranking is the reward for our continuous efforts to maintain quality.”MCI Rector Andreas Altmann adds: “These great results simultaneously provide motivation and an assignment to develop our range of offers further. As a university we are proud to be able to make a valuable contribution to the development of the location of science and business.”U-Multirank fast facts:U-Multirank is the largest multidimensional and user-driven university ranking world-wide. The ranking is supported by the European Commission. Currently, it includes some 1,500 higher education institutions from 99 countries around the globe. In comparison to conventional university rankings, which consider only two to three percent of all universities, U-Multirank draws attention also to smaller and specialized universities. U-Multirank users include students, researchers, decision-makers of the academic and business world, as well as employers. The ranking facilitates the comparison of different universities in up to 16 subject areas.According to an international press release, U-Multirank looks into “hidden gem” universities.Further information and results of the U-Multirank university comparison: www.umultirank.org{phocagallery view=category|categoryid=1229}Press contactMag. (FH) Ulrike Fuchs+43 512 2070-1527ulrike.fuchs@mci.edu

MCI hosts this year’s Chemical and Process Engineering Mini Symposium of Austrian technical universities, and is given the Best Poster AwardThis year, MCI hosted the Mini Symposium of the Chemical and Process Engineering platform of renowned technical universities in Austria. The participants included the Vienna University of Technology, the Graz University of Technology, the University of Leoben, the Technical University of Munich, the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna, the Johannes Kepler University Linz, Management Center Innsbruck, as well as research institutions and platforms such as RCPE, AEE, K1-MET, and Forschung Burgenland. 41 interesting presentations were given and discussed in the different sessions, each with an individual orientation.MCI is delighted not only with the success of the event itself and the exchange with high-class colleagues, but also with the achievement of one of its researchers: Sabrina Dumfort received the Best Poster Award for her presentation about “Investigating the microbial wood degradation process by respirometric tests”.MCI congratulates on the achievement!{phocagallery view=category|categoryid=1238}

The Entrepreneurial School®, Innsbruck honors Doctor of Science Werner Stadlmayr with the title of ProfessorIn appreciation of his achievements in research, teaching, and the development of the university sector, as well as of his exemplary translation of research results into teaching, Management Center Innsbruck (MCI) recently conferred the title of Professor on Doctor of Science Werner Stadlmayr. The enthusiastic scientist Stadlmayr completed his chemistry studies as well as his dissertation in physical chemistry at the University of Innsbruck with honors. He has worked as a lecturer at MCI since 2012 and since 2014, he has been the study coordinator for mathematics and physics at the Department of Environmental, Process & Energy Engineering. This honor signals the next step in Professor Stadlmayr’s academic career.Stadlmayr’s qualifications do not only include a range of outstanding scientific achievements, prizes, and scholarships, but also excellent teaching skills. Due to his extraordinary talent for teaching at university level, he is held in high esteem by both students and colleagues. Thus, his inaugural address, with the title “Teaching and Research – A Powerful (but Difficult) Synthesis”, described the two sides of his occupation from an abstract philosophical perspective in a highly entertaining way. Teaching and research are based on different intellectual approaches, which, at first sight, seem to make a harmonious synthesis impossible. While research focuses on the generation of new scientific insights, operates according to strictly logical rules, and describes objectifiable circumstances, teaching is also concerned with humans and their behavior and, moreover, guided by a subjective worldview. According to Stadlmayr, the link between the two is consistency, that is, for example, the consistent development of teaching contents and methods of correct reasoning.CV of Professor Werner StadlmayrMCI Rector Andreas Altmann and Head of the Academic Council and Professor Franz Pegger handed over the certificate of appointment to Stadlmayr in the presence of his family, companions, colleagues, and students.{phocagallery view=category|categoryid=1226}Press contactMag. (FH) Ulrike Fuchs+43 512 2070-1527ulrike.fuchs@mci.edu

