2016/17. alpen-adria-universität KLagenFuRt

Transcription

1 2016/17 alpen-adria-universität KLagenFuRt e

2 RESEARCH AT ALPEN-ADRIA-UNIVERSITÄT Through its varied research activities, Alpen-Adria-Universität Klagenfurt aims to expand, consolidate and exchange knowledge within the research community. AAU s researchers focus on a variety of different research themes: with their broad range of subjects, the university s four faculties therefore provide a framework that draws together the university s two key research strengths (Social Ecology and Networked and Autonomous Systems), the four research initiatives (Energy Management & Energy Technology, Sustainability, Self-organising Systems and Visual Culture) that form part of the university s multi-disciplinary research partnerships and its research-oriented teaching. The university is currently developing additional profile-enhancing areas of research in Educational Research, Public Health and Entrepreneurship. 2 Each year the university s researchers publish around 800 publications for research communities, with about 20 per cent of these articles appearing in specialist SCI, SSCI and A&HCI journals. A number of the university s exceptional achievements stem from approximately 70 third-party funded projects in highly competitive research programmes, which provide researchers with comprehensive support in acquiring funding. The university places a special emphasis on providing support to young researchers through individual scholarships, mobility programmes and mentoring projects.

3 ALPEN-ADRIA-UNIVERSITÄT KLAGENFURT Alpen-Adria-Universität Klagenfurt (AAU) is a young, innovative university located in the Austrian state of Carinthia, a meeting point of three cultures. Since its foundation in 1970, the university has established itself as Carinthia s leading academic institution and a hub for the whole of the Alps-Adriatic region in terms of knowledge acquisition, exchange and transfer. AAU s research achievements and course offering are well-recognised both nationally and internationally. Around 10,000 students study and research at AAU, approximately 1800 of whom come from overseas. Around 1500 staff work in the university s four faculties, university centres and central administration. AAU is a campus university in the city of Klagenfurt, which has a population of around 100,000 people. In addition to its Klagenfurt campus, AAU also has sites in Vienna and Graz. Its proximity to Italy and Slovenia gives the area, which is positioned between the cultures of the Alps and the Mediterranean, a rich multicultural atmosphere. AAU bolsters this atmosphere through a variety of cooperation projects, research trip grants, language courses, visiting professorships, summer schools and exchange programmes. Klagenfurt is located in a diverse region in the centre of Europe the cities of Ljubljana, Graz, Udine, Salzburg, Trieste, Venice, Vienna and Munich are located within a distance of 90 to 350 kilometres from the city by road. FACTS AND FIGURES Founded: Students: Overseas students: Staff: Faculties: Degree programmes:

4 RESEARCH STRENGTH NETWORKED AND AUTONOMOUS SYSTEMS The increasing use of embedded computer processors and the ubiquity of networked systems is a global trend of great significance to both industry and society. The Faculty of Technical Sciences research into these networked autonomous systems enjoys a high level of international visibility and is largely conducted by research groups from the Department of Information and Communication Technology and the Department of Informatics. Researchers work on future mobile communication networks such as 5G, as well as internet architectures, reliable resource-conserving sensor and camera networks, autonomous mini drone systems and user-focused, high-quality multimedia telecommunication and information systems. These developments can be applied to smart grids and medical technology, as well as the telecommunications, internet and robotics sector. The faculty s portfolio includes several Austrian Science Fund (FWF) and EU projects, as well as bilateral cooperation projects with partners from industry (e.g. Airbus Group Innovations, DOCOMO, Infineon, Intel, Karl Storz, NXP and Orange) and notable research institutes (JPL/Caltech, U Toronto, U Notre Dame, CMU). INNOVATIVE VIDEO STREAMING TECHNOLOGY Videos can be consumed on a number of end devices anywhere and at any time. This means that network cables can frequently become overloaded. A research team developed a software tool with an algorithm that enables the video to switch efficiently between different quality levels to guarantee smooth playback. Out of this project came Bitmovin GmbH, which acquired an investment of 10.3 million dollars in 2016 and recently opened a site in Silicon Valley. 4

