Dr. Brigitte Kürsteiner

Profile

Dr. Brigitte Kürsteiner Leiterin Global Engagement Office

Address Berner Fachhochschule
Office of the Vice-President Research
Global Engagement Office
Falkenplatz 16
3012 Bern

Dr.  Brigitte Kürsteiner is Head of the Global Engagement Unit at Bern University of Applied Sciences, the local coordinator of the PIONEER university alliance and a researcher in the field of institutional transformation. She previously lectured and conducted research at the Department of Geography at the University of Teacher Education Lucerne and worked as a secondary school teacher.
She holds an MSc in Geography from the University of Bern, an MAS in Intercultural Communication from the Università della Svizzera Italiana, and earned a PhD in Social Politics from the University of Fribourg with a focus on international education. Her research interests cover learning in international settings, institutional transformation and European higher education policy.
She possesses expert knowledge in global competencies, demonstrated through her leadership in projects and contributions to the development of intercultural and transnational learning capacities in higher education.

2024 - today Local coordinator of the PIONEER alliance Berne University of Applied Sciences
June 2023 - today Head of Global Engament Unit Berne University of Applied Science
2014 - 2024 University lecturer University of Teacher Education Lucerne
2007-2023 Director of International Relations and International Education University of Teacher Education Lucerne
2021-2023 Head of Core Area Global Issues Teaching University of Teacher Education Lucerne
2003-2007 Program Manager University of Fribourg
1999-2003 Assistant State Secretariat of Economic Affairs
1994-1999 Teacher Secondary schools in the Canton of Bern

2022 Doctor of Philosophy University of Fribourg
2014 Master of Advanced Studies in Intercultural Communication Università della Svizzera Italiana
2001 Master of Science in Geography Universität Bern

Chapter in edited book: European Universities Initiative 5 Years On
The European University Initiative from the perspective of organisational actorhood in higher education: key transformations, challenges and opportunities for universities of applied sciences and traditional research universities
African-European School Dialogue

European Association for International Education (EAIE)
Pioneer Alliance
Member of Cluster of Cooperation East Afica and the Horn, Swissuniversities
Swiss Society for African Studies https://www.sagw.ch/africa/
Hochschulverband für Geographiedidaktik https://geographiedidaktik.org/
International Relations of the Universities of Applied Sciences and Arts, Swissuniversities