ÖH supports TU Vienna action day and calls on BMBWF to close the budget hole of universities due to inflation!
ÖH supports TU Vienna action day and calls on BMBWF to close the budget hole of universities due to inflation!
The financial situation at universities has been worsening for some time and is now reaching a new peak. The Austrian National Union of Students (ÖH) therefore supports today’s day of action “Uni friert” of the TU Vienna. “The government has had enough time to act – yet it has failed to support universities in crisis. Now is the time to protest, to bring the issue of the lack of university funding to the public’s attention. If funding fails to materialize now, the consequences for the universities and thus for society as a whole will be devastating,” says Keya Baier of the ÖH chairmanship team.
If the missing budget is not compensated, the ÖH fears massive negative effects on students, research and ultimately the knowledge location Austria. Several universities have already announced bidding freezes. Temporary closures and distance learning are also on the table to reduce energy costs. “If the universities are not finally publicly funded, the costs will shift even further to the students, who are also already significantly burdened by inflation,” elaborates Sara Velić of the ÖH chairmanship team.
It is now clear that there is a shortfall of 1.2 billion euros by 2024 to keep universities running. From the government’s side, there will be an additional 500 million euros during this period, less than half of the necessary funding. “It must be a top priority to fund Austria’s universities and help them through the crisis. The ÖH makes an urgent appeal to Minister Polaschek to ensure that the missing budget of the universities is compensated to ensure that they can continue to perform their important task for society!” warns Boryana Badinska from the ÖH chair team.
