Austrian Private Universities Conference
The Austrian Private Universities Conference (OePUK) is the association [1] of all accredited private universities in Austria.[2] It was founded in 2008 with a mission to support the interests of private universities and thus the promotion of science and research.[3] OePUK is the counterpart to Österreichische Universitätenkonferenz (Universities Austria), the association of state-funded universities in Austria, and Österreichische Fachhochschul-Konferenz (Austrian Universities of Applied Sciences Conference), the umbrella organization of universities of applied sciences in Austria.
In order to operate as a private university[4] in Austria, accreditation by AQ Austria is required. The criteria are specified by Austrian law in the Private Universities Act.[5] Initial accreditation applies both to the institution and to its degree programs submitted with the application for accreditation. The Private Universities Accreditation Ordinance (PU-AkkVO 2021)[6] specifies the quality standards required for study programs to receive accreditation.
History
In 1999, the federal government enacted a law (UniAkkG, BGBl 1999/168[7]) enabling the establishment of private universities by legal entities with a registered office in Austria for the first time.[8]
The enactment of the Quality Assurance Framework Act (QSRG, BGBl 2011/74[9]) in July 2011 set the law governing private universities on an entirely new foundation. The central component of the QSRG was the creation of a cross-sectoral system for external and internal quality assurance in the post-secondary sector. The Higher Education Quality Assurance Act (HS-QSG) and the Private Universities Act (PUG) contained in the QSRG entered into force on March 1, 2012, replacing the previous law, UniAkkG. As a part of quality assurance in the post-secondary sector, provisions on the accreditation procedure of private universities could be henceforth found in the HS-QSG (§§ 24 ff leg cit).[10] The HS-QSG served as the basis for the founding of the Agency for Quality Assurance and Accreditation Austria (AQ Austria) in 2012.
On January 1, 2021, the legislature enacted the Private Universities Act (PrivHG) in BGBl I 2020/7[11] and repealed the previous Private Universities Act. The introduction of a new type of private higher education institution in the act has led to differentiation within the post-secondary sector.[12] The designation "private university" is reserved for institutions that meet additional requirements (§ 4 para. 1 PrivHG):
- Evidence of a minimum number of full-time professorships, staffed according to internationally competitive standards, covering the core competencies of the departments offered;
- Evidence of the research performance of the departments according to international standards and criteria;
- Evidence of the measures taken to promote the next generation of scientists and scholars;
- Fulfillment of the requirements for accreditation of a doctoral program.
The Austrian Conference of Private Universities, which secured a seat and vote in the General Assembly of AQ Austria with the Higher Education Quality Assurance Act 2011 gained admittance to the Austrian Higher Education Conference (Hochschulkonferenz or HSK)[13] on May 15, 2014, enabling a greater quality of dialogue with other stakeholders in the Austrian post-secondary sector. This was followed by laws that incorporated students of Austrian private universities into the Austrian Student Union (HSG 2014, BGBI I 2014/45 [14]) and included representatives of private universities in the Assembly of Delegates of the FWF (Wissenschaftsfonds-Novelle 2015, BGBl I 2015/110 [15]) and in the NQF Steering Group (NQF Act 2016, BGBl I 2016/14 [16]). In addition, students from private universities gained access to degree scholarships, and a campaign to promote the teaching of staff at all Austrian universities resulted in the revision of the Ars Docendi Award of the BMWFW.
As of January 1, 2021, the Austrian Private Universities Conference gained equal representation with all other represented bodies in the General Assembly of AQ Austria (reduced from 23 to 14 members) with two delegates (§ 11 para. 1 HS-QSG).
The first meeting of the Austrian Private Universities Conference took place in Vienna. In April 2022 an official office for the organization was established in Vienna, Austria and a Secretary General put in charge.[17]
In addition to internally coordinating Austrian private universities, the Austrian Private Universities Conference represents the concerns of the universities in international and national affairs and in public; among other things, ÖPUK is also a founding member of the umbrella organization of European private universities, the European Union of Private Higher Education (EUPHE).
In line with the Private Universities Act, members of the Austrian University Conference are all private universities, represented in the plenary assembly by their respective rectors. Currently, these are the 17 Austrian private universities as full members, plus one Austrian private collage and one private university from Liechtenstein as associate members.
