Graz universities warn funding cuts will cost hundreds of jobs

Austria’s federal government has signalled that university budgets will be cut by 15 to 20 percent by 2030, prompting warnings of job losses and damage to research and teaching at Graz’s universities, ORF reported.

Horst Bischof, rector of Graz University of Technology, called the planned cuts a “catastrophe” and said they would undo years of growth. The university expects to lose 250 to 300 jobs in the coming years, through a combination of unfilled vacancies and dismissals.

Bischof said fewer staff could mean fewer students trained and fewer researchers employed, with declining innovation posing a risk to the Styrian economy.

Andrea Kurz, rector of the Medical University of Graz, warned that fewer lecturers could lead to larger class groups and a decline in the quality of studies. She said this could affect the training of students and leave Styria with fewer well-trained doctors.

At the University of Graz, around 200 fewer positions are expected within a few years. Rector Peter Riedler said the cuts could make it harder to retain or attract leading researchers, and would have a strong negative impact on the economy of Graz and Styria.