5 RESEARCH STRENGTH SOCIAL ECOLOGY Research into environmental and sustainability sciences is dynamic, problem-orientated and growing at a rapid pace. Originally oriented towards the natural sciences, research in these areas has increasingly been moving towards greater cooperation with the social sciences and humanities. The university s work in Social Ecology, one of its key research strengths, is located at this interface. The majority of this work is carried out by the Department of Social Ecology and the Faculty of Interdisciplinary Studies (IFF). The department has gained renown and international visibility through its interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary research on the interaction between social and natural systems in the context of globalisation, global change and sustainable development. Today there is great demand for partnerships with the department from academics and other stakeholders. In recent years, the Department of Social Ecology has played a significant role in shaping international sustainability discourse with the concepts of social metabolism with material flow and energy flow analysis; colonisation of natural systems with land-use indicators; socio-ecological systems modelling; and its focus on environmental history and socio-ecological transitions. HOW S THE EARTH DOING? DATA FROM SPACE HELPS FIND THE ANSWERS Changing ecosystems and associated biodiversity loss represent great challenges. To develop society in a sustainable way, strategies are required that allow socio-ecological systems to continue functioning. Robust, reliable monitoring systems are key to this. The more we know about the changes, the sooner we can control them and counteract them if we need to. The EU HO- RIZON 2020 BACI (Detecting changes in essential ecosystem and biodiversity properties towards a Biosphere Atmosphere Change Index) project is exploring how data from space research can be used for this purpose and will define new indices and units of measurement for observing the interaction between society and eco-systems. 5

6 MULTI-DISCIPLINARY RESEARCH PARTNERSHIPS: RESEARCH INITIATIVE ENERGY MANAGEMENT & ENERGY TECHNOLOGY The management of limited resources and climate change are among the greatest challenges facing modern society. The long-term exhaustibility of fossil fuels and their contribution to climate change are also of key importance to the energy sector. The development of new technologies and the improvement of existing technologies for areas such as power generation and consumption, transportation and production form an important part of any strategy for maintaining a long-term resource base. Solutions at a system and societal level are just as much in demand, since technological approaches to these challenges are insufficient to create economies that are permanently stable in the long term, in part due to the existence of and increase in rebound effects. Economic activity, environmental protection and restricting the consumption of resources do not necessarily have to be in conflict with each other: green economy concepts could in fact help to achieve each of these aims. Energy Management & Energy Technology is an interdisciplinary field that intersects key problem areas and focuses on several different areas including energy and law, technological innovations, the energy industry, energy and land use and regional and economic matters relating to energy. The subject of smart grids is a particular focus for the faculty. REPAIRING CLIMATE CHANGE? - STUDY INVESTIGATES THE ROLE OF CLIMATE ENGINEERING Researchers in climate engineering work on technologies that attempt to repair climate change caused by human societies using physical, chemical or biological means. A priority programme run by the German Research Foundation (DFG) is analysing the role of climate engineering in climate research and climate policy. 6

7 KEEPING TRACK OF ELECTRICITY USAGE: NEW MEASURING DEVICE DEVELOPED Researchers at Alpen-Alpen-Adria-Universität Klagenfurt have developed a device named YoMo, which enables users to implement home energy management applications within their own four walls. The device and its associated software are openly available to the industrial and scientific research and development community, as well as to private individuals. MULTI-DISCIPLINARY RESEARCH PARTNERSHIPS: RESEARCH INITIATIVE SUSTAINABILITY Global climate change and energy and natural resource shortages are two of the Grand Challenges facing the European Union. AAU s sustainability researchers share the view of the German government s Scientific Advisory Board on Global Climate Change that a great transformation in production, consumption and lifestyle is needed to meet these challenges. Such a transformation can only be achieved by using both technological and social innovations to change society. Sustainable development, understood as a regulative concept of environmentally compatible, socially just, economically viable development, is an area of research that is picking up pace worldwide. An interdisciplinary approach is required to deal with the demands of sustainability research and to provide science-based policy advice. Specialist subjects worked on by researchers at AAU include: energy, sustainable land use, sustainable social metabolism and sustainable resource policy, interdisciplinary environmental reporting, social and cultural aspects of a sustainable society and sustainability education. 7

