New Perspectives in Science Education

The FH JOANNEUM - a university of applied sciences based in Austria - cooperates in teaching and research with well-known international universities and thus aims to foster so-called strategic partnerships. The exchange of university lecturers and other faculty members is a way to achieve und secure strategic company goals, in which excellent research and teaching plays a central role in order to improve both the development of academics and administration. Thanks to mobility not only the university but also the involved people truly benefit in their professional development which can be seen on several levels: increased foreign language proficiency, excellent networking possibilities within the scientific community as well as reinforced didactic competencies in form of different teaching and learning methodologies. The paper discusses mobility in the light of the university’s strategic paper entitled “Hands on 2022” by presenting results from an empirical research among faculty members who participate regularly in exchange programmes. Best Practice examples highlight the importance of mobility as a vital initiative in terms of LLL (Life Long Learning).