A Global Network

At the master’s level, WU made a new cooperation agreement with the University of Connecticut (USA) in 2016. This partnership is aimed especially at students in the Master’s Program in Supply Chain Management, who can attend the UConn School of Business’ Master’s Program in Business Analytics and Project Management (MSBAPM).

In response to the growing demand for exchange places in English-speaking countries, a new cooperation agreement for bachelor’s-level students is now in place with Great Britain’s University of Glasgow, Adam Smith School of Business.

Global Networks

From international exchange programs, to supporting management education in developing countries, to initiatives for globally responsible and sustainable action: As a member of important international education networks, WU lives up to its responsibility.

Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME)

The major business scandals over the past few years have demonstrated the importance of addressing the concept of responsibility at universities. Integrating sustainability and social responsibility into its students’ education has been a priority at WU for a long time, which is why we are a member of the PRME network . In 2016, WU presented its first Sustainability Report, which shows clearly how strongly the principles of responsible management education are anchored in all areas of our institution.

• In its teaching, WU aims to provide its students with knowledge of the social and environmental context of business activities. Graduates should have the necessary skills to think and act sustainably. To achieve this, we offer a variety of courses on a wide range of sustainability-related topics. At least one of these courses is required in our bachelor’s programs, and master’s-level students can select to specialize in sustainability in the Socio-Ecological Economics and Policy program.
• Responsibility is also integrated into our executive education programs. The Professional MBA program emphasizes responsible leadership, and CSR and ethics are anchored in the curriculum. The Professional MBA in Energy Management also focuses on many sustainability-related topics.
• WU’s students benefit from our research-based teaching and the integration of relevant research findings into class syllabi. At WU, research on social responsibility and sustainability takes place in all our departments, in fields like socio-ecological development, management and governance, social innovation, and resource and supply chain management. WU’s researchers are in contact with the international scientific community, the media, and political decision makers.
• WU’s modern campus sets new standards in university architecture, green operations, and workplace design. We make every effort to keep our university’s environmental footprint as small as possible, while still maintaining the highest quality working and studying conditions. WU received EMAS (Eco-Management and Audit Scheme) and ISO 14001:2015 certification in 2016.
• WU also tries to be a role model as a family-friendly organization and was awarded the hochschuleundfamilie audit certification in 2013. As a public university and an employer, making sure that WU is free of discrimination for both employees and students is not only a legal requirement but also one of our highest priorities. This is why the Rector’s Council has established a Gender and Diversity Policy Office responsible for creating awareness and implementing concrete measures in this area.

Globally Responsible Leadership Initiative (GRLI)

WU joined the Globally Responsible Leadership Initiative (GRLI) in 2016. This network brings together 48 companies and educational institutions dedicated to creating economic and social progress through globally responsible and sustainable action. Membership in GRLI is a further step towards firmly establishing the topics responsibility, readiness to engage in dialog, and interconnected, sustainable thinking in our teaching.

Partnership in International Management (PIM)

PIM is an association of 62 leading universities and business schools, with the aim of facilitating student mobility. WU is the only Austrian university included in this exclusive network, and over 80% of the member schools are WU partner universities. Currently, approximately 50 of these universities offer exchange places to WU students on the master’s level. In the 2015/16 academic year, 264 WU students chose to go to a PIM member school on international exchange, and 267 incoming exchange students from PIM universities came to WU for a semester.

International Legal Network of Excellence (THEMIS)

The first eight WU students participated in the International Legal Network of Excellence (THEMIS) exchange program in the fall of 2016. This program focuses on international business law and consists of three parts: an exchange semester abroad, an internship, and a seminar. After completion, students are awarded a Joint Certificate in International and Business Law. The goal of the THEMIS program is to set new standards in business law education.

Global Business School Network (GBSN)

Building networks and sharing knowledge is one of the most important functions of academic cooperation. The Global Business School Network (GBSN), an association of outstanding business and economics universities, aims to promote management education in developing countries. WU supports this goal, for example by providing scholarships for the International Summer University^WU program to high-potential students from GBSN schools in developing countries.

The Central European Exchange Program for University Studies (CEEPUS)

The Central European Exchange Program for University Studies (CEEPUS) promotes student and faculty mobility in Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe. The AMADEUS network, coordinated by WU, is one of the largest CEEPUS networks, with 14 partner universities in twelve countries. In the 2015/16 academic year, the University of Banja Luka (Bosnia-Herzegovina) was welcomed as the newest member in the AMADEUS network. CEEPUS gave 26 students from Central and Eastern Europe the opportunity to spend an exchange semester at WU, and nine guest lecturers came to Vienna to share their expertise with WU’s students.

Austria-Illinois Exchange Program

WU has a particularly intensive exchange program with the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign. This cooperation gives WU students the opportunity to spend a semester in the USA at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. In return, students from Illinois come to Vienna to spend a semester at WU.

The cooperation with the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign was further strengthened in 2016. In May, WU introduced the course “Negotiating Internationally,” which is attended by students from both universities. The two schools also agreed to increase the number of exchange places available at the master’s level, especially for students in the Master’s Program in Socio-Ecological Economics and Policy.

Network for European and US Regional and Urban Studies (NEURUS)

As a member of the Network for European and US Regional and Urban Studies (NEURUS), WU cooperates with partner schools in the field of urban and regional development. The program gives students the opportunity to spend a semester as a NEURUS Exchange Fellow, conducting research for their master’s or doctoral thesis at one of the partner universities.

Societal Impact and Global Management Alliance (SIGMA)

The goal of SIGMA is to strengthen the cooperation between outstanding universities who take an integrated approach to research and teaching. WU has been a member of this exclusive alliance since 2015.

CEMS – More than Just a Network

CEMS (The Global Alliance in Management Education) is one of WU’s most important strategic alliances, along with PIM. Joint activities with CEMS include research initiatives, events, symposia, academic programs, and PhD-level courses. The main element of the network is the Master in International Management degree program. Students complete an exchange semester at a CEMS university and an international internship. In Austria, the renowned CEMS program is available exclusively at WU. In 2016, 293 students applied for admission, and 71 students from 20 different countries were accepted.

In the current Financial Times Masters in Management ranking, the WU/CEMS Master in International Management program comes in at an outstanding eighth place.

Best Teaching Awards

WU has repeatedly been the recipient of CEMS awards. In 2016, two of the coveted Best Teaching Awards went to WU: The CEMS Course of the Year Award was presented to Phillip Nell for his Global Strategic Management course, and he and his colleague Diego Stea from Copenhagen Business School were pleased to accept the Block Seminar of the Year Award.

Career Forum

WU hosted the CEMS Career Forum for the third year in a row in 2016. On November 11 and 12, over 1,000 students and alumni from 65 countries around the world came to Campus WU to find out more about career opportunities. 41 Corporate Partners were at the Forum to introduce their companies as potential employers. During the Forum, 550 students attended Skill Seminars, 600 participants attended job interviews, and 130 visitors took part in Career Training Workshops.

DACH Forum

In June, the CEMS Club Vienna organized an event for students from Austria, Germany, and Switzerland, with the support of the WU CEMS Office. Over the course of the three-day event, participants discussed various aspects of the topic “Europe in 20 years” and developed scenarios for different business sectors.

Annual Events

The Annual Events, culminating in the formal commencement ceremony for CEMS graduates, were held from November 30 to December 4, 2016, at the Stockholm School of Economics. 66 of the 1,281 graduates from 65 different countries were from WU.