International Staff Week 2026

Mobility, Student Expectations, and AI – What Does the Future of Internationalization Look Like?

Under the overarching theme “Reorienting Internationalization,” 23 participants from all over Europe gathered at MCI to discuss what international engagement could and should look like in the coming years. The discussion focused on three key areas:

• Trends and changes in internationalization #Quo Vadis
• Future-oriented skills through mobility
• The influence of AI on internationalization.

30 Years of MCI – 30 Years of Internationalization

MCI’s International Staff Week 2026 took place during a special year, as it coincided with the celebration of MCI’s 30th anniversary. What began with a handful of exchange partnerships has grown into a global network of over 300 partner universities.

In her opening address, Dr. Susanne Lichtmannegger, Head of the International Relations Department at MCI, highlighted just how fundamentally the field has changed: Internationalization today serves a wide range of stakeholders, is shaped by AI, digitalization, sustainability, geopolitics, and shifting student expectations, and must simultaneously enable authentic, meaningful experiences while upholding its own values. It was precisely this tension that formed the starting point for the central theme: “Recalibrating Internationalization.”

Day 1 – Trends & Shifts in Internationalisation

Veronika Kupriyanova from the Academic Cooperation Association (ACA) opened with a keynote that laid out the landscape clearly: the need for internationalisation has never been greater, yet key actors are becoming more selective. International student flows continue to grow, but are shifting. Many institutions still operate without a clear internationalisation strategy, and financial autonomy has actually declined across a number of systems. Her conclusion: the field needs a decisive shift – from quantity towards quality, impact, and strategic clarity.

The afternoon brought a Futures Thinking Workshop with Prof. Dr. Maria Pammer (MCI), grounded in the concept of Futures Literacy – the ability to work actively with possible futures rather than simply extrapolating from the present. In small groups, participants explored provocative future scenarios using Futures Wheels:

• Every Student Has an AI Twin – What happens when AI guides every student individually through their academic and career journey?
• Carbon Budgets Limit Student Mobility – What does a personal carbon budget mean for semester abroad programmes and international partnerships?
• Universities No Longer Issue Degrees – What if employers move to competency portfolios instead of formal qualifications?

Tag 2 – Future Skills through Mobility

Claudia Pauzenberger and Martina Schwab (MCI) facilitated a workshop that invited participants to rethink the IRO role itself: not just as administrative coordination, but as active co-creation of learning experiences and international spaces. Working in groups, participants identified shared challenges, clustered them, and developed concrete action ideas – from student communication strategies to housing solutions and questions around how mobility can be more meaningfully embedded across the study journey.

A panel discussion followed, with Regina Aichner (Austrian Federation of Industries), Cara Saunders (EGGER Group), Irene Wüster (JUWEL H. Wüster GmbH), and Brigitte Huter (MCI Student & Career Center) examining which competences international experience actually builds – resilience, adaptability, intercultural communication – and why these so often remain invisible to employers. Regina Aichner put it plainly: mobility needs to be actively reflected upon, embedded in curricula, and understood as professional development – not written off as time spent abroad.

Day 3 – Influence of AI in Internationalization

Simon van der Sterren (Breda University of Applied Sciences) gave a hands-on session exploring how AI is already being used in international offices today – where it opens up real opportunities, where its limits lie, and how teams can integrate it meaningfully into their day-to-day work.

What does "Recalibrating Internationalization" actually mean? Key takeaways from the week:

• International experiences develop exactly the competences future labor markets demand – but they need to be made visible.
• IROs play a vital bridging role between students, institutions, and employers – and need to own that role proactively.
• The future of mobility is genuinely open: AI twins, carbon budgets, global university networks – IROs need Futures Literacy to stay ahead.
• AI is changing how international offices work – as a tool, not a replacement for human relationships.
• Internationalization is not an end in itself. It requires clear values, strategy, and the willingness to ask uncomfortable questions.

A warm thank you to all speakers, panelists, and the 23 participants who made this week so memorable – and to Innsbruck, which provided the perfect backdrop: city tour, Bergisel Ski Jump, and a farewell dinner at Isserwirt in Lans.