Postgraduate University: Lifelong Learning

Background

In 1995 the Danube University Krems, which had been founded one year previously, moved into premises in which Virginia cigars used to be rolled a long time ago. From 2003 to 2005, a new campus was built. Today, about 400 staff members, 1,000 lecturers and more than 4,500 students work, learn and do research in an open environment that promotes innovation.
Danube University Krems is dedicated to Continuing Education for postgraduates. In 2008/9 there were 207 courses with 4,700 students from 77 countries, with an average age of 40 years.

Aims and targets

The university is already the largest provider of postgraduate continuing education in Austria and is now striving to become the leading competence centre of academic continuing education in central Europe within the next few years. The majority of the students of Danube University Krems have a university degree. Therefore, the main part of university teaching in Danube University Krems consists of courses which conclude with an internationally recognized Master’s degree such as Master of Business Administration (MBA), Master of Science (MSc), Master of Arts (MA) or Master of Laws (LL.M.). The range of courses offered extends from executive MBA, IT consulting, European Union law, solar architecture and music management to health care management, psychotherapy and special fields of dentistry. Danube University Krems also offers a number of short courses and seminars.

Strategy and actions

Danube University Krems specialises in postgraduate academic studies and offers exclusive courses in the fields of economics and management, communications, IT and media, medicine and health, law, European integration and public administration, education and cultural sciences as well as building and ecology. Being a European model project, Danube University Krems combines high quality in education, research and consulting with excellent customer orientation and service.

Monitoring and evaluation

The required institutional  business planning and monitoring systems of performance indicators are installed.

Funding/Cost effectiveness

Total budget: € 35.8m, of which own earnings account for 76% of the total.

Sustainability/Transferability

The address to this particular target group through the establishment of a specific and dedicated HEI may not be feasible in most cases, though there are some similarities to, eg, private sector initiatives such as Universitas Telefonica (ES).

Outcomes/impacts

Achievements

• Danube University Krems has gone from 90 to over 4,000 students in 13 years
• It is a leading provider in Austria and Europe
• It is a private enterprise with modern management systems

This unique university model has supported remarkable growth over the last 13 years, and is oriented towards the growing demand and need for lifelong learning and continued professional development. Enthusiasm for the qualified and innovative involvement with the complex social, organisational and technical challenges presented by society in the new Europe is what motivates the students, the teaching staff and everyone else working at Danube University Krems.

Success factors

The departments of Danube University Krems cooperate across the perimeters of the individual subjects. The university is committed to international aspects and to cultural diversity along the lines of education and research. The students come from more than 60 countries. More than 1,000 internationally renowned lecturers not only assure a high quality in education, but also the consistent exchange with the scientific community and international enterprises. Danube University Krems cooperates with 50 universities worldwide.

Unintended impacts

Strengths and weaknesses

Major strengths of the university are its interdisciplinarity and its international catchment.