Inspiring panel session with renowned EU expertsOn March 30, 2017, Europa Club Uni discussed the great European questions of our time under the theme of “Diversity & Cohesion: Taking Stock of Project Europe”. The event centered on discussing strengthening the social, economic, and territorial cohesion in the European Union as one of the primary goals of the club at a time during which this cohesion is threatened by current social, political, and economic challenges.The panel discussion, which was hosted by the bachelor program in Nonprofit, Social & Health Care Management, the Europa Club Uni event series, and the daily newspaper Der Standard at Management Center Innsbruck for the fourth time, offered students an interesting mix of critical perspectives, future visions, and partly passionate pleas for a common Europe. This year, once again, prominent speakers were welcomed to the discussion: Ulrike Lunacek (Vice-President of the European Parliament), Stefan Imhof (head of Division IV: Coordination at the Federal Chancellery), Verena Ringler (project manager responsible for international communication at the Mercator Foundation), and Belachew Gebrewold (Head of Department and Studies for Social Work at MCI). The discussion was led by Der Standard Deputy Editor-in-Chief Rainer Schüller, who interviewed the panelists about topics such as migration, climate change, Brexit, and civil society.Has the European integration project finally failed?This question is currently keeping all Europeans in suspense. “MCI openly commits to the European concept”, the host Rector Andreas Altmann stated in his opening address, and thus reminded the audience of the opportunities and prospects, which the European Union has made available to us and which would have been unthinkable in former times. In his welcome address Paul Schmidt, Secretary General of the Austrian Society for European Politics, continued in a similar vein: he emphasized that we must not take all of the European Union’s achievements for granted. We are living in a very challenging but also exciting time, which is likely to enter the history books.Right at the beginning of her talk Ulrike Lunacek made clear that the former European rationale of “no more war” was no longer sufficient to maintain a European identity. “A true sense of unity and community spirit that defines us as European regardless of the member state we come from […] – this is what we need to work towards in order to regain positive momentum.” In the past, essential actions needed to create a common identity, such as the implementation of shared tax and fiscal policies, had been neglected.A further focus of the event was on the urgent topics of refugees and migration. In this context, MCI migration expert Belachew Gebrewold pointed out that the European states had previously failed to take the causes of this current crises, for example climate change and globalization, seriously. Now it was high time to foster international cooperation in order to find common ground. It was time to step in for an economic system which would benefit all, instead of merely providing charitable measures.When Stefan Imhof from the Federal Chancellery was asked about the next big issue of the day, Brexit, he explained how it had caused a great deal of shock. In view of the ongoing sequence of EU crises which began in 2008 with the financial crisis and continued with the Great Recession, the Eurozone crisis, and the European migrant crisis to finally culminate in Brexit, the Union was too busy calming the waves to even think about the future. The general political nature of the future relationship between the EU and Great Britain would become more apparent in the following two years.Verena Ringler from the Mercator foundation sees Brexit as a kind of wake-up call, for “times of crisis are always also times of development.” Europe’s future would depend mainly on participatory processes as well as European citizens approaching one another. Specific ideas, such as giving every 18-year-old a free Interrail pass as a birthday present, are already circulating and being discussed by the European Parliament. Action must also come from the Europeans themselves, who should let go of the idea of Brussels as their savior.Concluding questions from the audience initiated a lively exchange between students and speakers, revealing interesting facts and relations. We would like to thank all the contributors and look forward to a reunion with Europa Club Uni in 2018!{phocagallery view=category|categoryid=1231}Bachelor study program Nonprofit, Social & Health Care ManagementEuropa Club UniPress contactMag. (FH) Ulrike Fuchs+43 512 2070-1527ulrike.fuchs@mci.edu

