Strategy and tasks
Development Plan of the University of Vienna
The Development Plan is a central strategic planning instrument for the University of Vienna. It provides the basis for the performance agreement, i.e. a contractual agreement between the University and the Republic of Austria on the funding and performance of the University, concluded for a period of three years.
To prepare for the performance agreement for the period 2025-2027, which was negotiated in 2024, the University of Vienna prepared the ‘University of Vienna 2031 Development Plan’.
The Development Plan sets out the strategic orientation of the University of Vienna.
Shaping the research and teaching profile together, six strategic priorities
The University of Vienna is known – both in Austria and around the world – for its excellent research and broad range of disciplines. The aim of the Development Plan is to strategically enhance the profile and specific qualities of the University of Vienna both nationally and internationally, bringing together research, teaching and knowledge transfer (transfer of knowledge to society and the business sector).
The Development Plan defines six strategic priorities. These are based on the existing strengths of the University of Vienna and bring together competences beyond disciplinary and faculty boundaries. The strategic priorities serve to pool and coordinate the activities of the University of Vienna in research, teaching, career development, knowledge transfer and cooperation.
The six strategic priorities of the University of Vienna are:
- Culture, Education, Democracy
- Digital and Data-Driven Transformations of Science and Society
- Climate, Environment, Sustainability
- Global Health: Physical, Mental and Social Dimensions of Health
- Systems of Life – Foundations of Life
- Quantum Systems and Materials for the Future
The Climate, Environment, Sustainability strategic priority serves as a basis for a range of new master’s programmes in Climate – Environment – Sustainability, which are scheduled to be developed in a coordinated way in the next years. The master’s programmes in the field of Climate – Environment – Sustainability should be linked through joint seminars, project modules and courses to combine the acquisition of in-depth disciplinary and interdisciplinary competences (T-shaped education).
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Active studying
The University of Vienna supports teachers and students in ensuring that students play an active role, are committed to the learning process and take responsibility for their own study progress. This serves to increase the number of students taking exams, i.e. promote examination activity (‘active studying’), and to reduce the duration of studies.
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Promotion of early stage researchers and support for postdocs
Doctoral education at the University of Vienna is already very well organised with the introduction of the ‘new doctorate’ and the doctoral schools. It will be further consolidated by setting up doctoral schools in as many disciplines as possible. In addition, the University of Vienna particularly supports postdocs (postdoctoral candidates), e.g. through introductory workshops, continuing education and training tailored at this specific target group, offers relating to transferable skills, as well as coaching and mentoring.
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Sustainability
The University aims to integrate sustainability in key strategic fields of action by integrating sustainability guidelines into its central tasks and missions. The sustainability initiative focuses on the areas of climate neutrality by 2030, biodiversity, teaching on sustainability, sustainable nutrition and supply, sustainable procurement and infrastructure, as well as outreach (public relations and dialogue with the general public), communication and networking.
To the Development Plan
Development Plan ‘University of Vienna 2031’ (PDF)
The new Development Plan will be drawn up in 2026.
Performance agreement
The performance agreement is a contract under public law. It is concluded for a three-year period between the University of Vienna and the Republic of Austria, represented by the Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research (BMFWF). It forms the basis for the work programme of the University and determines the available budget.
Performance agreement 2025-2027
With the 2025-2027 performance agreement, the University of Vienna aims to further strengthen its research excellence in a national and international context. It also strives to consolidate its role as Austria’s largest educational institution and leading research institution.
The global budget (i.e. the total budget allocated to the University by the BMFWF) for the period 2025-2027 amounts to over EUR 2,218 million. This corresponds to an increase of around 29 % compared to the previous period. This budget not only covers price rises resulting from inflation, but also finances measures that will allow the University of Vienna to further develop and improve in the fields of research, teaching, studies and administration.
These include the founding of a Center for Advanced Studies and the establishment of the ‘Q. Science Discovery Center’, which is currently being developed in collaboration with the Vienna University of Technology and the Austrian Academy of Sciences. Furthermore, the University is establishing an AI centre together with the Vienna University of Technology. Other strategic measures include
- investments in research excellence;
- the promotion of early stage researchers;
- investments in teacher education, examination activity and degrees as well as in the development of administration and its processes.
Tasks of the Rectorate of the University of Vienna
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Tasks of the Rectorate
The Rectorate and the Rector are two of the four highest bodies of the University of Vienna in accordance with the 2002 Universities Act.
The Rectorate has the following responsibilities in particular:
- Governing the University of Vienna: The Rectorate governs the University and represents it externally.
- Organisation and Development Plan: The Rectorate prepares the Organisation Plan and the Development Plan and presents both to the Senate and the University Board. It appoints heads of organisational units and concludes target agreements with them. It assigns university members to the organisational units. It issues regulations on the authorisation of employees to carry out legal transactions on behalf of the University (in accordance with section 28, para. 1 of the 2002 Universities Act).
- Statutes: The Rectorate prepares drafts for the Statutes and draft amendments to the Statutes. It is also responsible for presenting these to the Senate.
- Performance agreement: It prepares the draft for the performance agreement and presents it to the University Board.
- Student affairs: admission of students; collection of statutory tuition fees; determining the fees for participation in university continuing education and training programmes; initiating, developing and amending curricula; issuing guidelines on the structure of curricula following consent by the Senate
- Establishment of new degree programmes and phasing out of existing ones; statements on as well as rejection of curricula; granting authorisations to teach based on the decision of the habilitation committee appointed by the Senate.
- Authorisation to teach at university level: granting authorisations to teach (venia docendi) based on the decision of the habilitation committee appointed by the Senate
- Human resources: advertisement of vacancies
- Evaluation of research and teaching: initiating evaluations and publishing evaluation results
- Financial affairs: developing and managing the invoicing and reporting system; preparing the budget proposal (information to the Senate, presentation to the University Board); allocating the budget and managing financial affairs; preparing the statement of accounts; developing a system for planning and reporting to the Austrian Federal Ministry of Finance (shareholding and financial controlling by the state).
- Intellectual capital report including performance report: preparing the annual intellectual capital report including a report based on the performance agreement
- Rejecting unlawful decisions made by other bodies, setting deadlines and carrying out the necessary actions ourselves in the event of failure by other bodies to act
- All other tasks for which no other body is responsible
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Tasks of the Rector
- Chair and spokesperson of the Rectorate
- Prepares a proposal for the election of the vice-rectors
- Manages the Office of the University of Vienna
- Negotiates and concludes the performance agreements with the responsible federal ministry and immediately informs the University Board about the results
- Is the highest-level superior to all university employee
- Appoints external reviewers for appointment procedures for university professors
- Selects successful candidates to be appointed as professors based on the appointment proposal
- Conducts appointment negotiations
- Concludes employment contracts and contracts for work and services
- Authorises employees of the University to carry out legal transactions on behalf of the University in accordance with section 28, para. 1 of the 2002 Universities Act
According to the Rectorate’s rules of procedure, the Rector additionally assumes tasks of the Rectorate.