- Anton Bruckner Private University
- Bertha von Suttner Private University St. Pölten
- Central European University (CEU)
- Charlotte Fresenius Private University
- Danube Private University (DPU) Faculty of Medicine/Dentistry
- Gustav Mahler Private University of Music
- JAM MUSIC LAB Private University for Jazz and Popular Music Vienna
- Karl Landsteiner University of Health Sciences
- Catholic Private University Linz
- Modul University Vienna
- Music and Arts University of the City of Vienna
- New Design University Private University St. Pölten
- Paracelsus Medical University
- Seeburg Castle University
- Sigmund Freud University Vienna
- Stella Vorarlberg Private College of Music -formerly Vorarlberg State Conservatory- (extraordinary member of the association)
- Private University in the Principality of Liechtenstein (extraordinary member of the association)
- UMIT TIROL - Private University For Health Sciences and Health Technology
- Webster Vienna Private University
Chairpersons
- Karl Wöber (2012-)
- Marianne Betz (2008-2012)
- Bernhard Tilg (2007-2008)
References
- ↑ "Registerauszug". citizen.bmi.gv.at.
- ↑ Jahrbuch Hochschulrecht 2022 (HG Werner Hauser, Verlag Österreich, Wien 2022), Hekking, Klaus: The Alternative – Non-state Higher Education in Europe (BWV 2022)
- ↑ "Österreichische Privatuniversitäten Konferenz".
- ↑ Grimberger, Markus, Privathochschulen und Privatuniversitäten, in: Hauser (Hg), Hochschulrecht. Jahrbuch 22 (2022), Seite 141 ff.
- ↑ "RIS Dokument". www.ris.bka.gv.at.
- ↑ "07.07.2021, retrieved on 29.06.2023" (PDF).
- ↑ https://www.ris.bka.gv.at/Dokumente/BgblPdf/1999_168_1/1999_168_1.pdf 19. August 1999, retrieved on 29.06.2023.
- ↑ Bettina Perthold-Stoitzner, Karl Stöger, Martina Szüsz: Universitätsakkreditierungsgesetz (UniAkkG). Hrsg.: Verlag Österreich. 2001, ISBN 978-3-7046-1641-8.
- ↑ https://www.ris.bka.gv.at/Dokumente/BgblAuth/BGBLA_2011_I_74/BGBLA_2011_I_74.pdfsig 29. Juli 2011, retrieved on 29.06.2023.
- ↑ Markus Grimberger, Stefan Huber: Das Recht der Privatuniversitäten. Neuer Wissenschaftlicher Verlag, 2012, ISBN 978-3-7083-0827-2, S. 4.
- ↑ https://www.ris.bka.gv.at/Dokumente/BgblAuth/BGBLA_2020_I_77/BGBLA_2020_I_77.pdfsig 20. Juli 2020, retrieved on 29.06.2023.
- ↑ Markus Grimberger, Diana zu Hohenlohe: Der neue Rechtsrahmen für Privathochschulen und -universitäten. In: Zeitschrift für Hochschulrecht, Hochschulmanagement und Hochschulpolitik, zfhr. Nr. 1, 2021.
- ↑ "Hochschulkonferenz". www.bmbwf.gv.at.
- ↑ https://www.ris.bka.gv.at/Dokumente/BgblAuth/BGBLA_2014_I_45/BGBLA_2014_I_45.html 9. Juli 2014, retrieved on 29.06.2023
- ↑ https://www.ris.bka.gv.at/Dokumente/BgblAuth/BGBLA_2015_I_110/BGBLA_2015_I_110.html 13. August 2015, retrieved on 29.06.2023.
- ↑ https://www.ris.bka.gv.at/Dokumente/BgblAuth/BGBLA_2016_I_14/BGBLA_2016_I_14.html 21. März 2016, retrieved on 29.06.2023.
- ↑ Peutz, Barbara, Das Generalsekretariat der ÖPUK, in: Hauser (Hg) Hochschulrecht. Jahrbuch 22 (2022), Seite 165 ff.
External links
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