As a recent study by the opinion research institute IFES underlines, Austrian universities of applied sciences have established themselves as a reliable, performance-oriented and widely recognised partner for university development in Austria over the past 25 years. "It is our clear desire to continue to play this role. However, a necessary prerequisite for this is that this partnership is clearly reflected in a new coalition agreement through an increase in funding for study places," said FHK President Raimund Ribitsch, referring to a corresponding resolution passed by the FHK Board last Friday. Ribitsch continued: "We want to continue to be able to offer practice-orientated academic education at our universities of applied sciences in a cost-efficient manner and at the highest level of quality."

At its last meeting last Friday, the Board of the FHK clearly emphasised that the funding of universities of applied sciences is a top priority in order to guarantee the continued functioning of the sector. Otherwise, the high-quality education that universities of applied sciences offer their students will be jeopardised. FHK President Raimund Ribitsch: "This is where the coalition negotiators are called upon to intervene and clearly anchor an increase in student place funding in the coalition agreement. Without this increase, the expansion of universities of applied sciences that business and industry are rightly demanding cannot be guaranteed at the required level of quality."

Ribitsch believes that the finance group of the coalition negotiators is primarily responsible for the future federal government: "We need to compensate for the real loss in value since the last adjustment. As a first step, it is therefore essential to increase the subsidy rates by ten per cent." Ribitsch also believes that a fair financial consideration of all higher education sectors is necessary, as universities of applied sciences in particular have fulfilled their responsibility for society, science and the economy in the regions and beyond with high quality.