The announced cuts of billions to universities pose a massive threat to Styria’s position as a centre of research and science; with a research quota of 5.31 per cent, the region accounts for more than a fifth of Austria’s total research and development output. A quarter of this comes from public universities. With the historic setback that is expected, it will not be possible to maintain this leading position within Europe.
“This is not an austerity package; it is a drastic cut at the heart of Styria as a region of knowledge. If these cuts go ahead, we will lose cutting-edge research, prolong study programmes, lose young talent and jeopardise the prosperity and innovative strength of the entire region,” the Styrian rectors declare in unison.
The university budget for the current performance agreement period from 2025 to 2027 amounts to 16.5 billion euros. To maintain the status quo of the Austrian research landscape, a funding requirement of around 18 billion euros has been calculated for the years 2028 to 2030. However, the government plans to cut the university budget by one billion euros compared to the current period, reducing it to 15.5 billion euros. This budgetary policy not only represents a step backwards in the training of urgently needed skilled workers; it also acts as a serious brake on excellent research and the development of new technologies and innovations.
The University Conference has clearly calculated what it means if universities are short of 2.5 billion euros: it means a cut of around 20 per cent in staff, meaning that one in five people can no longer be employed. This would primarily affect early-career researchers who are currently employed on fixed-term contracts.
Funding shortfall hits Styria hard
For Styria, this means that several thousand young experts will lose their jobs and are likely to leave the region. After all, they have received a top-class education here that is in demand worldwide.
If €500 million is cut from the Styrian universities in Graz and Leoben, this will have a particularly severe impact on students in Styria, and especially in Graz. Without the next generation of researchers, the current range of courses cannot be maintained. This means that students will have to prepare for waiting lists and a delayed graduation. And this will harm the Styrian and Carinthian economic region.
But it is not only Styria that will lose prestige; Graz, as a university and cultural city, will too. This is because the universities are major employers and contribute to value creation and the quality of life in Graz. If the universities are forced to cut back on their educational and research programmes, the city’s appeal to young people and renowned specialists from abroad will also decline.
“To make such massive cuts in education, science and research is short-sighted and simply a major mistake. For this will curtail the intellectual potential of this country, future innovation and, consequently, economic development. Styria can only remain an innovative industrial hub if it also remains an attractive hub for science. We urgently appeal to the federal government to prevent these cuts,” the rectors conclude.