From Germany’s northernmost university to the northernmost university in the world
The idea took shape through our university’s internal mailing list. Together, we considered which European partner universities might be suitable for a Blended Intensive Program (BIP). Professors Tabea Scheel (Europa-Universität Flensburg), Dana Unger (Arctic University of Tromsø), and Jakub Procházka (Masaryk University Brno) already knew each other well, so a joint project quickly emerged: the master's-level course “Well-being at Work” was to be held annually at one of the three universities – we began in Tromsø in 2025. The Norwegian setting, including the chance to see the northern lights, helped seal the decision. The BIP offered not only us lecturers the chance to collaborate internationally, but also gave students an accessible, funded opportunity to study abroad – an important part of our work at the International Institute of Management.
Preparation
Planning took place in close coordination with our International Office and through regular online meetings among the teaching staff. This allowed us to coordinate all necessary documents and deadlines well in advance. Many interested master’s students in Flensburg applied, and ten were selected based on academic criteria. The course began with an online session on 28 February 2025, during which all participants met for the first time and the programme’s structure was introduced.
Stay
From 31 March to 4 April 2025, we taught together at the Arctic University of Tromsø. The students from Flensburg and Brno stayed in student dorms and quickly formed an international learning community. Before the course began, our Norwegian colleague Dana gave us a sunny tour of the city – including a spectacular view from Storsteinen, which we reached via the Fjellheisen cable car. In addition to the course itself, we went on excursions, such as to Ersfjordbotn, where a snowball fight and a chance encounter with a reindeer left lasting impressions. A special highlight: on the second-to-last evening, the northern lights finally appeared over Tromsø despite the cloud cover.
Conclusion
The week in Tromsø was an enriching experience, both personally and professionally – the international exchange with colleagues, teaching in a new environment, and the shared experience with students left a lasting impact on my daily work. We plan to continue the master’s course in the same format – next year in Flensburg, and the year after in Brno.
I wholeheartedly encourage colleagues to get involved in a BIP project like this. While the organizational effort is considerable, it is absolutely worthwhile. I am deeply grateful for this intense and wonderful experience.