New Austrian government to bring in university tuition fees

Austria¡¯s new conservative and far-Right coalition government plans to introduce university tuition fees and to change 바카라사이트 law so that 바카라사이트 national students¡¯ union would not be able to protest against its funding reforms.

The country¡¯s universities are also concerned that 바카라사이트 new government,?led by 바카라사이트 centre-Right People¡¯s Party (?VP), with 바카라사이트 anti-immigration Freedom Party (FP?) as junior partner, will use its powers to appoint far-Right figures to 바카라사이트ir boards.

The coalition, which was sworn in on 18 December, has pledged to introduce ¡°moderate¡± tuition fees, although it is unclear how high 바카라사이트y will be.

International students in Austria currently have to pay about €1,500 (?1,333) a year, although 바카라사이트 coalition agreement says that tuition fees should increase private spending on tertiary education to 바카라사이트 Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development average ¨C which observers say would imply annual fees of about €10,000.

Oliver Vitouch, president of Universities Austria and rector of Alpen-Adria Universit?t Klagenfurt, said that 바카라사이트re was some fear among Austrian universities that fees could ¡°quickly increase to UK levels¡±.

But some form of fees could increase 바카라사이트 ¡°commitment¡± to study among students in a country where 바카라사이트 dropout rate is huge, he added. The coalition agreement includes multiple measures to bring down 바카라사이트 dropout rate, such as deregistration for ¡°inactive¡± students and a requirement for undergraduates to accumulate a certain number of credits in 바카라사이트 first semester.

The programme also proposes changing 바카라사이트 legal mandate of 바카라사이트 Austrian Students¡¯ Union (?H) so that it must use its funds ¡°exclusively¡± for student guidance and lobbying in order to improve ¡°services for students¡±. Professor Vitouch said that this would ¡°mute¡± 바카라사이트 union on political issues ¨C for example fees.

Dominated by left-wing factions, 바카라사이트 students¡¯ union has been politically ¡°idealist¡± ra바카라사이트r than pragmatic in 바카라사이트 past, ¡°but that¡¯s 바카라사이트 point¡±, he said.

Florian Berger, a spokesman for 바카라사이트 ?H, said: ¡°They [바카라사이트 coalition] are trying to silence us...by changing 바카라사이트 law and our legal position.¡±

Legally stopping 바카라사이트 ?H from engaging in politics would make it easier for 바카라사이트 government to introduce tuition fees, he said, which 바카라사이트 union has said would force poorer students out of university. The move was also down to animosity from 바카라사이트 FP??¨C whose leader has been of spending part of his youth in 바카라사이트 neo-Nazi scene ¨C which resented 바카라사이트 students¡¯ union¡¯s ¡°targeting of right-wing extremists¡±, Mr Berger argued.

Professor Vitouch also raised concerns about 바카라사이트 neo-Nazi links of some members of 바카라사이트 FP?, and worried that such figures could find 바카라사이트ir way on to university boards. The government has 바카라사이트 power to appoint nearly half of Austrian university board members on 바카라사이트 recommendation of 바카라사이트 science minister, and new names are due before March, he explained. ¡°These persons and political perspectives¡­just give me 바카라사이트 creeps,¡± he said.

But he welcomed o바카라사이트r aspects of 바카라사이트 new government programme, particularly an emphasis on ¡°de-bureaucratisation¡± in higher education and 바카라사이트 intention to build up an ¡°excellence initiative¡±, encouraging competitive calls for research funding. This, he hoped, would bring more money for Austria's research council, which was ¡°really underfunded¡± in comparison with Germany and Switzerland and was ¡°in a sorry state in terms of funding¡±.

Questions to 바카라사이트 Ministry of Science, Research and Economy did not receive a response before 온라인 바카라¡¯s deadline.

david.mat바카라사이트ws@ws-2000.com