Oman hosts IMC Krems delegation

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Representatives of the IMC University of Applied Sciences Krems visited the University of Buraimi (UoB) in Oman, the Middle East’s first Arab-European higher education institution, from 8–11 January. The IMC Krems has been instrumental in setting up the new university.

: University of Buraimi students with staff from the IMC Krems

Headed by IMC Krems CEO Prof. Heinz Boyer, the Buraimi project has focused on establishing the required organisational and academic structures at the university. Regular bachelor programmes were launched there in October 2011 after two years of detailed preparations that included a number of trial courses. The latest visit centred on training and on exchanging notes in relation to marketing and PR, and quality management.

Located in northern Oman, the University of Buraimi is Austria’s largest education export to date, with a value of some EUR 40 million. The teaching programme kicked off last autumn with 400 students. The IMC University of Applied Sciences Krems is the lead institution in a consortium formed specifically for the UoB project. The other members are the University of Vienna, the Vienna University of Technology, FH Campus Wien and the University of Bradford (UK).

Prof. Karl Ennsfellner, IMC Krems Vice Rector, Head of the International Department and Director of Transnational Programmes and Projects, is especially proud of Krems’ pioneer status as the first Austrian higher education provider to gain a foothold in the booming Gulf region. “Besides being Austria’s biggest ever education export, this flagship project will also open up a range of new opportunities for expansion in the Gulf states,” commented Prof. Ennsfellner.

Bachelor programmes in Business Administration and E-Business Management, and Export-Oriented Management – both based on the Krems curriculum – started in September 2011.

In Prof. Boyer’s view the Buraimi project underlines the unique international focus of the IMC Krems. It has one of the most highly developed networks of any European university, with 90 partner universities worldwide, and excellent relations with business and industry. “We offer our students an outstanding international environment in which they can lay solid foundations for their careers,” he explained.

The official welcome ceremony was followed by a meeting where Prof. Ennsfellner and the other IMC Krems representatives discussed the future direction of the partnership with their Omani counterparts. The remainder of the visit was devoted to in-depth training and an exchange of views with University of Buraimi staff.