Too little budget – university call for help: Minister Polaschek is needed

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Austrian universities warn: too little budget for research and system maintenance. The conference chair calls for bold action.

University is on fire: that was the motto in 2009/10 during protests about education. There are no people on the street today. Yet the hat burns. The university conference (Uniko) sends an SOS to the Ministry of Education – too little budget! 500 million extra for the coming years. But you need at least double that. Today is an action day.

Minister refers to talks
Minister Martin Polaschek (ÖVP) hears the signals. He refers to conversations. “We need to act,” Sabine Seidler told Krone. She is rector of the TU Vienna and chair of Uniko. “The situation is critical.” The budget is fixed. But the minister says that rent, energy and personnel costs can be negotiated.

Rector Seidler likes to hear that, but you need basic resources. “There is a risk that the fiscal successes of recent years will be squandered. We can’t just get the system.” According to the ministry, the budget has been increased from 12.3 to 12.8 billion. But we are aware that ultimately more is needed. First, the needs of the individual universities must be addressed. That sounds cumbersome.

Nobel Prize: No Momentum for Research Funding?
The Nobel Prize in Physics for Anton Zeilinger prompted politicians to use unctuous words about the importance of research. According to Uniko, however, especially young researchers suffer from a lack of resources. Seidler: “Politicians need a clear commitment to promote science. The entire federal government is asked here. From the Chancellor to the Minister of Science.”

Of course, the current crisis situation must be taken into account, says German-born researcher Sabine Seidler. But many other areas were relatively much better funded than the universities. “When I hear that people want to negotiate, I’m skeptical. You have to tell politicians, people, that you have to do something. I’m not going back here either.”

Source: Krone

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