University of Vienna
The University of Vienna (German: Universität Wien) was founded in 1365 by Rudolph IV and hence named Alma mater Rudolphina. It is the largest university in Austria. Nobel-prize winners who taught at the University of Vienna include Robert Barany, Julius Wagner-Jauregg, Hans Fischer, Karl Landsteiner, Erwin Schrödinger, Victor Franz Hess, Otto Loewi, Konrad Lorenz and Friedrich A. von Hayek.The University of Vienna was the cradle of the Austrian School of economics. The founders of this school who studied here included Carl Menger, Eugen von Böhm-Bawerk, Friedrich von Wieser, Joseph Schumpeter,Ludwig von Mises and Friedrich A. von Hayek.
Organizational Structure: History and Present Developments
The University of Vienna (as all universities and academies in Austria) featured an innovative system of democratic representation. Power inside the univeristy was shared equally among the three pressure groups: students (the largest), junior faculty and senior professors. All groups had the right to send representatives to boards that then took votes on almost all issues. While guaranteeing that all groups had equal chances to bring up changes in the university, some argue that it led to corruption. Espescially with the nomination of people into prestigous positions, it seems to be that way.The present government of Wolfgang Schüssel enacted a reform of the universitary system in Austria, leading to a concentration of power with the senior professors, the introduction of a board of directors and tuition fees.
See also: Studying in Vienna