The completely sold-out South Tyrolean Economic Forum, with the topic of “The Digital Challenge”, inspired leading figures from Italy, Austria, and GermanyThe high-quality program of the 13th South Tyrolean Economic Forum attracted 400 renowned guests to Brixen, not only to participate in interesting lectures, but also to seize the opportunity for an exchange of ideas. In addition to the international program, the event also offered the unique opportunity to make and maintain contact with decision makers from Italy, Germany, and Austria.Following the welcome address by South Tyrol’s Governor and Economic Minister Arno Kompatscher, lecturers from all over the world presented an interesting program which, this year, was dedicated to the complex digital challenges faced by the business world and society. International experts highlighted the topic from different perspectives:Robert Tibbo, human rights advocate and accomplice in the escape of whistleblower Edward Snowden, discussed an extreme form of digital communication and spoke of (moral) courage as well as the unusual ways by which he was able to help his clients flee from the danger zone.Hap Klopp, founder of the global brand The North Face®, talked about dissatisfaction, creative thinking, and good timing as his success factors. From his point of view, the most important innovation of the past years has been a new form of innovation, namely open innovation and the delight in bringing together know-how from different disciplines.Christian Liensberger, a South Tyrolean employee at Microsoft, Seattle, heads the team that is responsible for the development of the digital assistant Cortana. He expects virtual digital assistants to present a revolution comparable to that of the Internet itself. Already today, 100 million people use Cortana at least once a month.Silvia Vianello, internationally experienced expert in digital marketing and professor at the renowned SDA Bocconi University School of Management, critically dealt with new technologies, whose application may at times be tricky. If employees are not sufficiently trained, new technologies can cause more costs than benefits.The event was hosted by Management Center Innsbruck in collaboration with the publishing company business bestseller, the Südstern network for South Tyroleans abroad, and the Südtiroler Sparkasse foundation.Preview:The next South Tyrolean Economic Forum will take place on Friday, March 16, 2018.Further information:www.wirtschaftsforum.it{phocagallery view=category|categoryid=1223}Press contactMag. (FH) Ulrike Fuchs+43 512 2070-1527ulrike.fuchs@mci.edu

Graduates of the Entrepreneurial School® have been awarded for their outstanding theses in health promotion, e-health, and healthcareIn the context of the Austrian Health Economy Congress the best master projects in the field of health economy were recently honored. This prestigious prize for applied research is awarded in four categories. Among the twelve award winners are four graduates of the MCI Master’s program in International Health & Social Management.Isabel Geiger achieved second place in the Healthcare category for her Master’s thesis “Integrated Care: Do Austrian INTEGRI Projects Comply with International Concepts? – A Validation of the INTEGRI Criteria”, as has Lisa Lore Hasenöhrl in the E-Health category for her paper “An Analysis of Communication Strategies and Citizen Compliance of Health Service Lines as Basis for the TEWEB Project in Austria”.In the Health Promotion category two MCI graduates stood out: Alexander Lackner achieved second place for his Master’s thesis titled “Tobacco Use among Medical Students in Austria – A Cross-Sectional Multi-Center Study Using the Global Health Professions Student Survey (GHPSS)”, Anna-Sophia Bilgeri was awarded third place for her paper “The Influence of Capital and Capabilities on the Development of Regional Health Targets”.The English-language Master’s program in International Health & Social Management offered at MCI is among the most renowned study programs in this field in Europe, cooperating closely with high-ranking universities such as the University of Economics, Prague, the Erasmus University Rotterdam, the University of Bologna, and others. The course tackles the increasing challenges of health and social services and provides students with an ideal basis for national and international careers in health management and NGOs. Siegfried Walch, head of the International Health & Social Management Department at MCI, is delighted with his graduates: “These distinctions are a testimony to the commitment of the graduates of our internationally-oriented master courses in the health management sector and they demonstrate their capacity, due to the practical relevance of their studies, to contribute directly to the solution of important social and economic problems.”The Health Research Award is awarded by the Austrian Economic Chambers platform for health economy in the categories for “Management in Healthcare”, “Healthcare”, “Health Promotion”, and “E-Health”. The award honors the best theses written within the framework of Austrian study programs in health economy. Submitted papers are evaluated using the double-blind method. The best candidates then face a demanding hearing.Master study program International Health & Social Management{phocagallery view=category|categoryid=1225}Press contactMag. (FH) Ulrike Fuchs+43 512 2070-1527ulrike.fuchs@mci.edu

