2024
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Dedicated medicine study spots for purposes of public health care
Public health care initiative
Status: Implementation 2024, evaluation planned yearly
Sources:
- Information
- Legislation (planned): Amendment UG 2002, § 71c
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Objectives:
- Of the 5% of medicine study spots not regulated by the EU quota, 85 spots are dedicated to the fulfilment of duties in the public interest.
- These will be used to train doctors for public health service, for understaffed specialties in provincial hospitals and practices, as well as for police and military doctors
..
Measures:
- Interested applicants go through a selection process with their future employer (public health provider) before entering the university admission process (MedAT admission test).
- Public need and fulfillment of public interest as a pre-requisite ensured by contract between applicant and employer (public health provider).
- Selected applicants have to participate in the MedAT. They do not have to compete against applicants in the EU- and Austria-Quota, but their test results must at least be in the top 75% to qualify.
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Expected impact:
- Up to 85 students (per year) who are committed to working in the public health sector will be selected by and in contract with public health providers and (upon passing the MedAT) receive university medical education as well as dedicated on-the-job-training.
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Funding: No designated federal funding.
Monitoring:
- Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research
- Federal Ministry of Social Affairs, Health, Care and Consumer Protection
- Austrian National Public Health Institute
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Involved bodies: Same as monitoring, additionally:
- Affected stakeholders: other federal ministries, medical universities, federal provinces, public health providers.
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Expanding federally funded UAS study places in STEM subjects
Implementing the University of Applied Sciences Development and Financing Plan 2023/24-2025/26
Status: Time frame 2023 - 2025
Sources: Brochure
Description: Implementation of three calls for tenders for additional study places in accordance with the targets set in the University of Applied Sciences Development and Financing Plan 2023/24-2025/26.
Objectives:
- Continue the demand-oriented expansion of study places in the UAS sector.
- Strategic focus on digitalization and sustainability, addressing skills shortage: providing a sufficient number of highly qualified graduates, esp. in engineering and IT study programmes to tackle the challenges of the twin green and digital transition
- Increase the proportion of graduates in STEM subjects
- Increase the proportion of women amongst graduates in technical subjects
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Measures:
- Implementation of three calls for tenders for in total 1.050 study places:
- Already implemented: 350 new first-year places have been allocated in 2023 for study programmes in STEM from the 2023/24 academic year
- 353 first year places for study programmes in STEM from the 2024/25 have been allocated in Feb 2024
- Third call for tender 2025/26 for 350 additional study places in STEM subjects from 2025/26 academic year will be held in 2024
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Expected impact:
- Increase in the number of study places in STEM subjects
- Increase in the number of innovative study programmes providing skills to tackle the challenges of the twin and digital transition
- Increase in the number of graduates in STEM, esp. in engineering and IT programs (thus contributing to achieving the objectives of the federal government's RTI strategy (20 percent more graduates in STEM by 2030)
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Funding: € 30 Mio (2023-2025)
Monitoring and involves bodies:
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Reform of Nursing
Regulation and legislative documents / national action plan
Time frame: transition period until 2024
Sources:
Description:
The amendment of the Nursing Act including broad changes within the education and training and the scope of activities of the nursing professions was published on 1st August 2016.
Education and training for qualified nursing care will only take place within bachelor programmes at universities of applied sciences from 2024 onwards, at the same time special basic education and training in paediatric nursing and psychiatric nursing will expire in favour of a more generalistic education and training in nursing in general care.
The up to now one-year education and training as assistant nurse remains with a new professional title.
A new nursing profession “qualified assistant nurse” is introduced with a two-years’ education and training.
The present schools of nursing may be carried on as educational institutions for assistant nursing professions.
Involved bodies:
2023
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Austrian Higher Education Plan 2030
Strategic planning document
Status: Time frame 2023 - 2030
Sources: Der österreichische Hochschulplan (HoP)
Description:
The Austrian Higher Education Plan is an umbrella strategy addressing all four sectors of the Austrian higher education area (public universities, universities of applied sciences, university colleges for teacher training, and private universities) and thus all 76 Austrian higher education institutions (January 2023), thereby enabling a coordinated development of the Austrian higher education system.
Objectives:
The Higher Education Plan defines targets for four selected quantitative indicators:
- improving the teacher-student ratio
- increase the number of degrees (and increase the STEM share)
- internationalization of graduates
- establish gender equality: the proportion of women is to be increased significantly, especially at the higher career levels in public universities and universities of applied sciences.
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In addition, five qualitative lines of development are presented, from which 18 fields of action are derived.
