Strengthening the reward of university teaching in Austria: a conversation starter
Client: Austrian Federal Ministry for Women, Science and Research
Project conducted: February – June 2026
In December 2025, the Austrian Federal Ministry for Women, Science and Research convened a national discussion on how university teaching could be more effectively rewarded within academic careers in universities across the country. To support this work, Dr Graham was commissioned to undertake a snapshot review of the current landscape for change in Austria, viewed within the context of wider international developments.
The study drew on confidential interviews with 23 contributors: Austrian academics and leaders from 11 universities, Ministry representatives and international observers of the Austrian higher education system. It explored the current role of university teaching in academic career progression, the principal cultural and structural barriers to change, priorities for reform, and the strategies most likely to support change across the Austrian higher education system.
The resulting report, Strengthening the reward of university teaching in Austria: a conversation starter, draws together perspectives from across the Austrian higher education community with examples of policy and practice from comparable university systems worldwide. Designed to inform discussion across the national higher education sector, it examines the current context for change in Austria alongside examples of policy and practice from comparable university systems worldwide.
The report is also available via the Austrian Federal Ministry for Women, Science and Research's Studies and Reports webpage (7 July 2026).
