Study at Award-Winning Universities: GRACE Partners Recognised for Excellence

Two of the three universities behind the GRACE Joint Master in Applied XR have recently been honoured with prestigious international awards. From student satisfaction to research excellence, these recognitions reflect the strength and ambition of the GRACE consortium and its commitment to high-quality education and innovation.

🏅 St. Pölten UAS Rated #1 in Student Experience

St. Pölten University of Applied Sciences (Austria), the coordinating institution for GRACE, has received the Global Student Satisfaction Award 2025 in the category “Quality of Student Life”. This international prize is based on student feedback across more than 100,000 reviews and was awarded by Studyportals and the British Council (IELTS).

The award highlights St. Pölten’s outstanding support for international students, personal guidance, and vibrant campus life. It confirms the university’s leading role in creating an inclusive and student-centred learning environment.

“This award is an impressive success – I would like to extend my heartfelt congratulations on the terrific efforts of the team in making our organisation and the people who work here such an excellent place to work and study,”

said FH St. Pölten CEO and Rector Hannes Raffaseder.

Read the full article on the Studyportals website →

🧠 Vidzeme UAS Awarded HR Excellence in Research

Meanwhile, Vidzeme University of Applied Sciences (Latvia), one of the GRACE degree-awarding partners, has been granted the “HR Excellence in Research” award by the European Commission. Vidzeme is the first higher education institution in Latvia to receive this prestigious recognition.

The award acknowledges Vidzeme UAS’s commitment to fostering a transparent, supportive and forward-thinking research environment — in line with the principles of the European Charter for Researchers and Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers.

“Receiving this award confirms that Vidzeme University of Applied Sciences can provide a research environment that meets the highest European standards. This is an important step in our development,”

said Rector Agita Līviņa.

Read the full announcement from Vidzeme UAS →

🎓 Why This Matters for GRACE Students

As a GRACE student, you don’t study at just one institution — you gain experience at award-winning universities across Europe. These recognitions show that GRACE partners go beyond academic quality, offering students an environment that is internationally recognised, inclusive, and research-driven.

This is what makes the GRACE programme truly European — and truly exceptional!