- Higher education landscape and site development: The interaction of the 76 higher education institutions in Austria as a site for science and higher education is given greater emphasis.
- International contextualization of Austrian universities: Austria's universities are internationally active and well connected, strengthening Austria's research, science and arts education and arts development abroad.
- New educational biographies and permeability: An adequate range of courses is created for students with different study behavior or non-linear educational biographies.
- Participation in education: Public higher education in Austria continues to be accessible regardless of social factors, provided that defined access criteria are met.
- Teaching and research in the context of societal challenges: Austria's higher education institutions are actively shaping the digital transformation, and they are actively contributing to the areas of sustainability and pedagogy.
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Measures:
The implementation of the fields of action will essentially be addressed via the governance instruments available to the ministry in charge (funding, strategy instruments, dialogical forums, by law). A permanent working group of the Higher Education Conference will be entrusted with monitoring the higher education plan and an evaluation will be conducted in 2028. Based on the results, a final report with proposals will be prepared, including the status of implementation as well as adaptation and supplementation proposals regarding the goals and measures.
Expected impact:
The aim of the Higher Education Plan is to promote existing strengths of the Austrian higher education system, to make greater use of existing development potential and, above all, to bring about a long-term, joint development of Austria's higher education sectors. The focus of the Higher Education Plan is thereby on the area of higher education teaching.
Funding: (Not applicable)
Monitoring and involved bodies:
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Join in STEM: BMBWF action plan for more STEM experts
Strategic planning document
Status: Time frame 2023 - 2030
Sources: Aktionsplan MI(N)Tmachen (bmbwf.gv.at)
Description:
Strategic planning document for increasing the number of STEM experts and strengthening STEM skills. The action plan bundles the existing STEM initiatives of the BMBWF, enriches them with new measures and contains 8 action lines with measures that cover the entire education chain.
Objectives:
- Increase the proportion of graduates in STEM subjects by 20% by 2030.
- Increase the proportion of women amongst graduates in technical subjects by 5% by 2030.
- Strengthen STEM skills along the entire education chain that should contribute to solving the major challenges of our time such as digitalisation, climate change and the energy transition.
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Measures:
- Intensification of regional networking (STEM Regions).
- Establishment of an online platform for linking and highlighting STEM activities.
- Attractive, contemporary presentation and promotion of STEM careers through counselling and information services – role models, science ambassadors, mentors and peers get promoted across all channels and actively challenge stereotypes about IT and technology professions as male-dominated and "non-social".
- Supporting STEM talents along their educational pathway, e.g.by coordinating the requirements in physics, mathematics and computer science across all educational levels.
- Promoting of STEM learning through well-trained teachers and curricula/study programmes that include an interdisciplinary approach to STEM and the enrichment of STEM with creative and artistic approaches.
- Introduce programmes that bring STEM research into the classroom. Examples include school visits of science ambassadors, gadgets like programmable robot and a STEM Quality Label award for Educational institutions with innovative, inclusive and inspiring STEM didactics.
- Improve studyability and reduce dropout rates in STEM studies at public universities e.g. by developing of STEM teaching and the strengthening of mentoring programmes.
- STEM teachers strengthen young women's confidence in their math and technology skills and implement inclusive STEM didactics that enable STEM graduation regardless of gender, previous education, migration background and parents’ educational background.
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Expected impact:
- Greater integration of STEM policies across the education chain.
- More STEM interest and enthusiasm for STEM among young people, especially women.
- In terms of social policy: STEM more tangible, more interesting, more inclusive and thus more feasible for many people - also in the sense of hands on.
- In terms of economic policy: Eliminate the shortage of STEM experts.
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Funding: (Not specified)
Monitoring: Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research
Involved bodies:
- Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research
- Affected stakeholders (e.g. Federation of Austrian Industries)
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University of Applied Sciences Development and Financing Plan 2023/24-2025/26
Strategic planning document
Status: Time frame 2023/24 - 2025/26
Sources: UAS development and financing plan
Description:
The University of Applied Sciences Development and Financing Plan is the federal government’s strategic planning instrument for the qualitative and quantitative development of the UAS sector. It determines the budgetary framework, the financing model, the criteria for granting of federal subsidies and the further expansion of the UAS sector.
Objectives:
- Sustain funding for UAS by securing a multi-year funding framework and significantly increasing federal funding.
- Continue the demand-oriented expansion of study places in the UAS sector.