Federal chancellor Christian Kern visits the Management Center Innsbruck - joint event organized with the Industrialists Union of Tyrol - making Austria fit for the future through innovation - clear commitment to a shared EuropeA great day at MCI: In a joint event organized with the Industrialists Union of Tyrol, Federal Chancellor Mag. Christian Kern was welcomed having been invited to take part in the lecture series “MCI Alumni and Friends”. Kern had already been a guest at MCI during his time as CEO of the ÖBB . Now he again accepted MCI Rector Andreas Altmann’s invitation.Federal Chancellor Kern began with a clear commitment to Austria. Appointed Chancellor 10 months ago, he wished to contribute to safeguarding social and economic achievements and to positioning Austria at the forefront of these positive developments. This aim implied an unerring commitment to change.In a diversionary lecture to students, teaching staff, numerous representatives of industry and friends and partners of MCI, Federal Chancellor Kern presented his political vision for Austria. The present era of change is based on two great forces: globalisation and technological development. Both have an enormous influence on economics and the lives of people and would also present enormous opportunities. One would, however, have to admit that many citizens have lost the ability to see these opportunities, a fact that has been abused by some political forces. Therefore Austria requires an effective social policy, focusing on solidarity and justice, work and employment as the foundations of prosperity and providing the key to numerous social aims.The aim of politics is to make Austria fit for the future. This requires future-oriented measures such as concpets concerning energy supply, financial support for startups and employment for older citizens.Subsequently he turned to the European Union, founded as an ambitious peace project and constituting the greatest global economic region with its 500 million inhabitants. He encouraged the audience not to let nationalism determine the further development of the European Union. His commitment is to a strong Austria within a strong Europe. The Europe of the future must be a Europe of the people and include a social perspective.He closed by quoting Bob Kennedy – “Few members of our generation are granted the opportunity to make a difference and make history” and stating that“This cannot be achieved by the Chancellor alone. But it is the experience and commitment of many individuals that determines the fate of the masses.”{phocagallery view=category|categoryid=1213}Press contactMag. (FH) Ulrike Fuchs+43 512 2070-1527ulrike.fuchs@mci.edu

The Entrepreneurial School® in Innsbruck awarded PD Dr. Thomas Stöckl with a professorshipIn recognition of his achievements in teaching, research and dissemination of knowledge MCI recently awarded PD Dr Thomas Stöckl a professorship. Thomas Stöckl is a finance market economist with a research focus on experimental finance market research. He has profound scientific qualifications, excellent teaching skills and has made substantial contributions to the development of the Entrepreneurial School®.After finishing his studies in business administration and political economics and his dissertation in social and economic sciences at the Leopold Franzens University Innsbruck there followed as assistantship and post-doc years at the Department of Banking and Finance at Innsbruck University, headed by Univ. Prof. Jürgen Huber and Univ. Prof. Dr. Michael Kirchler, as well as research and teaching appointments at the renowned California Institute of Technology (Caltech) in Pasadena/California and at the University of Aarhus in Denmark. In 2015 this was followed by his habilitation with the venia docendi in business administration. Since 2015 Thomas Stöckl has been employed to teach and research at MCI and has devoted his energy to the development of the nascent department “business administration online”-Curriculum Vitae FH-Prof. PD Dr.Thomas StöcklIn the presence of family, friends, colleagues and students, Thomas Stöckl held his inaugural lecture and demonstrated his research and teaching credentials. The focus of his inaugural lecture was based on the research paper co-authored with Stefan Palan entitled “When chasing the offender hurts the victim: the case of insider legislation”, an exponential study on the influence of insider legislation on trading behaviour, achieved profits and market performance. Subsequently, the head of the faculty Univ.Prof.FH Prof.Dr.Franz Pegger and MCI rector Andreas Altmann jointly presented him with the letter of appointment{phocagallery view=category|categoryid=1211}Press contactMag. (FH) Ulrike Fuchs+43 512 2070-1527ulrike.fuchs@mci.edu

