Our Stories

Ulrike Felt, researcher at the Department of Science and Technology Studies and member of the ECH of the University of Vienna, has been awarded the Friedrich Schiedle Prize for Social Sciences and Technology by the Technical University of Munich together with Harvard Professor Martha Minow. Urs Gasser, Dean of the TUM School of Social Sciences and Technology, emphasised Felts “intellectual brilliance joined with moral courage and leadership” in his address.

We are proud to congratulate our members Franz Essl, Lucia Fuchslueger, Andreas Richter, Mathew White, and our Co-Director Thilo Hofmann for making the list of the Most Cited Researchers 2025 together with six other researchers at the University of Vienna. Having the University of Vienna and its Environment and Climate Research Hub represented in this way shows the excellent scientific work conducted by our researchers.

We congratulate Jan André Koch, researcher at the Department of Marketing and International Business at the University of Vienna and ECH member, on receiving funding from the City of Vienna’s Hochschuljubiläumsfonds for his project “Lost in consumption – Exploring the social and psychological barriers to understand why reduced consumption seems to be no option.” The project links sustainability, psychology, and marketing, contributing to interdisciplinary environment and climate research.

The ECH congratulates the University of Vienna for ranking 95th in this year’s THE World University Rankings, becoming the first Austrian university to be listed among the top 100. Excelling in the categories of research, internationalization, teaching, and industry engagement, the University has proved itself yet again despite increasing competition. The ECH is proud to be part of the University’s effort to provide profound scientific evidence that transcends disciplines and academic ranks.

We are living in times of unprecedented environmental change. Climate disruption, species extinction, and pollution are no longer distant threats – they are present realities. But with knowledge comes power to act.

This free course invites you to explore the environmental challenges shaping our world – and to discover your role in creating lasting solutions. Through engaging video lessons and expert insights across disciplines, you'll gain a hopeful perspective on our shared planetary future.

With “Biodiversity Austria – International,” Austria is strengthening its role in global biodiversity policy.

The new interface connects local researchers with the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES). Developed under the leadership of ECH member Alice Vadrot, it brings international insights into national policy and promotes cross-disciplinary collaboration.