Unis is running out of money: – 5000 demanded more budget at large demo in Graz

It is enough! The five Styrian universities have called for a protest against the “insufficient increase in the university budget”. Up to 5000 students, university employees and rectors pulled together and marched from the universities to the Graz Opera on Tuesday afternoon. Their main concern is the budget for 2024!

A week after the Technical University of Vienna, the University of Graz, the Graz University of Technology, the Graz University of Art, the Graz Medical University and the Montanuniversität Leoben called for a demonstration on Tuesday. Tuesday afternoon there was a joint procession of the individual institutions in the Styrian capital to the opera, where the final rally was on the program at 1 p.m.: TU Rector Harald Kainz, Uni-Graz Rector Peter Riedler as well as works councils of the institutions and ÖH representatives came there Word. Specifically, the TU Graz calculates that in the worst case there will be a job cut of 100 to 150 employees, and the University of Graz also estimates that around 100 positions will not be filled. The universities are demanding a total of 1.2 billion euros by 2024 However: Education Minister Martin Polaschek (ÖVP) announced on Tuesday that 400 million euros “is enough for 2023” – 150 million euros were improved at short notice. “But it’s not just about 2023,” said Peter Riedler at the meeting, in 2024 the double costs of 2023 are expected, the science budget must be expanded! Rectors angry Hellmut Samonigg, Rector of MedUni Graz, evaluates the improvement as “no more as a positive sign”. This is by no means the sum that the universities would need. “In the worst-case scenario, we are missing 40 to 45 million euros. Personnel costs make up 70 percent of our budget. The contract provides for an increase of two percent – in reality it will probably be around seven.”
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