IHI-Chair for International Management and Faculty of Economics at TU Liberec Receive EU Funding for the ERNILAC Project

In recent months, the Chair for International Management, in collaboration with the Technical University of Liberec, has developed a project aimed at increasing the attractiveness of the job market for students in the Euroregion Neisse through applied research and subsequent educational offerings. This project is named ERNILAC - Euroregion Neisse International Labor Market for Academics.

After undergoing a thorough review by the Saxon Development Bank and being deemed worthy of funding, the project was approved with a total budget of around half a million euros. From this, the Chair will receive approximately €250,000 from the European Territorial Cooperation Fund (Interreg).

ERNILAC presents an excellent opportunity to enhance the joint degree program in International Management with the Technical University of Liberec through stronger research collaboration and to deepen the European cooperation between the IHI Zittau and the Technical University of Liberec.

Over the next two years, a diverse range of offerings will be created for students from IHI Zittau, the Technical University of Liberec, and other regional higher education institutions to better understand the German-Czech job market and to intensify student exchanges. These activities will be accompanied by comprehensive analysis, involving qualitative and quantitative studies with companies, universities, and students. The goal is to highlight new career paths for academics, promote intercultural exchange among students, better understand the regional job market, connect potential applicants with employers, and support regional structural change by increasing the visibility of local employers, thereby opening up new potential applicant groups. ERNILAC aims to support European labor market integration in the region positively.

One of the project's outcomes will be a "Career Compass," available in both digital and printed forms to all university graduates in the Euroregion Neisse. It will feature success stories of graduates with cross-border career paths, interesting job profiles from companies in the region, information on requirements for cross-border careers, and insights into career opportunities for academics in the region.

Additionally, a white paper for regional policy will be developed to counteract the emigration of highly qualified graduates. The project will be completed with an analysis of the study offerings in the German-Czech Euro-Neisse region concerning the alignment of the qualifications needed in the region and the competencies provided through higher education.

More on EU's Interreg Funding (in German and Czech)