INterconnection/INnovation/INclusion: Austrian contributions to the EHEA 2030
Promoting Internationalisation, Inclusion and Innovation at Higher Education Institutions
3-IN-AT-PLUS 2022-2024 is already the fourth Erasmus+ project of the Austrian Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research (BMBWF), Unit IV/11 to support the implementation of the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) in Austria and internationally. As with the predecessors, the OeAD, Austria’s Agency for Education and Internationalisation, is responsible for coordination and implementation of the project as affiliated entity.
3-IN-AT-PLUS takes up the results of the Bologna Process Implementation Report 2020 and the priorities of the Rome Communiqué (2020) and draws from the suggestions of the Austrian national Bologna Follow-Up Group (BFUG) to ensure focusing on the needs of the target group. For three years the project will contribute to put into practice the vision of an “inclusive, innovative and interconnected EHEA” on a national and international level. 3-IN-AT-PLUS outputs will be disseminated at regular intervals by newsletters of the OeAD and through the national BFUG and they will feed into the working structures of the European BFUG.
The 3-IN-AT-PLUS work programme offers a broad range of consulting, training, international networking opportunities and information for actors at Austrian higher education institutions as well as other stakeholders involved in education policy. In cooperation with national ministries (Iceland, Croatia, Lithuania), consultative members of the European BFUG (ENQA, EUA, EURASHE) and other institutions international events and activities will be carried out that will contribute to networking and discussion at the European level. In addition to the Austrian partners and the “National Team of Experts for the European Higher Education Area” organisations from eight other countries (Croatia, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Lithuania, The Netherlands, Romania, Sweden) could be won as partners.
Thematic priorities
Mobility and internationalisation (WP 2)
- Annual national conference Bologna Day 2022: "Internationalisation designed /implemented in a holistic way“ – networking conference accompanying the implementation of the “Austrian National Mobility and Internationalisation Strategy for Higher Education 2020 – 2030”
- Annual national conference Bologna Day 2023: "Internationalisation of studies and teaching at higher education institutions: role and contribution of human resources development and the human resources department"
- Annual national conference Bologna Day 2024: Promoting foreign-language teaching and study programmes
- Workshop series: flexible curricula and mobility windows
- Peer learning activity (PLA) on mobility of higher education institutions’ non-academic staff
- Development of a tool kit on blended mobility and virtual internationalisation formats: Erasmus+ Blended Intensive Programmes. Basic Toolkit and a peer learning activity (PLA) on dissemination
Innovative Learning and Teaching (WP 3)
- International Peer Learning Acitvity (PLA) on Micro-Credentials
- Continuing the “Dialogue on innovative higher education teaching”: three events on topics of digitisation, competence orientation and implementation of the ECTS
Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) – From Peer to Peer (WP 3.1)
- Continuing the activities of the Erasmus+ project RPL in Practice (RPLiP): expansion of the existing network of practitioners, peer learning activities, conference
The Agency for Quality Assurance and Accreditation Austria (AQ Austria) coordinates the activities on Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL).
Social Dimension – Implementation of a national strategy on the social dimension in higher education – comparison in the EHEA (WP 4)
- Comparative study: Students with a delayed transition into higher education with a special focus on Austria, Lithuania, and Romania
The Bologna-Process: Information, Networking, Peer Learning (WP 5, WP 6)
- Grass roots activities at Austrian higher education institutions dealing with current challenges of the implementation of the Bologna process and inviting international experts (e.g. thematic day on curriculum development at the University College of Teacher Education Vienna)
- Up to six on-site visits at Austrian higher education institutions by national EHEA experts
- Participation in PLAs in the EHEA and subsequent reporting
- National EHEA implementation report 2024 of the BMBWF
The call ERASMUS-EDU-2021-EHEA-IBA "European Higher Education Area (EHEA) – Initiative to support the implementation of reforms" was exclusively addressed at the Ministries of Education and Research of countries participating in Erasmus+ and the consultative members of the EHEA. 3-IN-AT-PLUS was accepted by the European Commission with an excellent evaluation result of 88 out of 100 points.
This project is co-financed by the European Commission. The European Commission support for the production of this publication does not constitute an endorsement of the contents which reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.
