Development Plan 2028–2033
How the University of Applied Arts Vienna collectively envisions, shapes and takes responsibility for the future
The Development Plan outlines how our university intends to evolve in the coming years – in research and teaching, in student life and administration, in its structures as well as in its social responsibility. It provides guidance in an environment of profound transformation: the climate crisis, technological upheavals, changing forms of democratic participation and new demands on knowledge, collaboration and institutions. The Development Plan answers the question of how the university not only addresses these developments, but also actively, critically and responsibly helps to shape them.
In doing so, the university sees itself as a collectively shaped space for relationships. Freedom in research, the arts and teaching, broad participation and the assumption of shared responsibility form the basis of this self-image. The Development Plan brings together strategic goals, guidelines and measures into a framework that highlights interconnections and creates transparency: it shows how individual projects interlock and are aligned with shared long-term goals.
A central principle of the Development Plan is listening. The diverse perspectives, experiences and expertise of the university community form the basis for sustainable decisions. Diversity and transparency are not merely additional considerations, but cultural principles – just as is trust in collective intelligence. The development plan is therefore not a rigid set of rules, but a learning tool that enables development, provides guidance and, at the same time, leaves room for further reflection and adaptation.
For students, teaching staff, researchers and staff, the development plan provides a common basis for understanding: it organises existing documents, makes strategic priorities clear and demonstrates how individual contributions form part of a larger whole. This makes it clear where the university aims to be by 2033 – and how all members are invited to actively help shape this path.
