Amber Road Network
Central European Network of Faculties of Economics
Background Information
The Amber Road consortium agreement was signed and the network was established in Sopron, Hungary on 23 May 2014 and is one of the largest cooperation of universities in CEE. The consortium includes 13 faculties of 12 universities in 9 countries.
The name derives from the ancient Roman trade route, which used to connect Italy with the Baltics and made the entire region flourish. This road provided “transversal” transport network between northern and southern Europe. Stop, rest and branching sites linked with the typical settlement system, and it helped the urban development of the areas. We seek to revive the ancient Amber Road in form of a string of economic faculties reaching from Croatia to Lithuania.
Building on the ancient idea we would like to create a Central European Network of Faculties of Economics, which helps the development of universities, and facilitates the expansion of international relations.
Mission
The mission of the consortium is to support internationalisation in higher education, especially among economic departments and faculties in Central and Eastern Europe. The participating faculties can provide opportunities for student and staff mobility, joint research activities and the development of joint degree program with the common network and international relations.
Objectives
Our main objective is to establish a university network to provide opportunities for students and teachers with international relations at various universities to study, to teach, to learn languages and cultures and become a true Central-European Citizen. Our long term goal is that our students become true Central-European citizens. We would also like to reflect these ideas in the public and create a unique and distinctive brand.
Members
The Central European Faculties of Economics on the Amber Road includes
13 faculties of 12 universities in 9 countries:
| Country | City | University | Faculty |
|---|---|---|---|
| Austria | Eisenstadt | The University of Applied Sciences Burgenland | Department of Business Studies |
| Austria | Krems | Danube University Krems | Faculty of Business and Globalization |
| Croatia | Pula | Juraj Dobrila University of Pula | Faculty of Economics and Tourism “Dr Mijo Mirković” |
| Croatia | Zagreb | University of Zagreb | Faculty of Economics and Business |
| Czech Republic | Zlín | Tomas Bata University in Zlín | Faculty of Management and Economics |
| Hungary | Sopron | University of Sopron | Faculty of Economics |
| Lithuania | Vilnius | International School of Law and Business | Faculty of Management and Law |
| Poland | Bydgoszcz | University of Economy in Bydgoszcz | Faculty of Applied Studies |
| Serbia | Subotica | University of Novi Sad | Faculty of Economics in Subotica |
| Slovakia | Bratislava | University of Economics in Bratislava | Faculty of Business Management |
| Slovakia | Bratislava | University of Economics in Bratislava | Faculty of International Relations |
| Slovakia | Nitra | Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra | Faculty of European Studies and Regional Development |
| Slovenia | Maribor | University of Maribor | Faculty of Economics and Business |
Membership in the Central European Network is free and any Faculties of Economics can join us.
Coordination (organization)
The governing body of the Network is the Presidency. The Dean of each member Faculty is a Member of the Presidency. The Presidency would be responsible for the operation of the network, which is also the decision-making body as well. The President would be annually rotated from the deans of the Faculties. The Presidency is responsible for the design and implementation of joint research activities and launching of mobility programs, coordinating the operation activities of the program. Other parts of the organization are the Management Group, the Coordination Office and the Student Council. The staff of the Coordination Office is from the President’s Faculty.
Planned activities
- Curriculum development
- Double degree or joint degree diploma in various training programs (for example: Tourism management diploma – in English, German and national languages)
- Implementation of joint training programs (short term and long term programs)
- Student and teacher mobility: The program would allow students from member universities to have lectures at other faculties and equally benefit from the respective university services and the students can study at all Faculties of the Network without special student status. They can use the local services according to local rules and regulations.
- Joint Scientific Research
- Joint PhD program between the Doctoral schools of the Faculties
- Standardization of the Credit system
- Issue of common Central European Diplom
- and further opportunities:
Funding
- CEEPUS
- Erasmus
- EUprojects
- FP7
The network benefits
Joining the network comes with a number of benefits
… for the faculties
- increasing recognition of universities
- international joint appearance – common marketing opportunities
- sharing good practices
- possibilities to create new programs with the members
- identification partners for joint scientific researches
- development of international relations
- increasing ability to lobby
… for the staff
- teacher and staff mobility
- research collaboration
- innovative teaching methods and researches
- developing professional and international relations
… for the students
- student mobility
- innovative learning methods
- language learning
- developing international relations