Project Description
According to forecasts, the population in Thuringia will experience a strong decline over the coming decades. This will be associated with a tremendous reduction in potential skilled labour, creating considerable challenges for the economic location of Thuringia in the mid- to long-term.
In this respect, the transdisciplinary HiTh-project will investigate the extent to which international students and highly-skilled international workers can counterbalance this development. More specifically, it aims at attracting international students for Thuringia by facilitating their transition to a local and regional labour market as well as sensitizing companies to the local and regional labour market as well as sensitizing companies to the potential of internationally-qualified professionals.
The HiTh-project is a collaboration between the Chair of Economics and Public Finance and the Chair of Economic Geography at the Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena, the International Office of Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena and the Jena Business Development (Wirtschaftsförderungsgesellschaft Jena mbH). There will also be close cooperation with companies in the region that will be promoted by placing intern students with regional companies and initiating an award to companies for their openness to intercultural opportunities.
- implementing and evaluating measures that will improve the receptivity and capacity of companies in Thuringia to take on and commit themselves to inter-national students and specialists,
- generating a comprehensive database by surveying inter-national students, professionals as well as universities and companies in Thuringia,
- deriving recommendations for future action for regional politics, the economy and universities in Thuringia and,
- transferring the results of the project to all stakeholders and the general public.
HiTh is funded by the Free State of Thuringia from the European Social Fund (ESF) for the period of 3 years (06/2016-05/2019). Here you can download our HiTh-Flyer.