Working with companies during your studies

Christiane Staab
Christiane Staab

On the Bachelor's degree programme in International Business Relations, students learn what is expected of them later in their careers through practical projects, among other things.

The students work in small groups on tasks from real clients. A win-win situation for everyone involved: the students gain valuable experience and the companies receive input from the creative managers of tomorrow.

Cooperations with business partners offer a unique opportunity to test the knowledge acquired during the degree programme in practice under real conditions. Knowledge is good, but ability is even better: our graduates therefore also have the ability to implement their knowledge in business matters.

Tonka Semmler-Matošić, Head of degree programme

Burgenland Tourism project team

Five students specialising in tourism and marketing investigated customer satisfaction with the Burgenland Card on behalf of Burgenland Tourismus. The Burgenland Card offers tourists free services, discounts and favourable offers. The students conducted an online survey and analysed over 2,300 questionnaires in order to gather customer opinions. In a detailed project report, the students also presented trends and opportunities for further development.

Burgenland Tourism has been cooperating with the Burgenland University of Applied Sciences for many years as part of student projects in various areas. We have found a reliable and innovative partner in the University of Applied Sciences. The partnership creates a win-win situation for both sides.

Didi Tunkel, Managing Director of Burgenland Tourismus GmbH

 

"The data collected was professionally analysed by the project group and the exciting results were graphically presented in the final presentation and the final report," says project supervisor Gerald Käfer-Schmid with satisfaction.

The most exciting learning from the practical project was clearly the linking of the theoretical content learnt in various courses (marketing, empirical social research, statistics, tourism and regional development) with practice. Especially when analysing the data, I realised that I could really use and implement what I had learned during my studies. I also had the opportunity to give a final presentation to a company outside the university and was able to show off the presentation skills I had learnt.

Katharina Landl, student on the Bachelor's degree programme in International Economic Relations

HAYS project team

Analysing customer perceptions was also the aim of the project team commissioned by HAYS. HAYS is a strategy company for personnel planning and deployment specialising in engineering, finance, IT, life sciences, marketing and sales. The task for the students was to find out how customers see HAYS in comparison to its competitors in Austria. The students conducted interviews, compiled the relevant questions themselves and analysed the answers for their client.

The international group of four students surveyed 20 of the company's customers. When analysing the responses, the focus was always on the practical benefits for the client, which led to the highest level of satisfaction at Hays.

Karl Zehetner, project supervisor

Conducting interviews with companies and contact persons from a variety of different industries was not only very interesting, but also gave us as a group many new insights into various specialist areas and was a lot of fun overall.

Sebastian Hager , student on the Bachelor's degree programme in International Economic Relations

Immerse yourself in marketing practice

However, the Bachelor's degree programme in International Business Relations does not only involve working with companies in practical projects. Time and again, students get to know well-known companies and their working methods in lectures. These in turn are grateful and open to input from the young target group. Our market research laboratories at the Burgenland University of Applied Sciences are often used for this purpose.

In collaboration with the Maresi marketing team, supermarket shelves were recently analysed using eye-tracking. The students were able to explore what emotions the new, innovative packaging designs evoke in customers.

Bachelor students from the "Marketing & Sales" specialisation observed and asked how the Inzersdorfer brand is perceived by the young target group in focus group discussions.

For the first time, the students were able to conduct research very close to marketing practice and exchange ideas with Maresi's brand managers. It was a very exciting and valuable experience for all of us ... and a lot of fun!

Bettina König, Course Director

If you are interested in such a practical business degree programme or know someone for whom this would definitely be the right thing: registration for remaining places is still possible. Find out more at www.fh-burgenland.at and take the first step towards an exciting and varied career.


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Einblicke von Studierenden, Bachelorstudiengang Internationale Wirtschaftsbeziehungen, Wirtschaft (mit Schwerpunkt Zentral-Osteuropa)