Human Rights Day: Gerd Oberleitner looks at how to protect them

Climate change update: ClimateTracer of the University of Graz provides reliable data

Yesterday, the Copernicus Climate Change Service of the European Union published its data on global warming up to end of November 2024. These confirm that this year will see the 1.5 °C threshold clearly exceeded for the first time. The Wegener Center at the University of Graz already computed an accurate full-year prediction: the global near-surface air temperature in 2024 will rise by 1.62 °C – plus/minus 0.05 °C standard deviation – compared to the pre-industrial level. Such latest predictions for 2024 and other essential data on climate change are provided by the scientists via the Graz Climate Change Indicators (GCCI) portal.

Anita Ziegerhofer und Helmut Eberhart erhielten den Josef Krainer-Heimatpreis

Vergangene Woche war es wieder soweit: Im Weißen Saal der Grazer Burg stand die feierliche Überreichung der Josef Krainer-Preise auf dem Programm. Landesrat Karlheinz Kornhäusl – in Vertretung von Landeshauptmann Christopher Drexler –, Gerald Schöpfer, Obmann des Josef Krainer-Steirischen Gedenkwerkes, und Michael Krainer als Familienvertreter zeichneten dabei verdiente Persönlichkeiten der Steiermark aus.

Novel Methods of Semiconductor Manufacturing: University of Graz is partner in EU project

How can technological innovations be aligned with principles of sustainability and circularity? This is a challenge being tackled by researchers at the Department of Environmental Systems Sciences at the University of Graz. As a partner in a new EU project, the team, led by Rupert Baumgartner, is contributing its expertise in sustainability assessment for the semiconductor manufacturing process. The focus of the research project “HaloFreeEtch” is on developing innovative, environmentally friendly etching methods for semiconductors.

Learning better: Can science experiments in group settings help children with autism?

How can pupils with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have positive learning experiences and improve their social skills? Researchers at the University of Graz are investigating how science experiments in group settings can contribute to this. Initial results from the project, which is funded by the Austrian Science Fund FWF, show that children react differently depending on the kind of neurodiversity, but that experimentation classes with the right setting definitely have potential. "Pupils with ASD can do more than is currently expected of them in many cases," says project leader Uwe Simon.