1. Deepening mutual relations and intercultural understanding

1.1. Intensifying co-operation in research and teaching on intercultural business communication in Central Europe

a) The role of mentalities, cultural, pragmatic and intercultural rules shared by the neighbouring countries and differing between them for cross-border communication in the South East of Central Europe (Austria, Hungary, Slovakia and Slovenia). Continuing ongoing research and teaching on that topic.

b) The role of specific communicative conditions for mutual business communication in Central Europe - Continuing ongoing research and teaching on that topic.
(A first volume of research papers and empirically founded investigations on both topics is in preparation, a MA thesis on a related topic was finished during the winter semester 1999/2000.)

1.2. Learning the language of the neighbours - Supporting mutual language learning:

An important objective of the network is to enable Austrian participants to learn Slovakian, Slovenian or Hungarian in order to change the asymmetry between the languages. (Most speakers of Slovakian, Slovenian or Hungarian know German but not vice versa.) At the same time participants from the neighbouring countries of Austria should be able to improve their knowledge of German and Austrian German in particular.

1.3. Getting to know Austrian German and the pluricentricity of German:

a) Getting to know Austrian German and the pluricentricity of German

Continuing teaching and co-operation in research on Austrian German. Further courses on Austrian German will be held at the participating universities.
People should become acquainted with the fact that knowing the linguistic rules of German German and the communicative rules working in Germany will not be enough for successful communication in Austria. The reason for that is that Austrian German is the national variety of German in Austria with linguistic and communicative rules of it's own. German in Austria has the same status as English in the USA, Canada or in Australia - both languages are pluricentric (spread over several countries and having developed by that rules of it's own.)

b) Exploring the common linguistic heritage (lending and borrowing) in the national languages of the countries participating in the network.

Ongoing research activities will be continued. There is a considerable amount of loanwords in the languages of the network-partners which can serve as link to language learning and to exploring the common cultural heritage in Central Europe.

2. Improving bilateral academic relations and intercultural understanding
between Hungary and Slovakia by:

a) Teaching the Slovakian language by Slovakian native speakers to students at Piliscsaba University.

A 6 hours / week course organised by teachers from Banská Bystrica will be held at Piliscsaba University.

b) Continuing the exchange program between the Department of Foreign languages in Pécs and Banská Bystrica.

3. Improving and deepening the professional knowledge of students
of Business and Economics and teacher training students of German as a foreign language:

a) Improving skills in business German:

Students of Business and Commerce are given the opportunity to take part in courses at the Faculty of Business and in Graz and can at the same time improve their knowledge of German. Several students have attended courses at the Institute for International Management in Graz.

b) Getting teaching practice:

Teacher training students of German as a foreign language are given the opportunity to do their practical teaching training at the participating German departments or at teacher training divisions to improve their teaching-skills.