With the start of the summer term 2025, lots of new scholars from all over the world have arrived in Austria. To give them a warm welcome and help them settle in, OeAD hosted a Welcome Meet & Greet. The event provided the perfect opportunity for scholars to connect, exchange experiences, and get useful tips for their scholarship stay in Austria.
About 70 international scholarship holders attended the event at the OeAD house. Before the official part of the event started, scholars were given the chance to connect and take pictures in a photo box. Then Regina Radax, head of the Sector Mobility Programmes and Cooperation (MPC), welcomed the students and gave a brief overview of the mission and tasks of OeAD in general, as well as the services offered by the OeAD Regional Offices in particular. After that, Katharina Engel informed the scholars not only about their obligations but also about upcoming events and services, such as the OeAD Scholars & Alumni newsletter and the oead.map.
After the informative presentations by OeAD staff members, it was time for a scholarship holder of almost 2 years to share her experiences: Astghik Sahakyan, APPEAR scholar and PhD student at the Doctoral School of Social Ecology (DSSE) at BOKU University, presented some tips4scholars, giving insights into her own scholarship stay and sharing tips and tricks on how to keep focused and study successfully. Astghik covered essential topics such as navigating Austrian bureaucracy, learning German, and the importance of focusing on one’s own journey without comparing oneself to others. Additionally, she highlighted the importance of networking, shared insights on how to make the most of summer in Vienna and even recommended the best hiking paths in and around Vienna (Stadtwanderwege) for a perfect study-life balance. One student remarked that “it was marvellous. I admired her confidence and all the great [tips] to make the best of our time in Vienna.”
To help scholars connect, OeAD staff organised fun activities like ‘Speedfriending’ and ‘Paint Your Studies’, which were very well received. A quiz on facts about Austria and a photo box added to the interactive experience. One scholar remarked, "I loved the get-to-know activities. I didn't realise I actually did not know so much about Austria, and now I am wiser."
Many students stayed well into the evening to socialise, enjoy a typical Austrian ‘Jause’, and appreciate the welcoming atmosphere. One scholar summed up the experience perfectly: "I was positively surprised and happy about such a great and thoughtful way of getting all of us networking and knowing each other in such a short time.”
We are happy to support our scholars from the very beginning of their stay and look forward to seeing their journeys unfold!
