The basis of the project was the partnership agreement between the two colleges on 1 January 2015. Having a total of 180 students between them, up to the end of 2014 the two international schools were being run by two different sponsorship organisations, although they were already teaching the same curriculum. Since the start of the year, however, the two schools have been under the same management. As a result it has been possible to create synergies in all areas.
The student consultancy firm ‘Rhine Valley 15 Inc.’ presents its findings, along with Dr Bernd Schenk of the University of Liechtenstein (2.f.l) and Heiner Graf (right) of the International School.
Virtual consultancy firm with real benefits
Under the auspices of the English-language module in Leadership and Human Resource Management of the MA course in IT and Business Process Management, the 25 students founded a virtual consultancy firm by the name of ‘Rhine Valley 15 Inc.’. The objective of the project was to advise the management of International School Rheintal on the evaluation and optimisation of the transitional process. On the occasion of the graduation ceremony, held at the SAL hall in Schaan on 29 May, the students presented their results to the management staff of International School Rheintal and its students and their parents.
The student consultancy firm ‘Rhine Valley 15 Inc.’ – students of the master’s programme in IT & Business Process Management of the University of Liechtenstein.
Concrete recommendations of practical import
The crucial questions asked were – How can the two schools work together, while still retaining their own individual identity? What resources are they able to share? What are the best methods for managing communication and resources? To address these issues, two working groups were set up. One was to focus on the marketing area, the other on the transitional process of amalgamation.
The basis for the work of both teams was an initial review of the starting position. To arrive at this, the students conducted two rounds of interviews with management and marketing staff, parents and teachers of the two schools. Based on the information collected, two documents were drawn up summarising conclusions and offering recommendations. These were presented to the school management and the governing body on 24 April 2015.
A win-win-win situation for all
The tangible benefits of the project were immediately apparent to both parties. For the students it represented an attractive opportunity of putting what they had learned directly to use in a practical context. At the same time the Rheintal school benefited from the expertise and the ideas of the students, and was given a valuable roadmap for its ongoing development. 
Dr Bernd Schenk, responsible for directing the MA course, expressed enthusiasm for the execution and outcome of the consultancy project. ‘Networking with companies from the region results in a win-win-win situation, for industry, the students and for the University of Liechtenstein.’
‘I found it very exciting to work on the real case of a company from the region. Above all in the areas of project management and communication, we were able to put our previously acquired theoretical knowledge admirably into practice. It was particularly pleasing that in some respects we actually exceeded the expectations of the customer.’
Hanspeter Hasler from Liechtenstein, student on the IT and Business Process Management MA degree course
‘The partnership between ISSG and ISR came at an ideal time in coinciding with the practical project of the University of Liechtenstein. The exchange of ideas was particularly stimulating because it related to a concrete and practical situation. We value the commitment, professionalism and broad range of knowledge of the students. From our point of view, this small merger was not an ordinary event.’
Heiner Graf, BA (Business Economics) / Fiduciary Specialist, Chair of the Board, International School Rheintal Liechtenstein-St. Gallen-Vorarlberg