Party, plans, politics - 30 years of FH Burgenland

Group photo

Party atmosphere at Esterházy Castle. from left: FH Burgenland Managing Director Georg Pehm, Akademie Burgenland Managing Director Bettina Frank, Regional Councillor for Education Daniela Winkler, Deputy Provincial Governor Astrid Eisenkopf, FH Burgenland Continuing Education Managing Director Daniela Schuster, Forschung Burgenland Managing Director Marcus Keding, FH Burgenland Rector Gernot Hanreich.

 

FH Burgenland celebrated at Esterházy Castle in Eisenstadt, looking back on the last 30 years, but much more looking forward. Developments relating to climate protection, digital transformation and the healthcare sector will lead the way in the coming years. The federal government is being asked to provide "fair funding".

Eisenstadt, 13 October 2023 - As one of the most personal universities in Austria, internationally oriented and with a clearly future-oriented educational offer - this is how FH Burgenland presents itself on its 30th anniversary. More than 7,700 regular and non-degree students are currently studying in five departments, namely Business, Information Technology, Social Sciences, Energy & Environment and Health, as well as in continuing education programmes. More than 12,000 graduates have completed their studies at FH Burgenland.

Focussing on future topics and top quality

There is no intention of resting on one's laurels, confirms FH Burgenland Managing Director Georg Pehm.

Above all, we want to further strengthen the energy and environmental sector - not only in education and research, but also by becoming an even more sustainable university. We are also continuing to focus strongly on digital transformation and on the health and social sector, where we will be expanding our offering in the immediate future.

Georg Pehm, Managing Director of FH Burgenland

Following the expansion of places on the Bachelor's degree programmes in healthcare and nursing and physiotherapy, there are now plans to offer degree programmes in occupational therapy and speech therapy. The courses are scheduled to start next autumn.

The high quality of study programmes at FH Burgenland was last confirmed by independent experts in 2021. The certificate from the Agency for Quality Assurance and Accreditation Austria is valid for seven years.

Studying, teaching, researching and working to the best possible standards - that is important to us today and in the future.

Gernot Hanreich, Rector FH Burgenland

In addition to setting priorities in the areas of sustainability and digitalisation, those responsible are also putting a lot of energy into ensuring innovative and research-led teaching.

Applause alone is not enough: UASs demand fair funding

The fact that the successful development and high standard of the university can be continued is not solely down to those responsible at FH Burgenland, says Pehm. In his role as Vice President of the Austrian Conference of Universities of Applied Sciences, he is vehemently in favour of fair funding for universities: "We are urging the federal government to cover what inflation is eating away at universities by adjusting the funding for student places."

There is not much time left, says Pehm: "An adjustment is necessary by the beginning of 2024 at the latest." The Austrian universities of applied sciences are also campaigning for the research sector. "Of course, it is also urgent not only to applaud applied research at UASs, but also to fund it properly, long-term and predictably. This is currently not the case."

Congratulations and words of greeting

Numerous guests of honour, companions, friends, employees and, of course, current and former students celebrated the success story of FH Burgenland. A ceremony in the Haydnsaal at Esterházy Palace with over 450 guests was followed by a party with live music and good humour.

Greetings and congratulations were offered by Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen, Deputy Governor Astrid Eisenkopf and Regional Councillor for Education Daniela Winkler, as well as by the Head of the Higher Education Department, Elmar Pichl (representing Federal Minister Martin Polaschek) from the Ministry of Education. Ulrike Prommer, President of the FH Burgenland University of Applied Sciences Conference, and Gabriele Ambros, Chairwoman of the FH Supervisory Board, as well as Stefan Gamperl, Chairman of the Austrian Students' Union, and Harald Horvath from "alumni FH Burgenland", also offered their congratulations. Barbara Blaha, Head of the Momentum Institute, dedicated her speech to the "responsibility of science". Gabriele Ambros, Chairwoman of the Supervisory Board, was awarded the title of "Honorary Senator".

Subsidiaries also celebrate anniversaries

Forschung Burgenland, a subsidiary of FH Burgenland and around 15% of the Burgenland Business Agency, is dedicated exclusively to research and development. It is already celebrating its 20th anniversary. FH Burgenland Weiterbildung GmbH is one of the leading providers of distance learning programmes. Akademie Burgenland GmbH offers a broad, attractive, high-quality range of seminars and courses for the public sector at two locations - Eisenstadt and Pinkafeld. Both subsidiaries will be ten years old in 2023

30 years of FH Burgenland

In 1993, a founding team sealed the start of the UAS in Burgenland. They decided on the two locations Eisenstadt and Pinkafeld. The degree programmes International Business Relations and Building Technology and Management were the first UAS degree programmes in Austria, run by a non-profit association at the time. In June 1997, the first 32 graduates of the diploma programme in International Business Relations celebrated their graduation.

In 2004, three-year Bachelor's degree programmes and two-year Master's degree programmes were also launched in Burgenland as part of the Bologna Process. From then on, it was also possible to study part-time at FH Burgenland.

In 2021, several Austrian universities of applied sciences joined forces to form the Alliance of Sustainable Universities. FH Burgenland also presented its first sustainability strategy.

More about the history of FH Burgenland at: History - FH Burgenland (fh-burgenland.at)

The press release

The press photo


Further photos of the event can be found under this link: 30 years FH Burgenland - OneDrive

(c)Photo in the payroll office

Further information:
Mag.a Christiane Staab
Marketing & Communication
Fachhochschule Burgenland GmbH
Tel: +43 (0)5 7705 3537
E-Mail: christiane.staab@fh-burgenland.at


# Gepostet in:
News, Presse, Aktuelles