Exchange semesters at IMC Krems

The semester course content will be broken down into two main segments:

• Theory: “The Big Picture” (history, economy, political and cultural parameters)
• Practice: How to successfully communicate / do business in the colorful & diverse European environment

Upon completion of the course the students will be able to:

• describe the major stages of historical, political and geo-political development of Austria and Europe
• identify the major “European players” (states, inter-governmental organizations, etc.) in a global context 
• define current economic challenges, opportunities and threats in Austria and Europe
• reflect on Austria’s and Europe’s role in the world
• identify opportunities the European Union offers individuals and businesses 
• define fundamental elements and players of the Austrian political and business world 
• describe particularities of the Austrian and European business sector and identify basic features of the business etiquette in Austria and Europe (“Do’s & Don’ts”) 
• recognize fundamental features of Austria’s general culture and identity
• consider and evaluate criteria for starting a business in Europe

The semester course content will be broken down into two main segments:

• Interactive working methods (e.g. Design Thinking, Storytelling)
• Best practice cases in tourism with a focus on the introduction of new products in tourism, digitization, regional development and niche tourism

Upon completion of the course, the students will be able to:

• define fundamental elements for the introduction of a new product on the tourism market
• reflect on the challenges and opportunities of digitisation in tourism
• recognise the constant need for tourism regions to adopt to external changes in the environment and develop their offers
• identify sectors of niche tourism and recognise the necessity for clear target groups
• apply different creative working methods like design thinking and storytelling
• consider learnings from best practice cases in tourism and use them for personal work experiences

This class presents contemporary and important terms and concepts of sustainable development, both in society and business, and to what extent such development drives innovation – or whether innovation drives sustainability? We will look into the idea of social as well as technological innovation and ask, which of these two approaches might be more important in contributing to the ongoing global transformation. International examples of applied sustainable business models, such as circular economy, address the question of how organizations can strategically and efficiently accommodate sustainability and innovation. Next to learning about theoretical concepts students will also learn about guidelines, methods and tools for practical application of the theoretical knowledge in a business context.

After completing this class students are capable of

• explaining basic concepts, objectives, and important terminology of sustainable development
• understanding and distinguishing technological from social innovation
• illustrating the significance and application of sustainable development in a business context

This course takes place during the Welcome Week and is compulsory for all exchange students.

The course is designed to combine various teaching approaches: A lecture-style introduction will be followed by team-building activities (workshops, first acquaintance of incoming students and their local buddies) which sharpens intercultural awareness among the participants. An excursion will allow students to experience the physical, cultural and social environment of their host region.

This course teaches the basics of the German language.

This course deepens existing knowledge of German.