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Office for Sustainability and International Affairs

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Sustainability

Sustainablility

About Us

We, the Sustainabiltiy and International Office of the Austrian Students Union of the University of Vienna (ÖH Uni Wien) are dedicated to a sustainable environment and a good life for all within the planetary boundaries. We consider climate change as well as environmental pollution as a threat for all inhabitants of the earth. Like all other crises of our time, the climate crisis cannot be thought without social power structures. A social, anti-racist, decolonial, feminist, emancipatory and class-sensitive response to the climate crisis is needed.

For our work, this approach means that events which we organize or support must be thought intersectionally. Furthermore, it is our concern to keep the University of Vienna aware of its responsibility in the climate crisis and to integrate an intersectional understanding of sustainability in the university.

Contact

Magdalena Reif (she/her) & Cinja Schauer (she/her) 
oekoref@oeh.univie.ac.at

Don`t hesitate to contact us via e-mail!

Projects

Sustainability Advisory Board University of Vienna

As the largest German-speaking university, the University of Vienna has the responsibility to use its economically and socially privileged position for a sustainable transformation. In addition to intensifying the topic of sustainability in research and teaching, the university is striving to make its own operations more climate-friendly. To this end, the Sustainability Advisory Board has drawn up a Roadmap outlining the climate neutrality targeted by 2030.

As representatives of the Austrian Student Union of the University of Vienna and thus representing all students, we bring student perspectives to the Sustainability Advisory Board. We are a team of two representatives of the Department for Sustainability and International Affairs and one representative of the Department for the Planning of Socio-Political Projects.

We are active in the working groups on catering, teaching, biodiversity and sustainable laboratories.

Erde brennt - Uni besetzen! - End Fossil - Occupy!

No more studying as before in a time of multiple crises! We are occupying the university and reclaiming it as a space for utopias and genuine solidarity - because the earth is burning. Social crisis, climate crisis, energy crisis, inflation - when social injustices worsen but political measures fail to materialize, we students no longer want to stand by and watch! We can no longer sit quietly in our lectures while it burns and boils outside - we don't want to continue learning for a system that has no future! Why should we continue to spin in isolation on the ECTS hamster wheel while many people, including many students, can't even afford rent, food and heating this fall?

"End Fossil: Occupy!" is an international call to action for students and pupils to occupy their schools and universities around the world. The common goal: to end the fossil fuel economy on an international level! "We will disrupt normal everyday life in schools and universities because we can no longer pretend that normality is okay. It is our duty as young people to fight. After the many strikes, a next step," reads the call published on their website.

Alliance of Sustainable Universities - Working Group Students

The working group "Students of the Alliance of Sustainable Universities" unites (as members) student groups and initiatives, as well as the environment/sustainability departments of the university representations (ÖHs) at university and federal representation level. People (experts) from the expert group are also involved in order to promote exchange among each other. The main aims of this working group are to exchange ideas, find and use synergies between the groups and work on relevant issues. As a first topic, the group is working on the question: "How do universities (better) involve students in the context of sustainability?". The results will be made available here in the course of 2024. The working group builds on the work of forum N as a representative of students within the Alliance of Sustainable Universities and expands the circle of participants by establishing the working group.

Initiative ÖkoCampusWien - for more biodiversity on campus

The initiative ÖkoCampusWien was founded under the auspices of the Department for Sustainability and International Affairs of the ÖH Uni Wien and is an association of students interested in biodiversity promotion and research. It goes back to the project "Wild Bee Protection at the Alsergrund", which received the climate protection award Klip 9 in 2020. The initiative deals with the campus of the Old General Hospital of the University of Vienna as an urban habitat that is home to many native species (plants and animals) and is part of the Wiener Arten- und Lebensraumschutzprogramm as part of Netzwerk Natur. The initiative ÖkoCampusWien is dedicated to research projects at the nature-oriented campus, develops species protection measures and aims to impart knowledge about biodiversity.

One project that has already been implemented is a citizen science-based species survey at the campus via the research platform inaturalist. There, all (free) registered users can share their observations of nature at the Old AKH and thus become researchers themselves. Currently, the project ÖkoCampusWien already includes 292 observations and 141 species (as of 19.1.2022).

Another project is the construction of nesting boxes for wild birds. For this purpose, the permission of the University of Vienna has already been obtained and a prototype has been built. The nesting boxes are to be hung at the end of February 2022.

Further plans are e.g. biodiversity surveys (mainly birds, wild bees, bats, plants), biodiversity measures, wild bee protection and sponsorships for the nesting boxes.

If you are interested in following up on the initiative, feel free to follow us on Instagram
If you would like to join in, please feel free to contact us at oekoref@oeh.univie.ac.at.

Events

Past events

Sustainability Weeks

Sustainability Weeks from 24.04. to 07.05.2023

International Affairs

International Affairs

About Us

As the Department of International Affairs, we consider student exchange in general, and Erasmus+ in particular, to be important tools for promoting global openness. We provide guidance to outgoing students (Outgoings) on exchange programs, scholarships, and information resources, and we offer assistance with issues before, during, and after their time abroad. For incoming students (Incomings), we aim to support them with information regarding life and studies in Vienna.

Outgoings

We are happy to provide guidance to outgoing students ('Outgoings') on various exchange programs, scholarships, and information resources. We are also here to assist you if you encounter any issues before, during, or after your stay abroad, such as with registration or discussions with officials at the University of Vienna.

Incomings

For incoming students ('Incomings'), we aim to support them with information regarding life and studies in Vienna. We provide insights into structural matters such as housing and university conditions at the University of Vienna. Additionally, we seek to convey a deeper understanding and a critical perspective on university and societal policies. Since many incoming students may not be familiar with advocacy organizations like the ÖH, it is important for us to show them that we can all contribute to improving the often challenging study conditions, etc., at our university if we work together.

Contact

Elena Furthmayr (she/her)
internationales.referat@oeh.univie.ac.at

You can contact us anytime via email!

Please note that matters related to visas, residence permits, and recognition of foreign qualifications should be directed to the Department for Anti-Racist Work of ÖH Uni Wien at: ausl.ref@oeh.univie.ac.at

Important links

We have gathered links to pages that can be helpful if you plan to study abroad or come to Vienna

Erasmus Application Deadline

Don't forget to apply for Erasmus! The application deadline is in mid-March, and in some departments, it may be earlier. You can find more information on the website of your study program management or at the International Office. If you have any questions or problems, feel free to reach out to us.