Institution

The Ministry of Science and Research (part of the former Ministry of Education, Science and Culture) was established in March 2007 and comprises higher education, science and research. The Department for Higher Education (Universities and Fachhochschulen) and its different divisions negotiate university performance agreements and monitor performance reports, deal with legal and financial affairs of universities and student grants, develop and plan higher education policy with regard to universities and Fachhochschulen, promote quality assurance, collect and analyse relevant statistical data. The Bologna Process, the development of a National Qualifications Framework (NQF), continuing education and quality assurance in higher education are but some of the topics that have been identified as priorities for the next few years.

Involved

Edith Winkler is in charge of quality assurance and Lifelong Learning in Higher Education. She is a member of the national Bologna Follow-Up Group (BFUG) and participates in the interdepartmental task force for the development of the Austrian National Qualifications Framework.

Eva Schacherbauer works in the field of evaluation, quality assurance, Lifelong Learning in Higher Education and project management.

Sabine Pölzl was involved in the project until December 2007. She supported the project with regard to financial issues and coordinated the contributions from the Austrian, Bulgarian, Hungarian, Spanish and German ministries to the project (National Outlines).

Bologna/NQF

The Universities Act and the Fachhochschul-Studies Act established the legal basis for the introduction of bachelor and master programmes, ECTS, the diploma supplement, joint-, double-degrees and high quality Ph.D-like doctoral programmes. The two-cycle degree system is gradually being introduced.

 The Austrian government has decided to develop and adopt a comprehensive National Qualifications Framework (NQF) and closely link it to the European Qualifications Framework (EQF). The discussion process has already been started and relevant studies had been concluded. The recently finalized consultation process included all stakeholders and was supported by a research group representing higher, vocational and adult education as well as relevant interest groups.

Role and Expectations

The Ministry expects an exchange of information and experience for the development of a NQF as well recommendations to support curricula development with a focus on learning outcomes that can be transferred to higher education institutions in Austria and abroad. Project results may thus be of particular interest to higher education institutions in Europe.