Pädagogische Hochschule Wien

Teaching Mobility Meets Diversity: Urban Education Around the Globe

Vienna and Kathmandu in dialogue: A staff mobility initiative that fosters mutual learning, embraces diversity, promotes inclusion, and jointly advances global educational spaces.

Symbolic connection across continents: exchange between Austria and Nepal

Objectives

The objective of the staff mobility programme between the University College of Teacher Education Vienna (PH Wien) and the Kathmandu University School of Education (KUSOED) is the sustainable development of international and intercultural competencies among higher education staff in key areas such as Urban Diversity Education, Inclusion, and Vocational Education and Training. The mobility targets teaching staff from both institutions and specifically promotes personal development, institutional exchange, and strategic higher education development. Through mutual visits, job shadowing, co-teaching, interdisciplinary networking, as well as joint research and publications, the aim is to critically reflect on access to education, co-develop inclusive curricula, and generate innovative impulses for teaching. The programme is designed in a needs-based and dialogical manner, complemented by individual support measures before, during, and after the mobility (e.g. mentoring, language cafés, dissemination at conferences). The initiative contributes to several strategic goals of PH Wien: it strengthens the institution’s internationalisation strategy, supports the structural anchoring of inclusive education, and intensifies engagement in (vocational) education research with a global perspective. In addition, it actively opens the institution to partnerships with countries that have limited access to mobility programmes. In the first year of the project, the mobility enabled joint events, contributions to international conferences, and the submission and publication of a scientific article. Furthermore, curriculum-level collaboration was initiated and translated into concrete development steps. In the coming years, the programme aims to expand mobility to include additional target groups—such as school leadership and students through blended mobility formats—in order to deepen institutional cooperation and establish long-term educational partnerships.

Background

The staff mobility initiative between the University College of Teacher Education Vienna (PH Wien) and the Kathmandu University School of Education (KUSOED) emerged from the strategic objective of establishing international partnerships beyond the traditional Erasmus+ area—specifically with higher education institutions that face limited access to mobility programmes due to economic or geographic constraints. Initial contact was established in spring 2022 through a thematic alignment in the areas of Urban Diversity Education, Inclusion, and Vocational Education and Training. In January 2023, a visit to KUSOED—funded by PH Wien—took place to deepen the partnership and jointly develop a mobility proposal. A Memorandum of Cooperation was signed, and the academic and organisational framework for collaboration was further defined. The development of the initiative involved PH Wien’s Centre for Internationalisation, the Institute for Vocational Education and Training, and the Office for Inclusive Education (as it was named at the time). On the KUSOED side, the Deputy Dean and the Head of the Department of Development and Inclusive Education were actively engaged. Both institutions contributed their expertise and specific institutional needs to the programme design. The implementation is supported by Erasmus+ (KA171) and reinforced through strong internal commitment: institutional recognition of mobility achievements, advance financial support to ensure participation, individual mentoring, and active dissemination of results within research, teaching, and staff development. As such, the initiative not only enhances individual competencies but also serves as a structural catalyst for advancing international and inclusive strategies in higher education.

(Implemented) Activities

As part of the staff mobility initiative between PH Wien and the Kathmandu University School of Education, targeted measures were implemented to foster international and intercultural competence development, institutional exchange, and strategic higher education development. In the first project year, four incoming mobilities of teaching staff from Nepal were successfully carried out at PH Wien. The selected participants—experts in inclusion, vocational education, and urban diversity education—followed a multi-day, individually tailored programme. This included meetings with university leadership, the Institute for Vocational Education and Training, and the Office for Inclusive Education, as well as classroom observations, co-teaching sessions, and presentations within the international study programme. Cultural activities such as excursions, language cafés, and city tours supported meaningful intercultural exchange. Networking with Austrian colleagues took place through workshops, round tables, and conference participation. At the same time, the outgoing mobility of Austrian teaching staff to Nepal was prepared and implemented in autumn 2024. This included close collaboration on joint curriculum development, particularly in the field of inclusive education. The activities were accompanied by preparatory and follow-up measures—such as mentoring, individual support, dissemination at academic events, and the publication of a joint academic article. The measures directly and effectively addressed the target group: faculty members from both institutions not only broadened their professional perspectives but actively contributed to strategic institutional development and the sustainable internationalisation of their home universities through mutual exchange.

Results

The mobility project between PH Wien and the Kathmandu University School of Education has led to several tangible outcomes in its first year, all directly contributing to the achievement of the defined objectives. At its core were the development of participants’ international and intercultural competencies, as well as institutional impulses for teaching, research, and higher education development. A key result was the successful implementation of four incoming mobilities of Nepalese teaching staff to Vienna. These mobilities enabled not only professional exchange but also deep insights into inclusive university structures, innovative teaching formats, and vocational education approaches. The participants actively contributed their perspectives in seminars, workshops, and networking events, enriching academic discourse at PH Wien. In addition, a joint academic publication was submitted and published. The outgoing mobilities of Austrian staff to Kathmandu took place in autumn 2024 and led to intensified collaboration on curriculum development. For the target group of teaching staff, the project offers significant added value: it provides the opportunity to practically expand international, subject-specific, and intercultural competencies and to act as multipliers within their home institutions. Through integration into staff development processes, dissemination at academic events, and systematic institutional feedback, the impact extended far beyond individual learning outcomes. In the long term, the project contributes to the strategic internationalisation of both institutions, supports the development of inclusive curricula, and fosters sustainable North–South partnerships in higher education. Plans are already underway to involve additional target groups—such as school leaders—and to expand the partnership through ongoing mobility and joint project initiatives.

Lessons learned

The implementation of the staff mobility programme between PH Wien and the Kathmandu University School of Education was marked by intensive learning processes on both individual and institutional levels. Particularly valuable was the dialogical cooperation during the preparation and programme design phase, in which both institutions contributed equally and actively. This fostered genuine partnership and strengthened the quality of collaboration. Challenges arose primarily in organisational and financial aspects. The pre-financing of travel and accommodation for incoming staff from Nepal required flexible solutions beyond standard procedures. Through close cooperation between the International Office and the finance department, tailored support measures were established. Complex visa and insurance issues also required intensive support, as administrative processes vary widely in third countries. Another challenge was ensuring sustainable academic cooperation—such as co-teaching or curriculum development—within the short duration of stays. Precise advance coordination and digital follow-up meetings proved to be essential. Lessons learned: – Successful North–South cooperation—that is, collaboration between higher education institutions from regions with differing economic and structural conditions—requires institutional openness, structural flexibility, and mutual trust. – Mobility becomes truly effective when embedded in individual support, visibility strategies, and institutional feedback processes. – Intercultural exchange creates lasting impact when built on both academic depth and human connection. These insights are actively informing the further development of the partnership and future mobility formats.

Internationalisation Award 2025

2. place in category Mobilitätsförderung und Kompetenzentwicklung für Lehrende und allgemeines Hochschulpersonal

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