HISTORY OF THE AUSTRIAN SUMMER SCHOLARS
PROGRAM
The Austrian Summer Scholars Program at Miami University
began in 1974 as an experimental exchange between
students from the Wirtschaftsuniversität Wien and Miami
University.
During the mid 1970s until 1990, the exchange allowed
Austrian students to visit Miami University, live in the
residence halls, and attend summer session classes as
well as participating in special programs and trips
designed to familiarize them with life in America.
Beginning in 1986, a new exchange agreement between Miami
University and the Wirtschaftsuniversität Wien was
designed to expand international opportunities for
students and staff from both institutions. The purpose of
the program, which began in the 1989-90 academic year,
was to intensify the international outlook at both
institutions. The agreement made use of the many personal
and cultural contacts already established through Miami's
Austrian Summer Scholars Program. Miami Students who
wished to study in Austria were eligible for scholarships
ranging from $500-$1000, funded by Austrian exchange
students in gratitude to Miami for serving as host of the
summer program. Under the agreement, each university
exchanged up to two full-time students for an academic
year on a one-for-one basis.
From 1994-1995, as a result of several factors
influencing both universities, along with the decline of
students interested in studying in Vienna and Oxford
through the exchange, the year-long program was dissolved
and the exchange evolved back into the focused intensive
summer program lasting six weeks, usually from late June
to early August.
From 1996 to the present, Miami University continues to
welcome the Austrian Summer Scholars to its campus, its
classes, and the Oxford community.