Save our universities. Future first, not cuts. #UnisRetten
Announcement of university budget cuts
Federal Minister Eva-Maria Holzleitner (SPÖ, Social Democratic Party of Austria) has announced budget cuts amounting to 2.5 billion euros for Austria's public universities for the period 2028 to 2030, which would correspond to a reduction of 14 per cent compared to the budget for the current performance agreement.
Rector Sebastian Schütze comments:
“Education and training, academia and research are core pillars of society. Such a drastic cut in university funding jeopardises the future of Austria, our democracy and our prosperity.”
Possible impact on studying and teaching
- Savings on this scale would likely necessitate significant staff cuts (up to 10,000 jobs, or one-fifth of the university workforce across Austria).
- This would result in a deterioration of supervision by teachers, students having to study for longer, a possible debate about tuition fees, fewer opportunities for acquiring third-party funding and a loss of research excellence and reputation.
- For Austria as a business location, this would mean fewer highly skilled workers graduating from universities, risks for the country's innovation potential and the threat of repercussions for medical care and training.
What is important now
Let us stand up and stand together against the planned budget cuts and take to the streets to demand quality in teaching and research, equal opportunities and a sustainable future!
Thank you!
Many thanks to everyone who took part in the demonstration on 27 May 2026. Across Austria, 40,000 people took part in demonstrations (there were also rallies in Graz, Innsbruck, Klagenfurt, Linz and Salzburg on 28 May). Together, we have sent a strong message for the future of universities and will continue to stand up for quality in teaching and research, for equal opportunities and for sustainability.
Save our universities. Future first, not cuts.
You can find information in German language here.