Semester abroad without barriers: Award for the University of Graz

Minister of Science and Research Eva-Maria Holzleitner (first from left) and OeAD Managing Director Jakob Calice (first from right) with the award winners and runners-up in the category “Measures to promote mobility for underrepresented student groups.”

The University of Graz has been awarded the Internationalization Award for its new inclusion initiative. Students with fewer opportunities now also receive financial support for their semester abroad outside Europe.

For many students, a semester abroad is one of the highlights of their studies. To make this dream come true, there is the Erasmus+ program, which has been supporting applicants for decades in transferring to a European university. Such a leap into the unknown requires a good dose of courage from everyone. All the more so when there are additional personal limitations. The Erasmus+ program also offers funding opportunities for this.

However, these special mobility programs are limited to the European higher education area. At least until now. The University of Graz has now launched its own inclusion funding program for student mobility outside the Erasmus program, which is specifically aimed at people with fewer opportunities. For this, it was awarded the “Internationalization Award” by the Federal Ministry of Women, Science and Research (BMFWF) and the OeAD, Austria's Agency for Education and Internationalization. Among twelve award-winning projects, the University of Graz came in third place in the category “Measures to promote mobility for underrepresented student groups.”

“We were repeatedly asked why comparable support to that offered by the Erasmus+ program did not also exist for other stays abroad,” explains Petra Rabitsch, who initiated the project together with Karin Schwach, Sarah Zapusek from the Coordination Office for Gender Studies and Equality, and Barbara Levc from the Center for Integrated Studies. “That got us thinking. After all, our goal is to make it as easy as possible for students to go abroad, and that means all students. So, with support from other departments, we began to develop an application process that is as barrier-free as possible.”

New opportunities

At the award ceremony, Minister of Science Eva-Maria Holzleitner emphasized the importance of international mobility: “It creates opportunities and opens doors, broadens horizons, and strengthens social cohesion in a global world. Everyone should have the opportunity to learn, research, and develop new perspectives across borders, regardless of gender, origin, or financial means,” emphasized Science Minister Eva-Maria Holzleitner at the award ceremony. OeAD Managing Director Calice also highlighted this diversity: “The Internationalization Award brings outstanding examples to the fore, which should inspire other universities to continue investing in their international orientation.”

For Vice Rector for Internationalization & Equality, Mireille van Poppel, the award is an important confirmation on the path to greater equality. “International mobility should not be a privilege. At the University of Graz, we want to make this experience possible for all students, regardless of their personal, social, or financial circumstances.”

In the first application phase for students, there were already two applications that were approved. And since there is currently no upper limit, students can apply for funding flexibly at any time.

All information about opportunities for a semester abroad, internships abroad, summer schools, and short-term programs can be found at the Office for International Relations.

Roman Vilgut

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