At the FHNW School of Business, interaction between local and international students primarily occurs in academic settings, such as shared courses or virtual exchange formats. While extracurricular initiatives like the Buddy Programme and ESN events are in place, participation—particularly among local students—tends to be low. Consequently, interaction outside the classroom remains limited, underscoring the need for a structured approach to foster more consistent and meaningful engagement between both groups and to advance Internationalisation at Home.

This thesis applies a qualitative approach combining desk research, student reports, and qualitative interviews with local and international students. A literature review was conducted, integration activities at FHNW were analysed, and best practices from seven universities explored. Local and international student motivation and needs were examined based on the Expectancy Value Theory. The findings define key success factors for integration and inform practical, transferable recommendations, structured with the Programme Design Canvas to support Internationalisation at Home.

The findings show that both local and international students are interested in intercultural interaction, but participation in extracurricular activities is shaped by motivation, time, communication, and cultural or language barriers. Currently, most interaction takes place in classroom settings. Extracurricular activities offered by the International Office, ESN, and Fachschaft Wirtschaft are oftentimes perceived as a separate add-on. Students favour informal, low-pressure formats, meaningful social contact, and tangible incentives. International students are more driven by intrinsic motivation, such as need for social and cultural engagement, while local students are influenced by external factors due to competing commitments. Good practices from other universities—such as group buddy systems, shared spaces, and student-led initiatives—highlight the potential of inclusive, well-structured formats to improve integration at FHNW.