8 MULTI-DISCIPLINARY RESEARCH PARTNERSHIPS: RESEARCH INITIATIVE SELF-ORGANISING SYSTEMS Researchers in this field seek to understand systems whose components continuously interact with and respond to their environment. Research in business, psychology and technology takes nature as an example and explores how self-organising systems work. Systems capable of organising themselves and sharing the same positive characteristics as natural self-organising systems, such as robustness and the ability to evolve, are designed and developed. In the social sciences, research is conducted, for example, into how far social processes can be described by self-organisation and what impact self-organisation could have on crisis situations. Recent events, such as financial crises or epidemics, are used as an opportunity to model and analyse alternative concepts for coping with these events using methodologies taken from self-organisation. We know that self-organisation has also found its way into the world of technology since self-driving cars are no longer confined to the realms of fiction and are increasingly a reality. Within a few years, these cars are very likely to be a part of our everyday lives. The faculty s research into self-organising systems focuses on four themes: The Theory of Self-organisation, Distributed Processes in Dynamic Networks, Self-organisation in Nature and Self-organisation in Technology. ARTISTS AND RESEARCHERS REFLECT ON EUROPEAN CULTURAL HERITAGE Is there such a thing as European cultural heritage? Or is it the case that European culture is defined by its conflicts and historical rifts? Is it possible to overcome inflexible fronts to achieve a European imagination, in which differences and contradictions are a natural part of the common whole? These are some of the questions being considered by researchers and creative artists in nine European countries as part of the EU HORIZON 2020 TRACES project. 8

9 SIMULATING THE BEHAVIOUR OF A SELF-ORGANISING SYSTEM Evolutionary computation tools are developed as part of the DEMESOS and MESON projects. With these kinds of tools, systems known as distributed systems can be developed and maintained. Technically, these tools involve a kind of automated trial-and-error search, which is conducted through constant adjustment and evaluation. An algorithm enabling a drone swarm to observe a particular area could be developed using this method. MULTI-DISCIPLINARY RESEARCH PARTNERSHIPS: RESEARCH INITIATIVE VISUAL CULTURE Since the mid-1990s, visual culture has become an important field of interdisciplinary research at AAU that is developing in a variety of different directions and has prompted great international interest. In 2005, researchers from across different disciplines came together in the Faculty of Humanities-based Visual Culture Working Group (AVK) to put forward their views on visual culture theory and methodology. In this working group, researchers respond to the dominance of images in the 21st-century world by analysing, critically reflecting upon and observing pictorial worlds in disparate media frames using scientific methods. As well as investigating works of art such as paintings or successful films, researchers also explore images from TV, advertising and video games that are all seeping into everyday life and helping to shape identities in their own way. Interactive visual media such as mobile apps, video games or gender imagery are some of the areas presenting new research challenges. The majority of the research currently conducted by researchers in the faculty is in areas such as Film and TV Research, Popular/Populist Visual Cultures, Digital Culture and Game Studies or Media Philosophy and Visual Studies and Cultural Studies Methods, Aesthetics and Performance and Films Studies. In recent years, the Visual Culture Working Group has extended its sphere of activity beyond the Faculty of Humanities and the university itself with projects including a cooperation with the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna, which has been in place since 2013, and the launch of the Klagenfurter Beiträge zur Visuellen Kultur book series with a Cologne-based publisher, the Herbert von Halem Verlag. Alongside these activities, AAU holds a lecture series on visual culture, as well as courses and conferences on the subject. 9

