FORWIT publishes analysis of the higher education system
With their analysis, FORWIT provides an essential foundation for the Federal Government’s Higher Education Strategy 2040 and offers impulses for its development. It shows that Austria’s higher education institutions possess considerable strengths, yet at the same time face profound challenges that will be decisive for their future performance.
Overall, the analysis reflects a system characterised by a strongly segmented structure in organisational, financial and governance terms. According to FORWIT, this weakens permeability, hinders the development of clear strategic profiles, and complicates the further development of individual institutions.
Teaching, research, knowledge transfer: strengths and weaknesses
In teaching, the analysis presents mixed results: while higher education overall prepares students well for the labour market, social selectivity and dropout rates remain high, exceeding 30 per cent in some subjects at public universities. In research, there are instances of excellence in basic research, yet Austria still lags behind leading comparator countries overall. The transfer of knowledge into economic and societal impact is also identified as an area with particular need for improvement.
“As in many other areas of society, our higher education system is at a turning point. If we are to seize the opportunities of 2040, we must now shape the framework conditions so that our institutions can develop their quality, openness and potential in a more dynamic and effective way,” says FORWIT Chair Thomas Henzinger.
From the perspective of Vice-Chair Theresia Vogel, decisive reforms are also required. “It is clear that this is not about incremental adjustments, but about the strategic development of the system as a whole. Future-proof study conditions, attractive academic careers, and a stronger focus on impact are key levers,” Vogel explains.
Impulses for working groups
Based on its findings, FORWIT provides the working groups—an essential component in developing the future strategy for Austria’s higher education system—with a range of ideas for consideration. These include, for example, harmonising study regulations and student place management, as well as establishing part-time study and lifelong learning elements in law. Other proposals concern new academic career paths, reform of performance evaluation, profile-based and results-oriented funding, and simpler governance and decision-making structures.
International sounding board
“The key question is: what kind of higher education institutions will Austria need in 2040? The answer must lie in a bold reform agenda that considers excellence, accessibility and societal relevance together, rather than uncritically perpetuating existing structures,” Henzinger emphasises.
This assessment is shared by the international sounding board. In a letter to Federal Minister Holzleitner, the four distinguished experts outline their perspectives and proposals for an effective and forward-looking development of the higher education system—including reflections on the high number of institutions, their lack of distinct profiles, and the framework conditions for study, teaching and research.
With this analysis, FORWIT supports the development of the Higher Education Strategy 2040. What matters is that the identified challenges are understood as an opportunity for forward-looking development.
