"The Koralm railway is a historic opportunity to further develop the south of Austria as a higher education area and cooperation in the Alps-Adriatic region," says Rector Peter Riedler, who is counting on greater international visibility. "In addition, the University of Graz, which promotes climate-friendly mobility and conducts research into climate change, is very keen to expand sustainable infrastructure." The Carinthian and Styrian university conferences explored further perspectives at a meeting last September.
Closing ranks in studies
For more than ten years, the universities of Graz and Klagenfurt have been partners of the South-East Development Network as part of Pädagog:innenbildung NEU. Together with two other universities and four teacher training colleges in Carinthia, Styria and Burgenland, they have developed the secondary general education teacher training programme.
The partnership between the University of Graz and the University of Klagenfurt is particularly close in the field of Slavic studies. "At the beginning of this winter semester, a joint cooperation centre for Russian was established in conjunction with Ukrainehilfe at both universities," reports Andreas Leben, Head of the Institute for Slavic Studies at the University of Graz. In addition to the regular harmonisation and coordination of courses for subject didactics, talks are currently underway to enable students to complete the internship for the teaching subjects Slovenian, Bosnian-Croatian-Serbian and Russian in Carinthia.
Research partners
Leben also refers to successful collaborations in research. Among other things, the online journal DiSlaw networks those involved in activities relating to the didactics of Slavic languages in German-speaking countries. Scientists from the Universities of Graz and Klagenfurt also work together in other disciplines - for example in mathematics: how to accelerate and optimise images from a magnetic resonance tomograph are two questions that the FWF special research area "Mathematics of Reconstruction for Dynamic Active Models" is dedicated to. Coordinated by the University of Graz, TU Graz and TU Vienna, the University of Klagenfurt is also on board.
International appeal
The joint university area is also intended to increase the attractiveness for international scientists. The Dual Career Service is there to support them. The well-networked institutions of the six universities in Styria and Carinthia support newly appointed professors, junior academics and administrative managers with their career start and answer questions about career, family and mobility.