MCI graduate, Julia Wäger is awarded the renowned prize of the German Association of Tourism (DGT) - MCI Tourism wins for the sixth time in a row.This is the sixth time that a graduate of MCI tourism department has won the DGT science prize. On the opening day of the ITB, the largest tourism fair worldwide, Julia Wäger succeeded in gaining the coveted award in the category “the best paper by a young talent”.Julia Wäger convinced the DGT jury with her thesis: “The influence of CSR activities on the purchase decisions of consumers in Austrian small and middle-sized hotel businesses”. The supervisor of her master thesis, Prof Dr Anita Zehrer praised in particular the scientific quality of the thesis and emphasized its practical relevance: “I congratulate Ms. Wäger on her successful thesis, which will find recognition in the hotel industry as well as all medium-sized businesses.”“I am particularly delighted that after five awards in series, once again out of all of the numerous applications one of our graduates was successful in the double blind evaluations”, claims Hubert Siller, Head of the MCI Tourism Business Department , after the award ceremony in Berlin. "My congratulations to the award winner, Julia Wägner and her instructor, Anita Zehrer in equal measure.”At the ITB the German Association of Tourism (DGT) bestows the annual DGT Science Award for excellent final theses presented in tourism programs. In 2017 these awards were presented for the 23rd time. The graduates of the year 2015/2016 could hand in their tourism-based theses in accordance with four categories: best master thesis on eTourism, best master thesis on Sustainability in Tourism, best dissertation/PhD, best young academic thesis.{phocagallery view=category|categoryid=1212}Press contactMag. (FH) Ulrike Fuchs+43 512 2070-1527ulrike.fuchs@mci.edu

A further success story for the Entrepreneurial School® - 1st place in the overall ranking provided by the Industriemagazin (ex aequo with FH Upper Austria) - 13 study courses with top 10 rankings - Austria‘s employers affirm the excellent quality of the Entrepreneurial School®.MCI Management Center Innsbruck has once again convincingly affirmed its continuous high quality work. In the recently published ranking of the Austrian Industriemagazin, MCI achieved an impressive overall score of 2.26, and first place in the ranking.Economics hot spotThe ranking called MCI an “economics hot spot”. A whole series of courses that are part of the 24 curricular courses of MCI attained first ranks. Particularly the rankings in economic sciences and management are notable: the three main top spots in this category are gained exclusively by MCI, with three further placements amongst the first eight to follow. Excellent results were also attained by the mechatronics courses as well as the courses in food technology and nutrition.Individual placements:Management and general business administration BWL International business and management (MA, 1st place) Economics and management and/or business and management (BA ,2nd place) Management, communications and IT (MA, 3rd place) Strategic management and law (MA, 5th place) Management and law (BA, 7th place) Management, communication and IT (BA, 6th place) Economics, other Entrepreneurship and tourism (MA, 6th place) Non-profit, social and health management (BA, 9th place) Automation and electronics Mechatronics (BA, 6th place) Mechatronics and smart technology (MA, tied 6th place) Biotechnology, ecological and process technology Food technology and nutrition (MA, 4th place) Food and raw materials technology (BA, 9th place) Technology, other Industrial engineering (BA, 4th place) Brigitte Auer, Head of MCI Quality Management, is delighted by the positive results: “Excellent quality in research and teaching as well as a consistent commitment to achievement belong to the founding principles of MCI. We are very pleased for our students that these efforts are being acknowledged by the industry."Brigitte Huter, Head of the MCI Career Centre, prepares students for their careers with a comprehensive service package: “The employability of our students plays an important role in the evaluation of our curricula. Specific training and workshops with an emphasis on a broad range of competencies and social skills complement their studies and prepare our students for the challenges of the world of work."Commissioned by the Austrian Industriemagazin the online market and opinion research institute “meinungsraum.at” interviewed 641 leaders of Austrian industry about their impressions of the quality of FH courses relevant to industry between 24th January and 10th February 2017. The interviewees were asked about the quality and recognition of 318 study courses overall. Next to numerous positive individual assessments, MCI achieved first place with the excellent overall mark of 2.26 shared with the FH Upper Austria.{phocagallery view=category|categoryid=1089}Press contactMag. (FH) Ulrike Fuchs+43 512 2070-1527ulrike.fuchs@mci.eduFurther informationMCI Student ServicesStudying at MCI MCI Executive Education

