Ferdinand Porsche University of Applied Sciences Becomes the First University of Applied Sciences in Austria to Join the EADTU
The Ferdinand Porsche FERNFH has been admitted to the European Association of Distance Teaching Universities (EADTU). This makes it the only university of applied sciences in Austria to be part of the network of 18 leading European universities for online and distance learning. This membership strengthens FERNFH’s international network and opens up new opportunities for collaboration, educational innovation, and the further development of flexible and inclusive higher education.
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Wiener Neustadt/Brussels – By joining the European Association of Distance Teaching Universities (EADTU), the Ferdinand Porsche FERNFH is further expanding its international network in the field of open higher education. The university’s admission to the European network was approved by a resolution of the EADTU General Assembly at the end of April 2026. Mag.a Astrid Braun, Coordinator of International Affairs at FERNFH, and Prof. (FH) DI Dr. Martin Staudinger, Dean of FERNFH, represented the university in person at the General Assembly.
FERNFH is thus the only university of applied sciences in Austria that is part of this European network. The EADTU is considered the leading institutional network for open online and distance learning in higher education in Europe. Its members include the Open University UK, the Swiss University of Applied Sciences for Distance Learning, and the FernUniversität Hagen. The network focuses on flexible access to higher education—particularly for previously underserved student groups—diverse and inclusive educational offerings, and intensive cross-border collaboration within the European Higher Education Area.
International Networking for Innovative Higher Education
This membership aligns with FERNFH’s strategic focus on making higher education flexible, inclusive, and accessible through a variety of channels. At the same time, it strengthens international cooperation with other universities and opens up new opportunities for joint projects and professional exchange in the field of online and distance learning.
“Through our membership in the EADTU, we are strengthening the international standing of Ferdinand Porsche FERNFH as a leading provider of digital and flexible higher education. Of particular importance to us is our shared commitment to equitable access to higher education and lifelong learning,” explains Mag. (FH) Axel Jungwirth, MEng, AKKM. Since its founding, FERNFH has pursued the goal of breaking down educational barriers and enabling people to pursue higher education regardless of their professional, family, or geographic circumstances. As Austria’s first university of applied sciences with a consistent focus on distance learning, FERNFH has been developing flexible degree programs for 20 years.
More International Opportunities for Students and Universities
In the future, EADTU membership is also intended to strengthen internationalization in everyday academic life. For many students, extended stays abroad are not an option due to professional or personal commitments. FERNFH therefore focuses specifically on virtual mobility opportunities and international collaboration within digital and hybrid teaching and learning formats in order to integrate international perspectives directly into academic studies, research, and everyday university life.
“Exchanges with institutions that face similar challenges and pursue similar goals in the areas of distance learning, digitization, and student-centered higher education are particularly valuable,”emphasizes Mag.a Astrid Braun, Coordinator of International Affairs at FERNFH. Collaboration within the EADTU makes it possible to integrate international perspectives even more deeply into teaching, research, and institutional development, and to generate new momentum. FERNFH focuses in particular on European collaborations in the areas of micro-credentials and other forms of lifelong learning, the expansion of innovative teaching, learning, and assessment formats, and ensuring that access to higher education is as barrier-free as possible for people from diverse life circumstances.
At the same time, Ferdinand Porsche FERNFH is thereby strengthening the international visibility of the Austrian university of applied sciences sector within the European Higher Education Area and underscoring its commitment to actively shaping flexible and inclusive higher education within the European Higher Education Area.