- Strategic focus on digitalization and sustainability, addressing skills shortage: providing a sufficient number of highly qualified graduates, esp. in engineering and IT study programmes to tackle the challenges of the twin green and digital transition
- Strengthen labour market and needs orientation through target-oriented monitoring of the federal funds used for UAS expansion
- Foster cooperation and innovation, promote permeability within the HE sector
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Measures:
- Further expansion of federally funded university places: a total of 2.625 new federally funded study places will be created by 2027
- UAS development and financing plan 2023/24-2025/26 aims at a total amount of 61.500 study places in the UAS sector by 2027
- Repeated increases in the federal funding rates for study places. In the period 2020 to 2024, there is a total increase in funding rates of 26.5%.
- Introduction of special funds for specific projects to strengthen cooperation and innovation
- Intensification and further development of the targeted monitoring of the federal funds used for UAS expansion
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Exspected impact:
Increase in the number of graduates in STEM, esp. in engineering and IT programs (thus contributing to achieving the objectives of the federal government's RTI strategy (20 percent more graduates in STEM by 2030).
Promotion of projects to increase permeability and deepen cooperation with other universities and partners from the business community.
Funding: In total EUR 1.8 billion (additional funds needed EUR 284 Mio) for the whole period covered.
Monitoring and Involved Bodies: Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research
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University Development Plan for the Period 2022-2027 and Performance Agreements
Ongoing formative process, partial law-making
Status: Time frame: 2022-2027
Sources:
- Legislation: Universities Act 2002, amendment 2021
- The National Development Plan for public Universities GUEP (current 2022 - 2027)
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Description:
The national Development Plan for public Universities has been updated for the performance agreements that have been concluded at the end of 2021.
As a planning Instrument for the development of the public universities it covers two following performance agreement periods and defines the general contents for the scope of tasks of public universities. Thereby the development plan shapes the Austrian Higher Education area in terms of a comprehensive survey in order to improve coordination and reconcilement of interests.
It comprises quantitative and qualitative goals as for example: increase the number of students graduating, particularly in STEM disciplines; increase the number of students actively taking exams; improve teacher/student ratios; foster coordination of courses offered and forming clusters between institutions.; improvement of the quality of teaching; improvement of career-concepts for young researchers, integration of "Sustainable Development Goals" (SDGs), etc.
The aims concerning global change are being reviewed triennial. Sustainability, digital transformation and the STEM area are mainly affected due an ongoing mechanisation. In the new edition, the objectives were reviewed and reduced from eight to seven. (cf. Sources: -GUEP-2022---2027).
The European Strategy 2020, the Bukarest-Kommuniqué 2012, the Austrian government’s RTI strategy, the Austrian Life-Long-Learning-Strategy (LLL:2020), the Mapping process for the Austrian Higher Education System and the Governmental-Program 2020 – 2024 provide the strategic framework for the included topics and targets.
Expected impact:
Efficiency and quality enhancements
Monitoring:
Performance agreements and accompanying meetings between Ministry – University every half year.
Involved bodies:
- Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research
- Austrian Higher Education Advisory Board (Hochschulkonferenz)
- Austrian Science Board
- Representatives of the public universities
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Improving financial aid for students
Regulation and legislative documents
Status: Student Support Act amendment came into force on September 1st 2022
Source: Legislation: amendment StudFG
Description:
From September 1st 2022, the study grant will be significantly increased and simplified. From then on, it will be calculated according to a new, modular model that takes the living conditions of the students into detailled consideration.
Measures:
- raising student support funding by 68 million Euros per year
- raising the age limit for the eligibility for grants by three years.
Expected impact:
- increase in the number of recipients
- improving the financial situation of students
Funding: The amendment leads to additional costs up to 68 million Euros per year
Monitoring: Evaluation planned for 2027
Involved bodies: Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research
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National Strategy for the Social Dimension in Higher Education
National strategy
Status: Time frame: Implementation 2017 - 2025
Sources:
National Strategy for the Social Dimension in Higher Education For a more integrative access and wider participation, February 2017: free download ; free download accessible for people with impairments.
Description:
The participation in education and training on all levels increases the potential for social, economic and political participation and integration. The Austrian national strategy for the Social Dimension in Higher Education is the first holistic strategic document in Austria’s higher education sector. Based on a status quo analysis of data on all different groups that participate in higher education, targets are set for all stakeholders:
- federal ministries,
- HE institutions,
- interest groups,
- institutions working at the interfaces between or at the transitions into educational/professional levels,
- as well as civil-society actors.
.First steps 2017:
- raising student support funding by 25 million € and
- improvement of study information,
- Bologna Day 2017 on the implementation of the National Strategy for the Social Dimension in Higher Education.
.Objectives:
Mainstreaming the social dimension in steering higher education; eg. inclusion of social dimension into mission statements of higher education institutions, performance agreements etc.