10 10 STUDIENANGEBOT

11 Bachelor s programmes: Alpen-Adria-Universität Klagenfurt offers a total of 19 Bachelor s programmes. Applied Business Administration / Applied Informatics / Applied Cultural Studies / English and American Studies / Educational Science / Geography / German Studies / History / Information Management / Information Technology / International Business Administration / Media and Communications Science / Philosophy / Psychology / Romance Studies / Slavonic Studies / Technical Mathematics / Business and Law / Industrial Engineering Master s programmes: These Bachelor s programmes are complemented by 24 Master s degree programmes. Applied Business Administration / Applied Informatics / Applied Cultural Studies / English and American Studies / Adult and Vocational Education / Geography and Regional Studies / German Studies / German Studies in an Intercultural Context / History / Information Management / Information and Communications Engineering / International Management / Media and Convergence Management / Media, Communication and Culture / Philosophy / Psychology / Romance Studies / Science, Technology & Society Studies / School Education / Slavonic Studies / Social and Human Ecology / Social Pedagogy and Inclusive Education / Technical Mathematics / Business and Law Teacher training programmes: Students on the teacher training programme can choose from ten subjects. STUDYING AT ALPEN-ADRIA- UNIVERSITÄT KLAGENFURT AAU is recognised for its exceptional teaching quality and wide range of degree and continuing education programmes. There are over 10,000 students studying and researching at the university. Each year, around 1300 degree programmes and 400 continuing education programmes are completed. AAU currently offers around 55 continuing education programmes. This course offer makes AAU one of the largest academic institutions to offer continuing education in Austria. The number of students at AAU has been increasing continuously for some years. AAU applies high standards of quality to its teaching and is distinguished by the high-quality supervision offered to students. Around 1800 overseas students from 80 countries are registered at AAU. German / English / French / Geography and Economics / History, Social Studies and Citizenship / Informatics / Italian / Mathematics / Slovene / Spanish Doctoral programmes: AAU offers the following four doctoral degree programmes: Doctorate in Natural Sciences / Doctorate in Philosophy / Doctorate in Social Sciences and Economics / Doctorate in Technical Sciences These doctoral degree programmes are accompanied by five subject-specific doctoral programmes. Students on these programmes receive supervision on a specific topic and are given support that will help them to compete effectively for a career in academia at an international level. 11

12 FACULTY OF HUMANITIES As Alpen-Adria-Universität Klagenfurt s largest faculty, the Faculty of Humanities covers a broad spectrum of linguistic, cultural studies and social sciences subjects. This broad spectrum is reflected in the faculty s wide-ranging Bachelor s, Master s and teacher training programmes. Whilst these programmes focus on a specific subject, transdisciplinary perspectives beyond the boundaries of that subject, such as multilingualism, intercultural education or media and convergence management, are also adopted. The faculty enjoys an excellent international profile and network and is characterised by its diverse, high-quality research activities. The humanities make a decisive contribution to the objective of linking economic and technological developments back to the discussion of human potential and opportunities for development and also teach people how to form their own opinion on a subject. With this in mind, the Faculty of Humanities acknowledges the societal relevance of its humanities, cultural studies and social science-focused curriculum; its role as a transmitter of culture; its ability to open the doors to knowledge and scientific learning in a 12

13 THE FACTORS THAT SET HUMAN LIFE APART Philosophers ask how and to what extent being human influences our way of life. A research project based in the Department of Philosophy aims to find an answer to this question using the texts of Baruch de Spinoza. Within the philosophical debate, two seemingly disparate concepts of the human form of life are currently circulating and can be summarised by the names Aristotle and Hegel. Aristotle viewed forms of life as natural, i.e. that they are fundamentally determined by the specific species they belong to. Hegel, on the other hand, viewed forms of life as cultural, in that they are connected to the realisation of ideas in history. Now Ursula Renz from the Department of Philosophy and a team of researchers want to use Spinoza s observations to develop a new response to this question. Spinoza s idea of what defines forms of life in general and the human form of life in particular differs from both of the approaches outlined above. For Spinoza, the idea of belonging to a species no longer holds the same weight as it did for Aristotle; unlike Hegel, however, Spinoza thinks that natural factors do have a strong determining effect on us. These natural factors are, however, not so much biological as they are existential, comments Renz. She goes on to explain that Spinoza has a very historical understanding of how human lives develop within cultural contexts, as can be seen in his biblical hermeneutics. The significance of this viewpoint is not to be underestimated. Funded by the Austrian Science Fund (FWF), the underlying question posed by researchers in this project is how the human form of life should be viewed according to Spinoza. multicultural Alps-Adriatic region; the common strategic goals of AAU; and the necessity of being able to cooperate and compete effectively at an international level. The faculty s subject-based research endeavours are complemented by efforts to pool together interdisciplinary expertise and establish interdisciplinary research specialisations. The faculty s main research areas are in visual culture, educational research, migration/multilingualism, identity/alterity, medieval studies and humanities/cultural studies, each of which feed into and inform one another. Interdisciplinarity is also key in terms of teaching within the faculty s degree programmes; this is supported by a suite of complementary study programmes. The faculty s active academic links within the Alps-Adriatic region are demonstrated, for example, by the German Studies in an Intercultural Context double degree programme, which is offered in cooperation with the University of Udine. 13

