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The network AMADEUS was established more than 20 years ago.

With the launching of CEEPUS in 1994 the Vienna University of


Economics and Business and its partners, the University of Economics in Bratislava, the Corvinus University of Budapest and the
University of Maribor were among the first universities in the fields of economics and business administration setting up a
network in the region of Central and Eastern Europe (CEE). During the following years several new partners joined the network:
1995/1996 Cracow University of Economics 1996/1997 University of Economics, Prague 1998/1999 University of Zagreb
2005/2006 University of Montenegro, University of Belgrade 2006/2007 University of Primorska, Shkodra University Luigj
Gurakuqi 2008/2009 University of Sarajevo 2010/2011 University of Rijeka 2014/2015 The Bucharest University of Economic
Studies 2015/2016 Faculty of Economics, University of Banja Luka From the very beginning, WU was successfully managing and
coordinating a network of some of the best universities of economics and business administration in the Central and Eastern
European Region (CEE). The partners of the network have reached major achievements during the last 20 years and the perfect
cooperation shows that our network is working very well and is well known by universities in most of CEE countries. All partner
institutions are exchanging students and teachers very actively and so over 400 students and over 100 teachers have had the
possibility to learn, teach or do research at one of the partner universities in Albania, Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Czech
Republic, Croatia, Hungary, Montenegro, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia or Slovenia. We have been monitoring the exchanges
within the network more closely in the past years. This evaluation is based in the activities of each network partner. Partner
universities with no activities within the past two years will be re-evaluated concerning their contribution to the network and
their respective merits. The same accounts for network partners who did not receive any incoming students within the past three
years. Because of this, we decided not to include the University of Primorska in this application round (2016/17) anymore. Their
contribution to the network was non-existent and the university will therefore not be included in this years network application.
In many cases agreements among most of the partner universities have been existing for several years and these agreements
have already granted full academic recognition of courses taken abroad. This cooperation has so far proven very effective and
successful. The CEEPUS agreement provides a framework for full academic recognition of studies during the study abroad period
with the aim to enforce students and teachers mobility and to intensify the established contacts by exchanging ideas and
experiences. It has been assured that lectures are offered in English, in order to secure mobility and to avoid language barriers.
Most of the partners already offer foreign language programs. At WU, University of Economics Prague, Cracow University of
Economics, University of Maribor, University of Rijeka and University of Zagreb a full time English language program is available.
At Corvinus University Budapest, a full time English language program and lectures in French and German are available; the
University of Economics in Bratislava has a considerable range of English and German lectures and has established an English
language curriculum. The other partners are in the process of establishing full time English language programs. Nevertheless,
one of the requirements that all scholarship holders have to fulfill is at least the basic knowledge of the host country's language
of instruction. Besides the ordinary Joint-Study program the network partners have established the JOSZEF Program (Junge ostund mitteleuropische Studierende als zuknftige erfolgreiche Fhrungskrfte/Young Eastern and Central European Students as
Future Successful Managers) as an academic and economic response to the changes in Central and Eastern Europe. It is intended
both to provide Central and Eastern European students with access to additional education at the WU, and to offer WU students
the chance to deepen their knowledge of Central and Eastern Europe. The JOSZEF Program - which we consider as the most
important part of our network activities - is a supplementary 2-semester study program in German and partly in English, which
provides a practice-oriented qualification in business administration and management. It was developed in 1994 and is intended
as an additional education opportunity for students from WU partner universities in CEE. The program builds on the students
degree programs at their home universities. In addition to the comprehensive curriculum at WU, JOSZEF students complete an
internship with one of the seven JOSZEF corporate partners. During the last years, a focus has been put on the consolidation of
the alumni-network database of the JOSZEF Program to intensify the communication between universities, former participants of
the program and corporate companies. The JOSZEF-alumni network has been strengthened by integration of social media and
helps to intensify the communication between universities, former participants of the program and corporate companies. The
alumni network counts close to 400 participants, most of which have participated in the program through the CEEPUS exchange.
The aim is to have a strong network of well-trained European managers in the CEEPUS-countries. Moreover, the Competence
Center for Central and Eastern Europe that has been established at WU in 2007 acts as a central contact point and hub for all
matters related to studies and research on doing business in Central and Eastern Europe. The Center has the following functions:
To enhance students' interest in the economic region of Central and Eastern Europe, to provide information on the range of
studies offered in CEE management at the WU, to promote research on economic and managerial aspects in CEE and to
stimulate knowledge transfer between our university and the business world. Among faculty members are experts in the areas of
Slavic languages, business administration, intercultural management, business law, social science and economics. An additional
asset is our broad network of contacts with other universities, with businesses and institutions in Austria and in the CEE region.
Conclusion The proposed network involves economics and business universities of 12 CEEPUS countries. Within the proposed
network, activities students will be exchanged for one or two semesters and teachers and faculty members will gain new
experience by lecturing and doing research at a partner university. The network will also allow the network partners to support
students coming from low socio-economic backgrounds to pursue their studies and careers in the field of business
administration. This will enhance the students employability among international companies holding a strong position in
emerging markets in the CEE region and gives them a head start for their future career. Our network looks back at more than 20
years of gathered experience with satisfaction. Within these 20 years we improved and we grew. The long-lasting partnerships
and well established relations will guarantee the success of the proposed network also in 2016/2017. The advantages of the
network AMADEUS are: - 14 universities of economics and business administration from 12 CEEPUS member countries - courses
and lectures offered in German, English and different languages of the countries of Central and Eastern Europe - established
programs tailored to the developments in CEE - full recognition of courses taken or work done abroad is guaranteed by the
partnership agreements - multilateral exchange of students, young faculty and professors - each partner is receiving from and
sending to each partner - multiple activities within the fields of economics and business administration including joint-study
programs, research and teaching - sustainability of the cooperation in series with corporate research projects. In terms of
dissemination, synergies and crossovers between formal and informal education, professional training, and entrepreneurial
operations will create a multiplier effect.

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