On September 23 and 24, 2026, the Austrian Integration Fund (ÖIF) participated in the second DACH Conference on Integration at the expert level in Nuremberg. Ana-Maria Leko (Head of the Values and Orientation Courses Team) and Thomas Stiglbrunner (Head of the Digital Learning Team) contributed their expertise to the cross-border exchange on behalf of the ÖIF. The conference took place at the headquarters of the German Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF).
ÖIF contributes experience in values education and digital German learning.
The ÖIF's contributions focused particularly on experiences with values and orientation courses as well as with digital German language learning resources. The ÖIF presented Austrian approaches and practical experiences and exchanged information with experts from Germany and Switzerland about different models and further developments.
Digital learning opportunities have long complemented the Austrian Integration Fund's (ÖIF) German language support programs, offering German learners additional ways to learn independently of time and location. Since 2015, the ÖIF has also offered initial orientation courses in Austria for asylum seekers and those granted subsidiary protection, conveying aspects relevant to a safe and responsible life in Austria. These courses focus on topics such as respectful coexistence in public spaces, self-sufficiency, self-determination, and gender equality. These approaches have proven successful and also generated interest during this exchange.
Professional exchange with Germany and Switzerland
In addition to the Austrian Integration Fund (ÖIF), representatives from the Federal Chancellery (BKA) also participated on the Austrian side. Germany was represented by the Federal Ministry of the Interior and the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF), and Switzerland by the State Secretariat for Migration (SEM). The two-day program covered topics including current developments in integration policy, digitalization and German language acquisition, gender issues, and monitoring and impact assessment in integration policy. The reform of the Common European Asylum System (CEAS) and its implications were also addressed.
Shared challenges, shared solutions
Since the German-speaking countries share not only a language but also many of the challenges in the areas of migration and integration, joint exchange offers the potential to learn from one another and leverage synergies. By participating in the second DACH exchange, the Austrian Integration Fund (ÖIF) not only contributed Austrian experiences in integration work to the cross-border professional discourse but also took the opportunity to learn about approaches from Germany and Switzerland and to compare practical experiences.