14 THE BEST STRATEGIES FOR CONSOLIDATING PUBLIC FINANCES Carinthia is in a state of economic crisis, and this subject is the focus of a research project funded by the Austrian Science Fund (FWF). Researchers on this project want to work out what strategies are best for consolidating public finances. When the economy falters, the state takes action. These measures usually involve increased spending or reduced tax revenue and are reflected, in the short term, in national budgets. Reinhard Neck from the Department of Economics and his colleagues want to analyse the growth effects of different categories of public sector spending in Slovenia. In light of the need for budget consolidation in Slovenia, we will also be investigating whether spending cuts or tax increases are less damaging to long-term growth or if they might even be beneficial to economic growth, Neck says. The team is primarily interested in what are known as fiscal multipliers, i.e. factors that indicate how much of an impact the impetus of higher or lower government spending or higher or lower taxes has on other variables. Using an optimisation algorithm, the researchers now want to identify the best strategies for consolidating public finances. In the case of Slovenia, the research team is carefully examining a small, open national economy in the euro area that has successfully made the transition from a centralised economy to a market economy. Slovenia can be viewed as a prototype for other countries in a similar position. Our aim is to bring a scientific perspective to the discussion on public finances, which could provide the basis for more rational and less ideologically-motivated policy decisions, explains Neck. FACULTY OF MANAGEMENT AND ECONOMICS The Faculty of Management and Economics has had an interdisciplinarity-based approach right from the very start. The faculty s strengths in cooperative research and teaching are focused particularly on the areas of Business & Law, Business, Society & Space and Business & Technology. Particular emphasis is placed on the analysis of microeconomic, macroeconomic, legal, geospatial and social structures and processes. Researchers in the Faculty of Management and Economics are also concerned with innovations in business and society, regional development and issues relating to energy and the environment. This multi-disciplinary research has led to the faculty s special focus on the subject of entrepreneurship, to which questions relating to founding a company, company development and growth, succession and restructuring are of key importance. The Corporate exit and comeback: an analysis of high-potential entrepreneurs in Austria project, which is financed by the Oesterreichische Nationalbank Anniversary Fund, is a particular example of the faculty s activity in this area. 14

15 The faculty s research into entrepreneurship also informs teaching, as demonstrated by the faculty s complementary study programme in Starting and founding a company. The Faculty of Management and Economics delivers an attractive course offer that balances theory and application-oriented learning. In terms of doctoral degree programmes, the faculty cooperates with 20 universities as part of the Central European PhD Network (CESEEnet). The faculty s three multi-disciplinary doctoral programmes in Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Economic Development, Modelling, Simulation and Optimisation in Business and Economics and Taxation National and International Company Taxation offer students and young researchers an excellent opportunity to concentrate on a specialisation in an interesting field. 15

16 FACULTY OF TECHNICAL SCIENCES The Faculty of Technical Sciences has been in existence since Its roots go back to the founding of the Department of Informatics in Staff-student ratios in the Faculty of Technical Sciences at AAU are better than at many other universities, giving students of all levels the constant opportunity for valuable discussion and dialogue with lecturers. A key objective for the faculty is to use its excellent research and teaching to provide students with the foundation they need for long-term career success; make a significant contribution to the development of computer science, information technology, mathematics and statistics at an international level; and to provide significant support for the economic development of the region. The faculty views its research into and teaching of mathematics and informatics education as key to increasing enthusiasm for these subjects through high-quality teaching in schools. The faculty has developed internationally visible, application-oriented research strengths in the fields of Networked and Autonomous Systems, Modelling, Simulation and Optimisation of Complex Systems, Engineering of Software, Data, and Knowledge-based Systems and Multimedia Systems. 16

