Departments

Since its foundation, the Department has distinguished itself with its focus on current social issues, combining expertise in ecology, economy and culture to develop sustainable architecture and living environments. The Department’s functional core competencies include Energy-efficient, environmentally sensitive building optimization, Blending constructional expertise with findings from human sciences, Calculating and analyzing lifecycle costs of buildings, and Questions on how to preserve and develop UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

The Department for Higher Education Research is a competence center for evidence-based development of higher education. We are particularly concerned with the topics of personnel and organisational development, governance, the third mission of higher education institutions and academic continuing education with reference to lifelong learning. In doing so, we look at the individual level, the institutional level and the level of an entire university and education system - both for Austria and for the European Higher Education Area and beyond.

As an answer to the societal challenges of the 21^st century, our modern world today is increasingly shaped by digital communication and sensor networks. Digital data creation, processing, and networking are key issues for lifestyle gadgets as well as for high tech manufacturing plants. Research and development of innovative concepts for high performance sensors and sensor networks is at the heart of the department, providing solutions for a widespread range of applications, such as building management, industrial automation, medicine, traffic control, environmental monitoring, and multi-media and home appliances.

The department’s centers and offices deal with types, content and framework of art and culture especially focusing on the impact of major societal changes such as digitization and globalization. The cross-disciplinary teams of scientist specialised in the fields of history, history of art, archaeology, musicology, German studies, comparative studies and media science dedicate their research to the four core areas cultural heritage, museum collections, participative media, as well as art- and cultural management to develop an innovative offer  for continuing education.

The Department for Continuing Education Research and Educational Technologies at the University for Continuing Education Krems pursues a topic of high social relevance: the research of lifelong learning in all its different aspects. The spectrum ranges from didactics and media competence to the possibilities of using technology-supported digital tools. The Department works on lifelong learning concepts that are closely tailored to the needs of mature working students, enabling them to reconcile work, family, studies and leisure time.