Christina Komuczki, graduate of the Master’s degree course in International Business & Management, was awarded the Austrian Economic Chambers prize for her outstanding thesis about multi-channel marketing.MCI – especially the Business & Management department – is delighted by the news: Christina Komuczki, who successfully completed her part-time Master’s degree course in International Business & Management last year, was awarded the popular Zukunft|Wirtschaft (Future|Business) scholarship by the Austrian Economic Chambers for her Master’s thesis titled “Cannibalization of the Online and Offline Channels in the Jewelry Industry”.Komuczki’s master thesis discusses different distribution channels and addresses in particular the challenge of integrating online marketing into a multi-channel strategy exemplified by the jewelry industry. Her thesis, which is based on a case study, stands out not only due to its high practical and scientific relevance, but also due to its excellent application of data analysis. Thesis advisor and MCI Professor Claudia Brauer praises her work: “In her Master’s thesis, Miss Komuczki tackles a rather new research topic. The results and conclusions are of great interest to both practitioners and researchers.” Bernd Kirschner adds: “This is an exemplary piece of work by a committed student – I can only congratulate.”An expert jury consisting of professors, economists and employees of the Austrian Economic Chambers assessed a total of 60 submissions with respect to their quality. The evaluation criteria included topicality, focus, integrity, results, and practical relevance. Further aspects considered were the structure and coherence of the works and their methodological procedure. The three best works were each awarded the Zukunft|Wirtschaft scholarship.Since 2014 the Austrian Economic Chambers have annually awarded the Zukunft|Wirtschaft scholarship for outstanding scientific papers written by students or graduates of Austrian universities in the fields of law, social sciences, and economy. Submissions may include diploma and master theses as well as dissertations which address a business or location-specific topic. The works should focus on the current conditions of the business community and business activities and their improvement.{phocagallery view=category|categoryid=1207}Press contactMag. (FH) Ulrike Fuchs+43 512 2070-1527ulrike.fuchs@mci.eduFurther informationMaster study program International Business & ManagementStudy programsExecutive EducationFurther MCI news

Eight cutting-edge research projects awarded state grant – safeguarding Tyrol’s competitiveness as a location for business and scienceNo fewer than eight fascinating research projects from the Entrepreneurial School® succeeded in being granted subsidies from the Tyrolean Science Fund (TWF). The supported projects range from such topics as process engineering to electronic measuring systems, lean production, fluid dynamics, renewable energy, valorization of biomass, food technology, and family businesses.The following projects have received the Science Fund’s recognition: Laser optical survey of swirling flow with high velocity gradients (head of project: Benjamin Massow) Ionic fluid membrane for the cleaning of biogas (head of project: Marc Koch) "Lean Production" for SMBs (head of project: Anita Klotz) Animal feedstuff quality assurance (head of project: Nataly Knöpfle) Bionic fiber-reinforced plastics (head of project: Thomas Rettenwander) SMBs’ potential for innovation in the context of generational transition (head of project: Gabriela Leiß) Semi-ceramic carrier materials in catalytic converters for reducing vehicle emissions (head of project: Lukas Möltner) Reaction mechanism and kinetics of hydorthermal carbonization (head of project: Werner Stadlmayr) The Tyrolean Science Fund was set up by the state of Tyrol for the promotion of scientific research and the support of young researchers, and the safeguarding of the international competitiveness of Tyrol. The Entrepreneurial School® sees in the TWF grants an extraordinary token of appreciation on the part of the state of Tyrol. The subsidies support cutting-edge applied research projects focusing on real-world problems faced by industry.{phocagallery view=category|categoryid=1202}Press contactMag. (FH) Ulrike Fuchs+43 512 2070-1527ulrike.fuchs@mci.eduFurther informationStudy programsExecutive EducationFurther MCI news