17 EXPERIENCES WITH INTELLIGENT MACHINES In many cases, humans are capable of solving hard problems more efficiently than computers. This is particularly the case with large problem instances. Researchers are now attempting to transfer aspects of human problem-solving strategies to machines. A large semiconductor producer receives new orders every week and therefore has to adjust its production processes so that these orders are completed as efficiently as possible. So the company must ask itself the following questions: In what order should machines be used? What machines should be modified? This poses a challenge in terms of computing: A piece of software needs to be developed that is able to autonomously calculate the best possible solution to a changing problem. This is where the work of Project Leader Gerhard Friedrich and his colleagues at the Department of Applied Informatics comes in. As part of the HINT Heuristic Intelligence project, the team is attempting to harness the strengths of human problem-solving strategies so that they can be used for artificial intelligence. The researchers are funded by the Austrian Research Promotion Agency (FFG). Human beings get better at solving a problem when they face similar problems again and again. One example of this is sudoku. An individual sees a number of problem instances and adopts retrieval strategies so that they are able to find a solution more easily, explains Friedrich. Technology is not yet able to compete with this. Hard problems are particularly challenging and can also be explained using the example of sudoku. If an area consists of four columns and four rows, computers are still able to find a solution quickly but if the field increases in size, the number of possible solutions to be tried out by the computer, if it has no relevant, intuitive problem-solving strategies or heuristics, explodes in size. This is precisely the reason why we need self-improving learning algorithms, says Friedrich. These themes are reflected in the sense of research-oriented teaching in various specialisation options on the faculty s degree programmes, which in turn enables the faculty to successfully attract exceptionally talented students. A further feature of the faculty is the research institution, Lakeside Labs GmbH, which is devoted to the topic of self-organising networked systems in information and communication technology, and cooperates closely with the departments working in this field at AAU. Students who have completed a programme of study at the Faculty of Technical Sciences have excellent career prospects in the world of business, and particularly in research and development and organisational management roles with a focus on information technology. The faculty s diverse teaching and research partnerships offer students excellent opportunities for consolidating their learning at an overseas university. 17

18 RESEARCH INTO CERN: HOW DOES NEW KNOWLEDGE EMERGE AT CERN? Researchers in an international, interdisciplinary cooperation project are looking into how knowledge emerges in the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at the European Laboratory for Particle Physics (CERN) in Geneva. At CERN, researchers are investigating nothing less than what it is that holds the world together at its core, i.e. the fundamental building blocks and forces that make up nature. The question of how this new physics knowledge emerges at the LHC, the world s largest research machine, is now the focus of a large-scale, international German Research Foundation (DFG) research project. A sub-project funded by the Austrian Science Fund (FWF) is also a part of this project. This sub-project is headed by Martina Merz from AAU s Department of Science Communication and Higher Education Research and Peter Mättig from the University of Wuppertal. The sub-project will investigate experiments at CERN from a social sciences research perspective. In concrete terms, we are asking ourselves how new insights are generally able to emerge under these exceptional social and technical conditions. This means asking (1) what is the next step for scientists when new results are generated and (2) how do they ensure that these results are reliable and credible? explains Merz. These two questions are interlinked and are seen as overlapping one another in a complex way. 18 FACULTY OF INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES (IFF) The Faculty of Interdisciplinary Studies was set up in 2004, however its institutional history goes back to 1979 when it was an interuniversity institute in which AAU played a significant role. The faculty is characterised by its experimental approach and focuses on its expertise in interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary research, teaching and continuing education. Its research, teaching and continuing education programmes help address the challenges facing society. The faculty is open to all problems that require an interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary approach and tackles a wide range of themes relating to public goods. The faculty s work at its sites in Klagenfurt, Vienna and Graz is centred around a selection of key societal issues such as education, science, technology, environment, health and peace and conflict. The research conducted by the IFF s different departments is linked together by a focus on cultural, social and scientific approaches to questions of sustainable development. All in all, the IFF is committed to balancing its time-honoured research focuses with research into new areas. The area of tension between theory development and application is effectively utilised in all thematic areas explored by the faculty.

