Austrian-American Educational Cooperation Association
About
Focal points: Teacher training and transnational networking of educational institutions
The Austrian-American Educational Cooperation Association was founded back in 1992 on the initiative of HR Prof. Hans Matzenauer, then President of the Vienna Board of Education (official school authority in Vienna), together with Prof. Dr. Alfred Posamentier – then Dean of City College New York – and representatives of the former Federal Ministry of Education and Arts and the Federal Ministry of Science.
The aim of this – still forward-looking – initiative was and is to foster the positive development of the education systems in Austria and the United States through projects in teacher training, curriculum development, vocational training and also through a continuous exchange of experience. The AAECA contributes to a school system in which highly educated and internationally interlinked educational experts work. This is extremely important in view of the ongoing dynamic process of internationalisation, which is affecting more and more areas of society – adding new challenges to initial and continuing (vocational) education and training.
The Austrian-American Educational Cooperation Association sees itself as an initiator and facilitator of transatlantic cooperation projects. For this reason, we have been working together with various American universities and educational institutions for more than 25 years.
Goals
The aim of the AAECA is to promote a broad spectrum of Austrian-American cooperation in the field of education. The main focus of the association’s efforts is on continuing education for female teachers, networking of educational institutions, exchange of experience in multilingual education, but also a transnational broadening of the perspective of dealing with diversity within educational institutions.
Beginnings
1990
Inspired by the interest in the Viennese school system and the discussion at the time about educational reforms in Austria, the New York university professor Dr. Alfred S. Posamentier applied as a visiting professor at the University of Vienna within the framework of the Fulbright Foundation. This activity also led him to the Board of Education for Vienna and to the then President, Prof. Hans Matzenauer. Common interests were quickly identified and new forms and possibilities of further training for teachers were developed. The cooperation was intensified after the return visit to New York in 1992.
1992
The foundation of an own non-profit association for bilateral cooperation was officially initiated: the AUSTRIAN-AMERICAN EDUCATIONAL COOPERATION ASSOCIATION was born.