univie: summer school for International and European Studies 2025

EUROPEAN STUDIES

The Sommerhochschule's European Studies program offers 12 courses and consists of two two-week sessions. Six European Studies courses are offered during the first and six during the second session.

The European Studies courses focus on the emerging New Europe. They cover political, economic and legal, but also historical and cultural aspects of the multiple transformations the continent is currently undergoing. The program thus offers a concise and up to date introduction to recent developments in Europe which will provide students from different fields of study with additional key qualifications for their future professional work.

The language of instruction for the European Studies courses is English. Students must be able to follow lectures, participate in class discussions, and write paper essays and exams in English.

European Studies Courses

• Austrian Arbitration Academy
• Business and Human Rights
• Contemporary European History
• EU Political Systems in a Comparative Perspective
• European History since 1815
• European Monetary Union
• European Private Law - The Civilian Tradition
• European Thought and Culture in the 20th Century
• European Union Law
• The Institutional Framework of the EU
• Law and Information Society in Europe
• Migration and Refugee Law in Europe
• Principles of International Economics - A European Perspective

GERMAN COURSES

In addition to the European Studies courses, the Sommerhochschule also offers German language courses in the afternoon.

The German courses are available on four levels: A1, A2, B1 and B2 according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).

The success of the German language program of the Sommerhochschule is based on careful student placement, teachers well-trained in methodology and with a special training in teaching German as a foreign language, as well as balanced communicative teaching methods. These methods help you to learn quickly and gain confidence in your communicative skills while having fun at the same time.

German Language Courses

• German A1
• German A2
• German B1
• German B2 

In the course of thefour week program students can attend up to four courses and obtain up to 18 ECTS credits.  

PROGRAM OVERVIEW

The univie: summer school 2025 takes place from July 12 to August 9, 2025. On Saturday evening, July 12, an orientation session given by the Program Coordinator will introduce the participants to the program and the campus. Students are advised to arrive before 7:00pm that day.

On Sunday morning, July 13, the official Opening Ceremony will take place on the campus in the Bürglsaal. Attendance of the Opening Ceremony is mandatory. In the evening a welcome party will give students the opportunity to meet informally with faculty and staff. On Saturday August 9, a Closing Ceremony will formally end the 2025 Session.

Attendance of the Closing Ceremony, which will officially end around 12 noon that day, is mandatory. Students should make their travel arrangements accordingly. 

LOCATION

The univie: summer school takes place at our summer campus in Strobl. Living together at the campus is an integral part of the program because it increases the cultural understanding between students. This setting of intercultural and social exchange helps reinforce mutual respect among participants, and ultimately helps further mutual understanding among people. 

The campus of the Sommerhochschule is located in the picturesque village of Strobl on the shore of Lake Wolfgang. Strobl is part of the Salzkammergut region, one of Austria's most attractive summer vacation areas. Since The Sound of Music famous for its fascinating landscape - a wild mixture of mountains and lakes - the Salzkammergut also offers various cultural activities. 

ACCOMMODATIONS & MEALS

The campus consists of 156 acres of meadows, woods, and parkland located directly on the shore of Lake Wolfgang.

The standard of the houses on campus can be compared to *** hotels. Students are accommodated in comfortable single or double rooms with private bathrooms. All rooms are equipped with a desk. Sheets, towels, and hairdryers will be provided. 

All meals are served in the dining hall. The breakfast buffet normally consists of a wide variety of breads, jams and other spreads, honey, eggs, cheese, bacon, ham, cereals, and muesli. Coffee, tea, milk and orange juice are available during breakfast. Brunch is served on weekends. Lunch and dinner meals include a variety of Austrian dishes. Vegetarian dishes are also available. Please note that the Sommerhochschule cannot guarantee that all dietary needs students may have can be met.

CULTURE & SPORTS

Two thirds of the campus is surrounded by Lake Wolfgang and forest. This scenery offers a variety of spare time activities. An invitingly romantic serpentine footpath winds its way through the forest along the lake and is ideal for walks and runs. Hiking trails in the surrounding mountains are well marked and safe, and two weekend days are reserved for hiking tours.

The campus area is large enough for almost any sport imaginable, such as frisbee, badminton, soccer, etc. It is also possible to play table tennis. The campus also features tennis courts and windsurfing facilities, and our sports trainer offers tennis and windsurfing courses throughout the duration of the summer program. The students’ boathouse is not only available for sports activities, but also to relax, sun bathe and for meeting up with other students.

On the weekends, excursions to St. Wolfgang, Salzburg and Ebensee are offered for students. In the course of the four week program students also have the opportunity to attend a dance course, a chamber concert and a Midsummer Night’s ball. 

INTERNATIONAL & INTERCULTURAL

Students from all over the world have been drawn to the program, not only because of the outstanding academic reputation of its European Studies program and the excellent opportunities it offers students to learn German, but also because of its location directly on the shores of one of Austria's most scenic lakes, Lake Wolfgang, in the Salzkammergut region, and because of the area's excellent sports and recreational facilities. 

The intercultural dimension provided by the summer program’s internationally diverse student population has become one of the most rewarding features of students’ learning experience. Today, more than 30 different nationalities are represented in the student body, up to 100 students accepted into the program, creating the conditions most conducive to intercultural and social interaction.