19 The main emphasis of the faculty s teaching activities is on postgraduate education. Similarly, the faculty s teaching and continuing education offer is characterised by its research-based and practice-based approach. The faculty s programme and research offer is built upon three pillars: deep disciplinary expertise, interdisciplinary translation and transdisciplinary communication. The IFF offers Master s degree programmes in a selection of key areas (Social Ecology; Science, Technology & Society Studies) and a Master s in Public Health & Palliative Care is currently in development. As well as making a significant contribution to the content and coordination of the teacher training programme, the faculty is committed to education at doctoral level. The faculty also offers interdisciplinary complementary study programmes. In terms of continuing education, the faculty is involved in a range of internationally-renowned, Austria-wide projects including the Innovations Make Schools Top! (IMST) project and courses such as the Educational Studies and Teaching Methodology for Teachers (PFL) course. The faculty s courses relate to the fields that course participants work in and link these fields to research and intervention. 19

20 THE KARL POPPER KOLLEG The Karl Popper Kolleg (KPK) is a research and doctoral institute founded by Alpen-Adria-Universität Klagenfurt (AAU) in The links between KPK and AAU enable promising young researchers to collaborate in the long term with international researchers at the very cutting edge of their fields (scientists in residence). Initially, each college cycle, two world-renowned researchers will come to Klagenfurt to conduct research at AAU and are appointed Karl Popper Fellows for one semester. The KPK contributes to internationalization and accessibility within the region; enhances the region s reputation; offers exciting opportunities to highly-qualified young researchers and also generates long-term secondary or multiplier effects within the region. The KPK is based at the Klagenfurt campus. From 2015 to 2018, the theme for the first cycle at Karl Popper Kolleg is Modelling Simulation Optimisation (MSO) in the field of Mathematics and Technical Sciences. The topics researched at the college range from discrete mathematics, combinatorial optimisation, inverse problems and dynamic systems to statistics. 20

21 MOBILITY AND INTERNATIONALISATION Students from over 80 countries study at Alpen-Adria-Universität Klagenfurt. Most of the overseas students at the university come from the countries directly bordering Austria, particularly Germany and other countries in the Alps-Adriatic region such as Italy and Slovenia. The university s staff, who come from around 40 different countries, also contribute to the campus international atmosphere. In addition, internationalisation plays a special role in the university s teaching programme. As a member of the Central Southeastern European PhD Network (CESEEnet), AAU participates in Master s and PhD programmes and other partnerships such as a number of joint and double degree programmes. For instance, the university offers a joint degree in Informatics, as well as double degrees in Information and Communication Engineering; German Studies in an Intercultural Context; and Information Management with the Università degli Studi di Udine in Italy. A further double degree in International Management is run with La Rochelle Business School. More and more students are taking advantage of Erasmus and Joint Study programmes. AAU currently has around 300 partnerships with over 200 universities worldwide, and is constantly expanding its network of partners. 21

22 22

23 CAMPUS Alpen-Adria-Universität Klagenfurt is located in western Klagenfurt, close to Lake Wörthersee and the Lakeside Science & Technology Park. AAU is one of the few campus universities in Austria and has two sites in Graz and Vienna in addition to its campus in Klagenfurt. The AAU campus in Klagenfurt stretches across an area of 100,000 m². Approximately half of this area is unspoilt green space. Austria s most modern University Sports Institute (USI) is a part of the campus and offers around 200 courses with approximately 5000 registrations each semester. The USI offers a special programme for achievers in sport, which offers one-to-one support to help these students combine elite sport and study. Art and culture are to be found everywhere on the AAU campus. Built by Roland Rainer, the extensively refurbished Vorstufengebäude was the very first university building to be built on campus and is now protected by a preservation order. AAU regularly hosts art exhibitions and showcases of academic work and research. Set up in 1986, the University Cultural Centre (UNIKUM) works to forge links between artistic practice and research into creative subjects. Most striking of all are the artworks by internationally renowned artists installed during the 2002 phase of construction on campus. Alpen-Adria-Universität Klagenfurt Family Services helps students and staff to balance the demands of work or study and family. The facility offers flexible childcare for children aged between eight weeks and twelve years, as well as summer holiday childcare and a number of other activities. Alpen-Adria-Universität Klagenfurt has introduced an EMAS III environmental management system. This is an environment management and audit system developed by the EU aimed at continuously improving environmental protection in organisations. 23

24 impressum Alpen-Adria-Universität Klagenfurt Universitätsstraße Klagenfurt am Wörthersee +43 (0) Graphic design: Susanne Banfield-Mumb Mühlhaim Photos: tinefoto.com, NES, Fotolia