Global Perspectives

Open-Minded and Cosmopolitan

Around 40% of all WU graduates have international experience. To offer even more students the opportunity to gain valuable international experience during their studies, we have a diverse portfolio of mobility programs, which is constantly expanding.

Business, economics, and internationality have always been closely intertwined. Improved travel and transport logistics are bringing countries and continents closer together, and cross-border business and trade are a matter of course. This is why it’s important to WU to make sure as many of its students as possible have the opportunity to gain experience abroad. A diverse portfolio of mobility programs offers the perfect option for everyone. The numbers confirm the success of this strategy: In 2017/18, 1,188 WU students participated in an international mobility program.

Exchange Semesters Remain Popular

Exchange semesters at one of our many partner universities around the world remain the most popular option for getting to know a different academic environment, learning a foreign language, living in another culture, and building up an international network. In the 2017/18 academic year, 1,002 WU students spent semesters abroad in 41 different countries.

USA
No. of outgoing exchange students
202
Canada
No. of outgoing exchange students
72
Great Britain, Northern Ireland
No. of outgoing exchange students
57
China (incl. Taiwan)
No. of outgoing exchange students
48
Spain
No. of outgoing exchange students
46
France
No. of outgoing exchange students
43
Italy
No. of outgoing exchange students
43
Netherlands
No. of outgoing exchange students
38
Sweden
No. of outgoing exchange students
33
Australia
No. of outgoing exchange students
32
“During my semester abroad I met a lot of fellow students from around the world. We’ve all stayed in touch and I can always visit anywhere in the world.”
Selina von Hagen, exchange semester at Università Bocconi, Milan

Two Universities, Two Degrees

Students who want to spend more time abroad and who are planning for an international career can apply for a double degree program. Participants are full-fledged students at the partner institution and have a degree from both WU and the partner school after graduation.

Queen’s University, Smith School of Business, Kingston, Canada
Master’s program
Strategy, Innovation, and Management Control
Università Bocconi, Milan, Italy
Master’s program
Marketing
Università Bocconi, Milan, Italy
Master’s program
Strategy, Innovation, and Management Control
University of Technology Sydney, Australia
Master’s program
Strategy, Innovation, and Management Control
St. Petersburg University, Russia
Master’s program
Strategy, Innovation, and Management Control

New Joint Certificate Program

WU’s expertise in the CEE region has been recognized for many years. The Competence Center for Emerging Markets & CEE concentrates research in this field and is a main contact for policy makers and the business community. With its new Central Europe Connect joint certificate program, taught in English, WU offers students the opportunity to gain profound knowledge of the CEE economic region.

Signing of a memorandum of understanding
Ferdinand Daňo, Rector (University of Economics in Bratislava), Edith Littich, Vice-Rector for Academic Programs and Student Affairs (WU), Jacek Prokop, Vice-Rector for International Relations (SGH Warsaw School of Economics) (from left)

The program is held in cooperation with partner schools in Warsaw and Bratislava: 20 bachelor’s students from each university complete a week-long block of courses at each of the three universities. The syllabus focuses mainly on economic conditions and business-related issues in the Central and Eastern European region. Students also benefit from the numerous networking opportunities offered by the program. Company visits, guest lecturers, and social events round out the program at the host universities. Central Europe Connect was launched in the 2018/19 winter semester. Scholarships are available at all participating partner universities to help students cover travel expenses.

“Central Europe Connect gives our bachelor’s students the opportunity to work together with international students in an international environment while becoming familiar with the CEE region.”
Edith Littich, Vice-Rector for Academic Programs and Student Affairs

International Summer University Programs

Around 100 WU students travelled to a partner university abroad to participate in a Joint International Summer University (ISU) program in the 2018 summer break. These intensive, three-week programs focus on project work in mixed-cultural teams, combined with field trips and contact with local businesses. In 2018, ISU China was added to the portfolio thanks to a new partnership with Tongji University in Shanghai. Another new program, ISU Nordic, was also added in cooperation with the Estonian Business School in Helsinki. The ISU Vietnam programs were relaunched in a new format at the partner schools Hanoi University of Science and Technology (HUST) and the National Economics University Hanoi (NEU).

Joint International Summer University (ISU) programs

ISU China
Partner schools
Tongji University
WU students
20
International students
10
Total
30
ISU Russia
Partner schools
St. Petersburg University
WU students
16
International students
17
Total
33
ISU Indonesia
Partner schools
Universitas Gadjah Mada
WU students
18
International students
22
Total
40
ISU Nordic
Partner schools
Estonian Business School
WU students
19
International students
7
Total
26
ISU Vietnam
Partner schools
Hanoi University of Science and Technology (HUST), National Economics University (NEU)
WU students
20
International students
19
Total
39
Total no. of participants
Partner schools
WU students
98
International students
75
Total
173
Next:
An International Campus