Joint Schools
Austrian - Chinese Music University
Back in 2001 on the occasion of a meeting between the Austrian Minister for Education, Science and Culture, Mrs. Elisabeth Gehrer, and the former Chinese Minister for Education, Dr. Chen Zhili, the idea was brought up of co-operating in the field of music by establishing a joint school of music and organizing a Mozart community in China. The initiative for the joint school of music has the support of Deputy Mayor Zhu Shanlu and the Beijing Municipal Education Commission.
As put on record in the annual report of Eurasia-Pacific Uninet for 2005, Eurasia-Pacific Uninet applied via the Austrian Council of Research and Technology Development for financial support in order to start the joint school of music project, beginning with a one-year study program. As no decision about an endowment has yet been taken, Eurasia-Pacific Uninet and the three Austrian state Universities of Music and Performing Arts agreed, on the occasion of the Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart commemoration year, to organize master courses in 2006 and the first half of 2007 only.
In April 2006, immediately after the Mozart celebrations at Chinese Universities, Vice-Rector Wolfgang Klos of the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna opened the master courses by giving instructions on the viola.
In November 2006, the Austrian pianist Mrs. Gerda Struhal worked with great success at the China Conservatory in her special field, which is the training of highly-gifted young musicians.
The University of Music and Performing Arts Graz is already planning to dispatch a Professor of vocal studies and a répétiteur.
As Austria has a long tradition in music education, the Chinese Ministry of Education and the Municipality of Beijing have strived for several years to initiate a cooperation program with Austria in this field.
After intense negotiations, several concerts and master courses held by professors from the University ‘Mozarteum‘, the University of Music and Dramatic Arts Graz, and the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna, a cooperation agreement for developing a so-called Austrian-Chinese Music University at the China Conservatory was signed in 2007.
The project is divided into two stages and is coordinated by Prof. Otto Kolleritsch, former president of the University of Music and Dramatic Arts Graz:
1st step: one-year courses, offering a kind of preparatory education for highly gifted students who either want to apply for studies in Austria or would like to receive some special education in the Austrian tradition of playing and interpreting music. These courses are held in Beijing and started in October 2008 in the majors piano and singing.
Two junior professors, Mrs. Lu Yao for piano (University ‘Mozarteum‘ Salzburg) and Ms. Cordula Stepp for singing (University of Music and Dramatic Arts Graz), are resident in Beijing as functional assistants to Prof. Klaus Kaufmann (University ‘Mozarteum‘ Salzburg) and Prof. Claudia Rüggeberg (University of Music and Dramatic Arts Graz).
Furthermore, a lectureship has been established in cooperation with the Austria Cooperation in Science, Education and Culture and Eurasia-Pacific Uninet, to prepare students for music studies in Austria. The lecturer, Dr. Sigrid Steinschaden, is also in charge of coordinating the project for Eurasia-Pacific Uninet.
2nd step: after an evaluation of the one-year courses, Bachelor studies based on the curriculum which Austrian music universities have developed could be introduced, leading after three years of studies in Beijing and one year of studies in Austria to an academic degree from Austria. At the beginning, instruction on a very high artistic level in the same instruments as are taught in the master courses and the one-year study programme is intended.
In 2008 a sponsorship for violin was provided by NXP Semiconductors (Beijing) Ltd. and its COO & Senior Director, Mr. Franz Obenaus. The one-year courses in violin are scheduled to start in September 2009.
Last but not least, a special word of thanks to AKM for their sponsorship of CDs, choral works, booklets and video tapes to help establish a library at the Austrian-Chinese Music University.
Austrian-Chinese Music University: Entrance Examination and Opening Concert of the Study Year 2008/09
The establishment of the Austrian-Chinese Music University is, as already mentioned, a two-stage project, being divided into one year-courses and full Bachelor studies offered jointly by the University ‘Mozarteum‘ Salzburg, the University of Music and Dramatic Arts Graz, and the China Conservatory.
With the study year 2008/09 the first students were accepted into the one-year-courses programme, which aims at communicating specific skills in technique and interpretation. Two majors are offered right now: piano and singing. The selection of the highest qualified students took place at the China Conservatory in April and May 2008 (piano and singing), and September 2008 (piano), in the presence of Austrian and Chinese professors. Out of 60 applicants for piano and 69 for singing, five students were admitted for piano, eight for singing. The students are either enrolled for full Bachelor studies at the China Conservatory or are studying at the Middle School affiliated to the China Conservatory.
The study year 2008/09 was opened on October 5, 2008 with a Bach piano concertos concert given by Austrian and Chinese professors in the newly opened concert hall at the China Conservatory.
Joint School of Media and Marketing
In April 2005, first talks were held at Fudan University between Chinese and Austrian experts on media practice and media science with a view to establishing a Sino-Austrian Center for Media and Communication Management at the School of Journalism of Fudan University. The Center, which can be seen as an organizational platform for educational and scientific cooperation, is organized by Eurasia-Pacific Uninet, Fudan University, the Universities of Vienna and Salzburg and the University of Applied Sciences in St. Poelten.
The signing in May 2006 of a statement of cooperation between the School of Journalism of Fudan University, the University of Salzburg, the University of Vienna and Eurasia-Pacific Uninet, stressed the importance for both sides of:
- the double degree programs on a bachelor and master level
- Ph.D. student exchange
- joint research programs
International academic cooperation and exchange programs raise the professional and economic competitiveness for students at the participating institutions. Especially in the field of media, communication technologies and management, international experience and global thinking became an essential requirement for success. Both involved countries meet these expectations in a special way: China represents the biggest developing market in the media and communication branch, and the European Member-State Austria is located in the centre of Europe providing access to both, the “old” Western Europe and the “New” Eastern European Member States, which gives Austria a specific strategic position in respect to Europe.
To achieve professional quality and international reputation the Master Exchange Program focuses on three perspectives:
- Economy: media and communication management as an issue of economy
(business studies and management, media economics)
- Technology: media and communication technologies, technology as a resource for organizations, technologies in a socio-cultural context
- Culture: media and communication cultures, organizational cultures, media
and business ethics, inter- and transcultural aspects
The Master Exchange Program on Media and Communication Management started in the winter term of 2007. The program in Austria is divided in two parts, one in Vienna (October- November) and one in Salzburg (December- January). The students attend 3-5 classes each week and take part in excursions to businesses and institutions of media and communication management in Austria and neighbouring states.
Joint School of Psychology and Psychotherapy
In the course of the Sigmund Freud symposium at Peking University "Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy – 150 Years after the Birth of Sigmund Freud" in May 2006, a Letter of Intent regarding future cooperation between Austria and China in the field of psychotherapy and psychology was signed by the president of the Sigmund Freud University (Vienna, Austria), Prof. Alfred Pritz; Prof. Pei-cheng Hu, Director of the Medical Psychology Department, Peking University Health Science Center; Prof. Mingyi Qian, Clinical Psychology Division, Peking University; and Prof. Brigitte Winklehner, President of Eurasia-Pacific Uninet.