Innovation - Through innovative and creative teaching and research, we set standards for future developments in business and academic life. Uniqueness - Our programs of studies are unique. They stand as a guarantee that the personalities educated and trained at our university have outstanding professional prospects. Internationalism - As an internationally networked university, we live by diversity and foster an understanding of people from different cultures. Independence - As an independent university rooted in the region, we make a purposeful social contribution and enhance the Kufstein and the Tyrol's location.
We encourage and challenge our students with a focus on academic, professional training with practical relevance. In our view, personal and individual support is crucial. Our graduates are conscientious personalities with ethical principles, ready to solve the problems of tomorrow. Our networks support them both during and after their degree, always maintaining close contact.
International standards, mobility, and continual innovation of knowledge are fundamental for us. We see quality awareness on all levels as the foremost imperative. We have committed ourselves to continuous development into a learning organization. We achieve this through constant scrutiny of our strategies, structures, and processes.
Knowledge and education are our highest values. The integration of theory and practice is of central importance. As a university, we are conscious of our duty to lead by example and promote curiosity and a spirit of inquiry at all levels. Teaching is aligned with the latest developments in the field.
A modern and open society presupposes mutual respect and equal treatment of all people. We assert our commitment to an organization that accepts different points of view, seeks consensus, and stands out for its openness and appreciation.
Personal contact and intensive exchange are essential to us and contribute to the appreciative culture of dialogue. In this way, we promote teamwork and community spirit and are a reliable partner. We foster the compatibility of university and family life.
The idea to open a university in Kufstein resulted from the needs of the regional economy. The entrepreneur and vice mayor Walter J. Mayr, as well as several business and political supporters, made a strong case to the state Tyrol to implement a university campus in Kufstein. The vision of an international and independent institute of higher education was expressed from the start using the acronym IMC (international, mobile, multicultural). Ninety-seven students enrolled in the first two available courses, Facility Management, and International Business & Management, on the 6th of October 1997.
Product development was the main focus of the first ten years of business. New concepts for courses were created, prepared, submitted, and sometimes discarded again. In parallel, product marketing and communication grew and prospered. The institute was, therefore, able to offer more places and enroll more students, and simultaneously the organizational structure continued to develop. The institute was officially accredited as a university of applied sciences in 2006, and so the university council – the first academic entity – was created.
One thousand one hundred thirty-six students were already enrolled at the university by November 2007, and the number of partner universities had grown to 110. The addition of the university buildings I and II in the Stadtpark, as well as the establishment of the student dorms, also fell into the period of the first ten years.
In the past ten years, the University of Applied Sciences Kufstein has not only grown in size and staff but has also reviewed the topic of quality assurance. While the university council is responsible for the quality of teaching, a separate department was established specifically for quality management to oversee the business standards. These can be optimized with a systematic categorization of workflows and processes in order to guarantee efficient growth. The university's mission statement continued to have a strong focus on internationalism and was reworked and stabilized through a collectively developed model.
Digitalization has played an essential role in the past five years, operationally within the teaching and service departments, as well as within the development of new products. The University of Applied Sciences Kufstein is a pioneer with the new innovative Master course Smart Products & Solutions. The part-time Bachelor course Marketing & Communications Management has 30% online course work, making it especially attractive to working students and setting a direction for eLearning development. Additionally, cooperations with regional and international businesses have been intensified – in research and practical projects.
In 2017 the number of students grew to 2,000, and the International Relations Office is in contact with 190 partner universities worldwide. After the opening of the third university building in 2013, the construction of the fourth has now been planned and should be starting in the fall of 2018.
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