GRACE wins 3rd place at the Austrian Internationalisation Award

The GRACE Joint Master in Applied XR has received 3rd place at the very first Internationalisation Award presented by the Austrian Federal Ministry of Education and the OeAD. The award recognises outstanding examples of internationalisation in higher education and was handed over by Federal Minister Eva-Maria Holzleitner during the Austrian Higher Education Conference on 29 November 2025 in Vienna.

GRACE was recognised in the category Measures for the Internationalisation of the Curriculum – Internationalisation of Studies and Teaching. The jury highlighted the strong cooperation between the three partner universities, the integrated mobility structure, and the innovative approach to challenge-based and gamified learning across Austria, the Netherlands, and Latvia.

The Internationalisation Award is a new national initiative designed to showcase exemplary international collaboration in higher education. More than one hundred submissions were reviewed, covering projects from universities, universities of applied sciences, and teacher training institutions throughout Austria.

For the GRACE consortium, this recognition reflects the shared commitment of St. Pölten UAS, Saxion University of Applied Sciences, and Vidzeme University of Applied Sciences to create a truly European joint curriculum that strengthens cross-border learning, prepares students for global careers in XR and gamification, and contributes to the mission of the E³UDRES² European University Alliance.

This milestone underscores the dedication of our academic teams, support staff, industry partners, and the wider E³UDRES² community. We look forward to continuing to develop GRACE as a leading example of international innovation in higher education.

Photo (left to right): BM Eva-Maria Holzleitner; FH-Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Hannes Raffaseder; FH-Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Johann Haag; Jakob Calice, PhD.
Photo credit: OeAD / Hetfleisch.