Ceremonial handover with standing ovations

For the first time in the history of the umbrella organisation of Austrian universities of applied sciences, the General Assembly of the FHK presented this prestigious award at its meeting on 27 November 2023 at the FHG Tirol.

As a member of the FHK Board and Executive Committee, Karl-Peter Pfeiffer has rendered outstanding services to the Austrian universities of applied sciences for many years with the highest level of personal commitment. Many of the FHK's political successes would not have been possible without his involvement, as he always emphasised the great importance of universities of applied sciences for Austria as a centre of science in a factual and well-founded manner, pointed out their high scientific quality and incorporated this into the FHK's positions and statements.

His core concerns include setting an important structural course for the future of universities of applied sciences, such as securing sustainable funding for UAS research as an intrinsic part of teaching and implementing the possibility of offering accredited doctoral programmes at universities of applied sciences. "We are therefore very pleased that Karl-Peter Pfeiffer will continue to be available to us as an honorary member with his expertise and extensive knowledge and will continue to support us in advancing our key future topics," said FHK President Ulrike Prommer on the occasion of the ceremonial appointment.

em. Univ.-Prof. DI Dr Karl-Peter Pfeiffer qualified as a university lecturer in "Medical Statistics and Information Processing" in 1985 after studying technical mathematics at the Medical Faculty of the University of Graz. He was Assistant Professor at the Institute of Physiology at the University of Graz, Head of the Statistics and Information Processing Group, Head of the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Epidemiology and Health Systems Research in Graz and Innsbruck and Full University Professor of Biostatistics and Documentation at the Institute of Biostatistics and Documentation (from 2005: Department of Medical Statistics, Informatics and Health Economics) at the Medical University of Innsbruck. From 2009 until his retirement in 2023, he was Managing Rector and Scientific Director of FACHHOCHSCHULE JOANNEUM (Graz, Styria). Between 2008 and 2023, Karl-Peter Pfeiffer was a member of the FHK Executive Board and Presidium.