International and European Studies

The univie: summer school for International and European Studies takes place in the picturesque village of Strobl in the Salzkammergut region, one of Austria’s most attractive summer vacation areas. Students and faculty are accommodated in high standard single and double rooms at the program’s beautiful summer campus on the shore of Lake Wolfgang.
The four week program offers high level European Studies courses and the Austrian Arbitration Academy in the morning and German language courses in the afternoon.
The European Studies courses are held in English and focus on Europe and the European Union. They cover political, economic and legal, but also historical and cultural aspects of the multiple transformations the continent is currently undergoing.
The Austrian Arbitration Academy focuses on international dispute settlement by arbitral tribunals.
Each course includes two interdisciplinary evening seminars. The program thus offers a concise and up to date introduction to recent developments in Europe which will provide students from different fields of study with additional key qualifications for their future professional work.
The academic courses are taught by distinguished scholars with international teaching experience. The faculty consists of tenured professors from the University of Vienna as well as professors from other renowned universities and leading experts from institutions such as the Austrian Central Bank and the EU.
In addition to the academic program, German Language courses are offered at four different levels of proficiency.
The unique Strobl experience is enhanced by an extensive extracurricular program including sports courses (windsurfing and tennis), mountain hiking, and excursions to Salzburg, St. Wolfgang and the Ebensee Concentration Camp Memorial.
The campus life creates an environment which encourages intercultural and social exchange and favors mutual understanding within the international student population. Participants thus broaden their horizon, meet colleagues from different fields of study, make friends for life and build connections for their future professional careers. The alumni network of former Sommerhochschule participants enables students to stay in touch even long after their stay in Strobl.

Course leader

Director: Franz-Stefan Meissel; Faculty: B. Choi, N. Forgó, E. Gnan, L. Hornkohl, U. Kriebaum, S. Kritzinger, C. Kwapil, W. Neudeck, P. Oberhammer, O. Rathkolb, B. Schima, A. Schloenhardt, K. Vocelka;

Target group

Undergraduate, graduate and post-graduate students as well as university graduates.

Course aim

The summer school provides a multidimensional survey of the present development of Europe and the European Union. Participants will study both the decision making processes within the EU institutions as well as various aspects of European political culture. The program aims at contributing to an increased understanding of the EU and its possible future.
The intercultural dimension provided by the summer program’s internationally diverse student population has become one of the most rewarding features of students’ learning experience.
Today, around 30 different nationalities are represented in the student body, more than 100 students accepted into the program, creating the conditions most conducive to intercultural and social interaction. The Sommerhochschule’s formula of holistic learning – intellectual pursuit and physical exercise in a setting of intercultural and social exchange – helps reinforce mutual respect and tolerance among participants.