University for Continuing Education Krems

The University for Continuing Education Krems (Universität für Weiterbildung Krems) is an Austrian university specializing in further education for working professionals. It is located in Krems an der Donau, Lower Austria.

Name
The Austrian Ministry of Education, Science and Research calls the university the Danube University Krems in English and the Legal Information System of the Republic of Austria calls the university the University of Continuing Education Krems in the English translation of the Universities Act 2002.

History
The first 93 students enrolled in 1995, when the institution began operation with programs in European Studies and journalism. In 2004, the Austrian parliament passed the Danube University Act (DUK-Gesetz) granting the institution the rights of a full university (such as appointing its own professors). More than 27,000 students have graduated from the university.

Courses
The University for Continuing Education Krems has specialized in further education of working professionals. It currently offers more than 200 academic courses and degree programs (leading to Master's degrees) in the fields:
 * Medicine, Health and Social Services
 * Economics and Business Management
 * Law, Administration and International Affairs
 * Education, Media and Communication
 * Arts, Culture and Building

Students
Today, more than 8,000 students (average age: 40 years) from over 90 countries study at the university. 26 percent of the students come from foreign countries.

Campus


The University for Continuing Education Krems is located in the Wachau region along the Danube, which has been named a world cultural heritage site by the UNESCO. A renovated tobacco factory dating back to the onset of the 20th century and new buildings on Campus Krems provide students and educators room for research and studying. The design for the new buildings is the creation of architect Dietmar Feichtinger, who places a new façade of steel, glass and aluminium opposite the industrial building from the previous century.

Faculty of Health and Medicine
Departments:
 * Health Sciences and Biomedicine
 * Evidence-based Medicine and Clinical Epidemiology
 * Interdisciplinary Dentistry
 * Clinical Neurosciences and Preventive Medicine
 * Psychotherapy and Biopsychosocial Health

Faculty of Business and Globalization
Departments:
 * Management and Economics
 * Legal Studies and International Relations
 * E-Governance and Administration
 * Migration and Globalization
 * Knowledge and Communication Management
 * European Policy and the Study of Democracy

Faculty of Education, Arts and Architecture
Departments:
 * Continuing Education Research and Educational Management
 * Interactive Media and Educational Technologies
 * Arts and Image Science
 * Building and Environment

Vice-chancellor
On 2 February 2007, vice-chancellor Helmut Kramer resigned due to "conceptional differences on strategic leadership". In May 2007 Heinrich Kern was assigned new vice-chancellor. The interim vice-chancellor, Ada Pellert, who also had applied, was not considered on the shortlist of three by the nomination committee. This was followed by protests in the university senate claiming the decision to be gender-discriminating.

On 8 August 2007, the university issued a statement that the discussions on the vice-chancellor's nomination are based on structural problems in the university. The university decided to split the organisation into two universities. Kern and Pellert were asked to apply for the positions of the two universities' vice-chancellors.

In July 2008 deputy vice-chancellors Ada Pellert and Hanna Risku resigned. In August 2008, vice-chancellor Heinrich Kern resigned according to an agreement with the university council. Former deputy vice-chancellor Jürgen Willer was elected new vice-chancellor. Willer took office in January 2009. He resigned from the office in September 2012. In its session held on 20 February 2013, the University Council elected Friedrich Faulhammer, former general secretary of the Federal Ministry for Science and Research, to become its new vice-chancellor. Faulhammer has been in office since 1 August 2013.