Target dimensions:
- More Inclusive access,
- avoiding dropout - improving study success,
- creating frameworks and making optimal use of higher education governance
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Measures:
Nine fields of action:
- Improving the quality and availability of information
- Outreach activities and and student counselling taking into account students’ heterogeneity
- Recognition and validation of non-formal and informal skills
- Supporting new entrants
- Organisation of study programmes and quality of teaching
- Increasing compatibility of study and other areas of life
- System-related issues in higher education
- Integrating the Social Dimension into strategic planning of HEIs and building useful governance structures
- Developing student support system
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Expected impact:
Quantitative targets up to 2025:
- Raising quotas of first generation students (esp. in Medicine), of students with non traditional HE-access, of students with migraton background,
- more gender balance in all study fields,
- raising mobility of first generation students,
- reducing regional differences in HE-access,
- more study places for working students at universities of applied sciences,
- raising grants for specific target groups
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Monitoring: evaluation planned 2021
Involved bodies:
- Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research
- Higher Education Institutions
- Stakeholders from the field of higher education
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2022
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Universities of Applied Sciences Development and Financing Plan 2018/19-2022/23
Funded programme
Status: 2018/19 – 2022/23
Sources: UAS development and financing plan
Description:
Document regulates the qualitative and quantitative development of the UAS sector, the financing model, the criteria for the granting of federal subsidies and the further expansion of the UAS sector.
Objectives:
- Strategic focus on digitalization and adressing skills shortage: providing a sufficient number of high qualified graduates in engineering and IT study programmes.
- Quality assurance of tertiary education: special design of UAS study programmes offering practice-oriented professional tertiary education, with study programmes especially designed for the needs of working professionals or work-cooperative study programmes (studying on the job), facilitating flexible learning paths, excellent student/faculty ratio.
.Measures:
- Additional increase of federally funded study places: overall 3.054 new federally funded study places up to 2022/23
- UAS development and financing plan aims at a total amount of 57.000 study places in the UAS sector
- Maintaining public funding per study place in current amount up to 2023
- Establishing joint PhD Programs in cooperation with public universities (as degree awarding HEI) to foster cooperation between HEIs, to promote applied R&D at UAS and the development of scientific staff at UAS
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Expected impact: Increase in number of graduates, esp. in engineering and IT study programs.
Funding: In total EUR 347 Mio (additional funds needed EUR 28 Mio) for the whole period covered.
Monitoring and involved bodies:
- Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research
- Agency for Quality Assurance and Accreditation Austria (AQ Austria)
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Reform of the regulation concerning continuing education in higher Education
Regulation and legislative documents
Status: In force since 1.10.2021
Source: Legislation (UG, FHG, PrivHG, HG und HS-QSG)
Description:
The amendment of the regulation on continuing education degree programmes is aiming at clarifying legal requirements for continuing education for all higher education sectors as well as opening up HE for new target groups. With this reform HEIs are enabled to establish continuing education degree programmes not only on master but also on bachelor level.
Objectives:
- Improving and harmonizing the legal framework for continuing education;
- Establishing new forms of study programmes for specific target groups (e.g. with professional experience, with alternative access to higher education);
- Assuring national and international recognition as well as permeability to other degree programmes offered;
- Further development of quality assurance mechanisms.
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Measures:
Various adaptions regarding the framework of bachelor or master programmes for continuing education (ECTS workload required, admission regulations, scope of co-operations possible, determination of academic degrees etc.).
Expected impact:
- Further development of programmes offered;
- Further development of the cross-sectoral framework for continuing higher education in Austria
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Funding: No data available.
Monitoring: Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research
Involved Bodies:
- Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research
- AQ Austria
- All Austrian higher education institutions
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Implementation of a minimum study performance and support services by the university
Implementation of two new regulations
Status: Binding with the winter semester 2022/23
Source: Amendment of higher education legislation BGBl. I Nr. 93/2021
Description:
The implementation of § 59a und § 59b is aiming to advance the liability of studying for students as well as to enable students to quicker complete their studies.
Objectives:
- increase the number of students actively taking examinations
- reduction of the overall duration of study concerning bachelor's and diploma programmes
- advanced liability of studying concerning bachelor's and diploma programmes
- improvement of the ability of studies concerning bachelor's and diploma programmes.
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Measures:
- committing provision of a minimum study performance in the amount of 16 ECTS credits during the first four semesters of a study
- support services by the university (improvement of the organisation of lectures and exams).
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Funding: No data available.
Monitoring: The effects and results of the implemented regulations will be evaluated in 2025.
Involved Bodies: