Getting off to a good start at WU Vienna: More community spirit, less overwhelm
More than 3,700 new students are starting a bachelor’s degree at WU Vienna University of Economics and Business again this year.
To kick off the winter semester 2025/26, the Welcome Days give newcomers the opportunity to get to know WU Vienna on campus and become part of an active WU community. Advanced students are on hand to guide the beginners in small groups, providing orientation, fostering a strong community spirit, and preventing overwhelm and premature dropout. The Welcome Days mark the start of a strategic WU initiative to enhance cohesion and ensure that students feel at home at WU in the long term.
From September 2 to 4, 2025, the Welcome Days allow first-semester students to get to know their peers and make new friends, guided by Welcome Tutors in small groups. Students get to learn more about the structure of their degree programs, courses, exams and key online tools. The Welcome Days program is complemented by insights from faculty and alumni, offering valuable perspectives on everyday student life. The event concludes with a communal breakfast hosted by WU and the Students’ Union (ÖH), where Rector Rupert Sausgruber and Vice-Rector Margarethe Rammerstorfer personally welcome all new students. Christopher Schläffer, WU Manager of the Year 2022 and founder/CEO of the communications company NYOUM, is slated to deliver a keynote on artificial intelligence.
A strong community spirit from day one
It is very important to WU to make students feel supported and at home right from the get-go. The 2025/26 Welcome Days mark the start of a large-scale initiative aiming to build a sense of community and belonging among students and strengthening their long-term ties to the university – a key strategic goal of the Rector’s Council. As WU Rector Rupert Sausgruber points out, “We want to make sure that our new students feel part of a strong community from day one. That’s why we emphasize personal interactions and provide opportunities to meet the right contacts face-to-face. A strong sense of belonging is a key factor for academic success, laying the foundation for a WU community spirit that lasts well beyond our alumni’s student years.” To achieve this goal, WU Vienna is working closely with student clubs: WU is taking steps to give student clubs a stronger profile at the university so that they can contribute more to building a shared WU identity, creating an environment that thrives on personal interaction, mutual support, and active student engagement.
Preventing overwhelm and dropout
Many first-year students struggle with the transition from high-school routines to the autonomy and self-management required for mastering student life at a university. Vice-Rector Margarethe Rammerstorfer encourages all students to keep using WU’s broad range of support services, beyond the Welcome Days and throughout their studies. She says, “At WU, we offer targeted support services to prevent overwhelm and dropout – from counseling sessions and workshops on topics like efficient learning or dealing with exam stress to scholarship programs like WU4You, which is specifically targeted at talented students from low-income families. I’d like to encourage all WU students to take advantage of our support services and opportunities early on.” In this way, new WU students can lay a strong foundation for their future academic success right from the start.
Press contact:
Cornelia Moll
Press Relations Officer
Tel: + 43-1-31336-4977
Email: cornelia.moll@wu.ac.at