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Second Place in Sustainability Award 2022

Bündnis Nachhaltige Hochschulen Receives Award

Second Place in Sustainability Award 2022
Copyright: BMBWF / Deak

It is a great success for the “Bündnis Nachhaltige Hochschulen” (sustainable universities’ alliance), an association of 13 Austrian universities of applied sciences that was formed as recently as in October 2021: Among 83 submissions, the alliance came in second in the “regional cooperations” category of the Sustainability Award 2022.

On 13 June, Federal ministers Leonore Gewessler and Martin Polaschek presented the awards for sustainable university projects in the assembly hall of Technisches Museum Wien. The “Bündnis Nachhaltige Hochschulen” is one of seven cross-institutional university projects among the best 24 candidates. The St. Pölten UAS is part of this alliance.

Sustainability as an Overarching Topic

“Sustainability is an overarching topic that is relevant for the St. Pölten UAS in terms of teaching and research but also organisation, which is why we have paid it a lot of attention in recent years. For example, our campus was honoured as a sustainable educational building project, and sustainability was an annual topic with many activities for our UAS Board as well. Together with our alliance partners, we are planning to support each other in addressing the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals from a future-oriented perspective and putting competencies to better use. It makes me very happy that our activities are recognised with this award”, says Alois Frotschnig, Chairperson of the St. Pölten UAS Board.

13 Universities of Applied Sciences for Comprehensive Sustainability

The 13 involved universities of applied sciences are working towards the goal of comprehensively addressing the sustainability topic and pooling their activities in the areas of teaching, research, higher education management, and cooperation. The 17 UN Sustainability Goals forms the basis. Members are:

  • University of Applied Sciences BFI Vienna
  • University of Applied Sciences Burgenland
  • University of Applied Sciences Campus 02
  • University of Applied Sciences FH Campus Wien
  • University of Applied Sciences FH JOANNEUM
  • Carinthia University of Applied Sciences
  • University of Applied Sciences FH Kufstein Tirol
  • University of Applied Sciences Upper Austria
  • St. Pölten University of Applied Sciences
  • UAS Technikum Wien
  • Vorarlberg University of Applied Sciences
  • University of Applied Sciences IMC Krems
  • MCI | The Entrepreneurial School® 

Another major concern of the members is to raise awareness for the sustainability topic in students, teachers, staff members, and other stakeholders.

Synergies, Knowledge Transfer, Inclusion

The main focus of the activities pursued by the "Bündnis Nachhaltige Hochschulen” is on establishing synergies, networks and partnerships, and on the transfer of knowledge and the exchange of experiences between all stakeholders.

The working method within the alliance is cooperative, inclusive as well as solution- and future-oriented. The members’ activities are carried out in the four fields of “cooperation and exchange”, “establishing and using synergies”, “joint positioning and visibility”, and “reflected examination of sustainability dimensions”.

You want to know more? Feel free to ask!
FH-Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Dr. Frotschnig Alois

FH-Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Dr. Alois Frotschnig

Chairperson of the University of Applied Sciences Board Member University Leadership