From 11 to 13 October, the international annual ATLAS conference took place in Bad Gleichenberg, Austria, hosted by FH JOANNEUM. Researchers Veronika Jánová and Linn Albert from the European Campus Rottal-Inn (ECRI) presented two projects.

The theme of the conference was "Quality of Life: Health, Tourism and Climate" and offered a multi-perspective view of tourism and a variety of current challenges. In the special track "Quality of Life, Well-Being, Climate Change: Bridging the Theory-Action Gap", Veronika Jánová presented the Interreg Alpine project BeyondSnow. The project is led by Prof. Dr. Marcus Herntrei and aims to increase the socio-ecological climate resilience of small snow tourism destinations and communities at medium altitudes in order to maintain their attractiveness for residents and tourists. In ten pilot regions in the Alps, adaptation strategies to climate change are being developed with the broad participation of local service providers. For the first time, a digital tool is being used to provide data-based solutions and concrete proposals to enable Alpine tourism regions to adapt and revitalise their tourism offer in the face of ecological change. The Resilience Decision Making Digital Tool will generate recommendations for the transition to sustainable tourism models and help preserve valuable regional resources.

As part of the special track "Good Practice in Learning and Teaching Tourism in Higher Education", Linn Albert presented the media and didactic oriented project XtraveL. Led by Prof. Dr. Sascha Kreiskott, the XtraveL team is developing an innovative and transferable teaching module that focuses on practical and theoretical skills for sustainable travel planning and hybrid excursions in higher education. Individual elements can be used by different stakeholders in higher education for planning trips, documenting events or trips, or for teaching and learning practical and future relevant skills.

This year's ATLAS Annual Conference was hybrid for the first time and offered a total of seven special tracks consisting of scientific presentations, simulation games and workshops. Circular Economy in Tourism and Hospitality, Cultural Routes, Sustainable Transport in Rural Areas, Urban Tourism and Well-being, Quality of Life and Climate Change, Good Practice in Learning and Teaching Tourism in Higher Education and Event Crisis Management were discussed intensively by participants from more than 20 countries. 

The Association for Tourism and Leisure Education and Research (ATLAS) is a membership-based network and research organisation. Its main objective is to promote tourism and leisure education and research through regular meetings and exchange of information between member institutions.

The European Organisation for Nuclear Research (CERN) is a major research facility of international standing located near Geneva. Every year, the organisation hosts a series of computer science lectures, the CERN Spring Campus, in one of its 23 member states. In March 2024, this event will take place at Deggendorf Institute of Technology (DIT).

“CERN Spring Campus was first held in 2014 and brings CERN’s high-tech knowledge to the Member States. Over the course of four days, experts from CERN will give lectures on computer science and share their knowledge,” says Prof. Dr. Patrick Glauner, AI professor at DIT. Other key elements of the event include a hackathon and cultural exchanges.

Next year’s CERN Spring Campus will take place at DIT from 11 to 14 March. Lectures will cover topics, such as artificial intelligence, IT security, usability, distributed systems and soft skills. The target group mainly consists of bachelor’s and master’s students of computer science or related degree programmes. A limited number of places are also available for university graduates.

CERN first became aware of DIT as a possible event location through Professor Glauner. The former CERN employee is delighted to continue the collaboration: “So far, I have been able to arrange internships at CERN for several of my students. Now, we are taking a further step with the CERN Spring Campus, bringing CERN’s high-tech knowledge to Lower Bavaria.” Participants will also have the opportunity to receive a certificate worth 2 ECTS credits after successfully passing an examination.

More information about the CERN Spring Campus is available at www.cern.ch/springcampus. Applications are now open. If you have any questions, please contact Prof. Glauner directly at patrick.glauner@th-deg.de or +49 991/3615-453.

A group of students from Colombia visited the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Media Technology at the Deggendorf Institute of Technology (DIT) at the end of October. An initiative from DIT and the Colombian University Del Valle made the visit possible. The guests from Colombia were warmly welcomed by the faculty and students of the electrical engineering program and were introduced to cutting-edge research and emerging technologies.

Highlights of the visit included a tour of several laboratories, a meeting with students during a laboratory internship, lectures, and workshops by professors. For Prof. Dr.-Ing. Nikolaus Müller, academic advisor at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Media Technology, international exchange programs like these are invaluable: “We are very happy to have these talented students from Colombia with us. This experience will benefit not only them, but our academic community as well.”

Of course, the Columbian students also explored the old town of Deggendorf, tasted traditional Bavarian cuisine and made their first friends. For Juan Pablo Lasso Jaramillo, the trip to Germany was an unforgettable experience: “At the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Media Technology, the practical implementation of what has been learned theoretically is made possible in well-equipped laboratories. This way you understand everything better and learn much faster. The people we met in such a short time were so welcoming and we will carry these memories in our hearts forever."

The Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Media Technology wants to welcome more international students in the future and establish more relations in the field of electrical engineering. The educational exchange between DIT and the Universidad Del Valle marked the beginning.