HBM Polaschek's plans jeopardise many years of building up a high-quality university sector with a strong research base

After the draft UAS development and financing plan was recently rejected by the universities of applied sciences in its entirety due to a lack of future orientation, lack of vision and marginalisation tendencies, we must react with renewed rejection to the recently published Austrian University Development Plan and University Plan. These BMBWF planning documents also mention the universities of applied sciences in a way that is in no way in keeping with this established scientific sector. In the long term, the universities of applied sciences are reduced to the bachelor's programme and a vocational focus. Applied research has been removed from the profile of the universities of applied sciences.

"Federal Minister Polaschek, in the last 30 years of their existence, the universities of applied sciences have developed into universities where applied research and teaching are carried out at the highest level with the strong support of their sponsors. With this plan, you are ignoring years of development work by researchers at universities of applied sciences and marginalising this established science sector, to the detriment of the research and science location. This is not in the interests of the universities of applied sciences, their providers, the students and their representatives from the ÖH, business and industry and all other partner organisations of the universities of applied sciences! We cannot and will not accept this development", FHK President Ulrike Prommer clearly states.