It is already several years since the Karl-Scharfenberg Faculty at Ostfalia set up the partnership with Sochi State University. In autumn 2018, representatives of the Faculty of Transport-Sports-Tourism-Media made their first trip to the Black Sea to intensify the exchange between the institutions. Stefan Küblböck (professor of tourism management) and Harald Rau (professor of communications management) aimed to conduct intensive talks and discussions with various officials and faculties.

Sochi State University.

A particular goal was to initiate a lecturer exchange programme (each phase lasting two weeks, held in English) and to invite students with knowledge of Russian to take part in exchanges in the area of media management and communication. Ostfalia also had an opportunity to present the chair’s international research strategies in Sochi in addition to its research in the field of location-based services (LBS). LBS applications (apps) run on mobile devices and are designed to create added value for its users through localisation.

In particular, placing the focus on the tourism industry – both in Salzgitter and Sochi – served to make the cooperation of interest to both parties. The two universities are currently engaged in raising funding for an Erasmus Plus project, the aim of which is to enable an intensive exchange between courses of study in the tourism sector. The trip undertaken to further the universities' cooperation also gave Ostfalia the opportunity to present the faculty's main areas of research in front of a large audience at a university auditorium in Sochi. Stefan Küblböck explained the background of a study looking into the quality of training and the market situation in the field of hotels and catering in the Braunschweig region; this produced findings that were of international interest. Harald Rau presented the extensive research project funded by third-party sponsorship entitled "Location-based services in regional media communication" along with its initial findings, as well as giving a presentation on the subject of click-baiting – motivated by media economics and media-critically realised. All presentations met with great appreciation.

Prof. Rau giving a speech at Sochi State University.

For the purpose of squaring differences and drawing parallels, the professors from Ostfalia held very concrete discussions with the presidential board on the following themes in the course of the cooperation talks: 
How is research awarded for scientists? How are activities in internationalisation supported by faculty - facing the single researcher? How can staff be prepared for international science and research projects? How could work be published? How is research coordinated and monitored? How is success in research communicated (internally and externally)?

Please contact  Prof. Dr. Harald Rau for more information on this international activity.

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