MARIHE – A high Mobility programme

Your journey begins with foundational semesters in Austria and Finland, where you’ll master essential concepts, alongside your international cohort – in those first two semesters, all students have the same mobility path.

Then you shape your expertise by choosing between specialized tracks in Asia (China or India) and Europe (Austria, Finland, Germany, Hungary, or Portugal), and completing a professional internship with leading institutions anywhere in the world.

Your journey ends with writing your master’s thesis at one of your chosen specialization hosts (either the one in Europe or in Asia).

This carefully designed path connects you with expertise in higher education consultancy and regional specializations, while developing your cultural sensitivity and diversity orientation through authentic contact with different national and cultural contexts. You will build language skills, expand your network, and graduate with leadership skills, intercultural competence and the confidence to lead research and innovation in higher education anywhere in the world. Thus, MARIHE offers a truly international – and life changing – study experience. Be prepared to travel a lot!

Please note: You need to attend the partner institutions physically (on-site) during all study periods, incl. the internship. Remote participation is not possible. The final allocation to the specialization and thesis hosts is decided by the consortium.

Where will you study?

1st semester:
>> Krems, Austria

2nd semester:
>> Tampere, Finland

Internship:
>> worldwide

3rd semester in Asia:
>> Beijing, China, OR
>> Patiala, India

3rd semester in Europe:
>> Krems, Austria, OR
>> Tampere, Finland, OR
>> Osnabrück, Germany, OR
>> Budapest, Hungary, OR
>> Aveiro, Portugal

4th semester:
>> specialization host in Europe, OR
>> specialization host in Asia

Specialization Descriptions

For students choosing China as their destination, the focus is on educational planning and curriculum design. Based on field surveys analysing the educational needs also of local communities, students will design curricula, evaluate programme coherence and attempt to measure the impact of their educational plans. A further module in China is dedicated to current higher education reforms on a global scale by conducting comparative research on higher education reforms and to explain and critically analyse the factors influencing higher education reforms in different contexts.

Students opting for this specialisation will focus and receive hands-on training in social and commercial entrepreneurship and sustainability in higher education. Recognising entrepreneurship and social entrepreneurship as key actors in the innovation eco-system students will be able to identify different aspects and challenges associated with establishing a new social and commercial venture. Not only will they analyse and re-design a social business model, they will also develop a social-entrepreneurial solution for a contemporary and authentic problem (including a formalized business plan, and an outline for project planning and management, funding and finance, and measurement of social/environmental and financial performance). A further module in India is dedicated to the contribution and pivotal role of higher education to sustainable development. The module will enable students to develop strategies for effectively incorporating sustainability into the institutional vision, curricula, and campus practices, but also to embed sustainability in the educational offerings of HEI (i.e., teaching sustainability), by designing an experiential learning module instilling sensitivity about sustainability challenges.

The specialisation Institutional Research focuses on collecting and reporting information to support management decisions and the strategic planning of HEI. Learners are able to identify research needs and define research questions associated with existing issues in higher education and to reflect on the use of data in institutional decision-making processes. They will prepare a research plan including defined questions, research methods, a timeline for implementation and translate institutional research findings into recommendations to support evidence-based decision making. In addition to developing and designing institutional research projects (working on actual institutional issues and challenges), they will apply strategy and foresight methods and outline future scenarios relevant for higher education institutions’ strategic planning.

This module provides insights into dynamics and prospects of research and transfer policies and management practices in a comparative perspective, addressing the issues and dynamics of funding, commercialization and valorisation of research and knowledge transfer by working on a concrete project. It familiarizes and equips students with project management tools and good practice cases with regard to knowledge transfer, enabling them to draft institutional recommendations on research and transfer management. The specialisation also focuses on the advances and potential of the digital transformation of higher education and research. It elaborates on the pandemic-induced global transition to digital teaching, learning and research and provides insights into building digital ecosystems of higher education institutions. Students will be able to assess the digital readiness of higher education and research systems and institutions, identify tools, services, and products and key EdTech providers in higher education and research and evaluate the impact of Open Science; they will be able to assess the ethical implications of Artificial Intelligence in the fields of higher education and research and identify areas of its sensible use.

The specialisation focuses on the theory and practice of organizational development and change management, including the relevance of these concepts in an academic organisational culture and in the context of competitive, market-oriented research and tertiary education systems. Students will be able to identify and discuss processes of strategic management and leadership styles and will be able to utilize key tools of project management, including self-management, in higher education and research contexts and to develop solutions for complex problems of organizational change (for example in the area of diversity management). In innovative pedagogical formats, students will design solutions for complex multi-stakeholder management dilemmas and formulate arguments to bargain and lobby in order to protect their own (unit’s) interest and to implement change at HEI.

The specialisation Learning and Teaching focuses on the design, delivery, and assessment of courses and programs within the evolving higher education landscape. It explores effective teaching strategies, instructional design principles, inclusive and innovative approaches to enhance learning outcomes. The specialisation critically examines the impact of education policies, expectations of society and labour market on program delivery and evaluation. By integrating creative elements and comprehensive knowledge, participants gain the skills to design and deliver impactfull educational activities in F2F, online and blended environments. The specialisation also delves into the latest developments and innovations in higher education, exploring theoretical frameworks, methodologies, and empirical studies. Participants engage with cutting-edge research from the field of scholarship of teaching and learning, professional development as well as learning organizations. Furthermore, they will apply evidence-based teaching strategies and drive innovation in instructional design and delivery using a problem and project-based learning approach in the specialisation.

This specialisation focuses on the organizational structure of science and technology systems, the evolution of reference frameworks for the construction of science and technology policies and the science and technology policy framework at EU level. The modules enable students to critically analyse the historical, political and social process of development of higher education systems and the main changes that occurred in the organisation and management of higher education institutions, such as the rise of quality and performance management in higher education systems and institutions, as well as the roles of academic and non-academic professionals and students in higher education institutions. Students will be able to draft [short] policy reports and recommendations on selected issues.

Degree Options

Specialization
Type of Degree
Leading Institution
Awarding Institution(s)
Awarded Degree(s)
Institutional Research
Joint Degree
UWK
TAU + UWK
Master of Administrative Sciences
Research Management and Digital Transformation
Joint Degree
TAU
TAU + UWK
Master of Administrative Sciences
Leadership and Management
Joint Degree
UASO
UASO + UWK
Master of Science
Learning and Teaching
Joint Degree
ELTE
ELTE + UWK
Master of Science
Sustainability Education and Social Entrepreneurship
Double Degree
TIET
TIET, UWK
TIET: Master of Arts, Sustainability Education
UWK: Master of Science (Continuing Education)
Educational Planning and Development
Double Degree
BNU
BNU, UWK
BNU: Master of Arts in Education
UWK: Master of Science (Continuing Education)
Policy Analysis
Multiple Degree
UA
UA, UWK, TAU
UA: Master in Administration and Public Policies
UWK: Master of Science (Continuing Education)
TAU: Master of Administrative Sciences