2023-09-26 03:12:47
The new academic year 2023/24 brings the Linz Institute of Digital Sciences Austria (IDSA), the first new public university in 30 years: following various delays, study operations begin with a significantly scaled-down program – for example without studies or professors. Initially you only start with individual modules. The first doctoral program is not scheduled to begin until the end of 2024, and the first master’s program in 2025.
Founding rector Stefanie Lindstaedt’s slogan was an interdisciplinary university whose curricula change every year and whose studies cannot be located in any traditional faculty. The overall theme is the digital transformation of various areas of life, from healthcare to the energy industry. In Founding Labs, international PhD students and fellows will work together to work out what the associated study program might look like in practice.
At Lindstaedt’s request, a new name should also be found in which the word university appears and which is less confusing than IDSA. The actual study operations will not start until next year.
It must also be clear by the end of October how much money will be available for the 22 public universities in the years 2025 to 2027. In view of inflation, the University Conference (uniko) recently reported a need of around 20 billion euros; for 2022 to 2024 – including inflation measures – the figure was just under 13 billion.
For this academic year, the Ministry of Education has also planned to review the private higher education law in terms of quality assurance. The background is the problems at the Sigmund Freud Private University, which had its admission to its medical master’s degree withdrawn due to massive quality deficiencies. There should also be readjustments to ensure good scientific practice – keyword: plagiarism.
A new development and financing plan will come into force at the universities of applied sciences (FH) in October. As a first step, this year there will be 350 new beginner study places in the areas of mathematics/computer science/natural sciences/technology (MINT) or digitalization and sustainability. These are created primarily by expanding existing courses of study, but there are also new courses offered at the FH Burgenland (International Sustainable Business; Bachelor), Upper Austria (Sustainable Solutions; Bachelor) and the FH bfi Vienna (European Economic Policy; Master).
There are also new courses at the universities: for example, the Vienna University of Technology is offering a bachelor’s degree in computer science for the first time following discontinuing three related courses. At the University of Innsbruck, the diploma program in International Economics is being replaced by a bachelor’s program of the same name. Many universities are focusing on the topic of sustainability in new master’s programs – for example the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences on Climate Change and Societal Transformation or Green Building and Engineering.
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