Encouraging reports of rising student numbers at FH/HAW cannot hide the fact that they have failed to do so

"It is pleasing to see that student numbers at UAS are developing positively. However, reports such as these cannot hide the failures in science policy at universities of applied sciences (UAS)/universities of applied sciences (UAS)," said Ulrike Prommer, President of the Austrian University of Applied Sciences Conference (FHK), in response to an article on ORF.atin which Science Minister Polaschek is quoted.

Many important and necessary measures for the successful future of these universities have not yet been implemented in the UAS sector. The FHK appeals to a future federal government to take action here quickly and without further delay, as much has been neglected here in the past.

For example, the special funds totalling 42 million euros promised in the UAS development and financing plan have not yet been paid out. "Where is the planning security for our universities if we are promised funds in 2023, but not a single euro has been paid out in 2025? With these funds, the UASs could have achieved a lot of positive things for Austria as a business location. For example, we could have expanded our cooperation in teaching and research with our corporate partners in order to bring innovation, growth and added value to the country. We could have expanded our bridging courses for students without A-levels to enable more people to study at university. And many other measures for the further development of the regional education and science system to strengthen Austria as a university location had to be omitted due to the tardiness of science policy," emphasises Prommer.

A new federal government now has the opportunity to finally implement important forward-looking structural measures in the area of UASs. These include above all

- A new financing system for FH/HAW with additional budgetary resources, which includes sustainable research funding;
- Externally accredited doctoral programmes at FH/HAWto enable more application-orientated research in Austria, support an innovation boost in Austria's economy and prevent young researchers from emigrating.

"Application-orientated research and teaching at universities of applied sciences must finally become the focus of policy, as this is an important lever for our future competitiveness and the prosperity of our country. In order for universities to continue to successfully produce the academically qualified graduates that we so urgently need as a society, the aforementioned structural measures must be implemented so that we can ensure university quality. Science policy is location policy!" concluded Kurt Koleznik, Secretary General of the FHK.