The WU Foundation
WU creates a positive impact on the economy and society through its wide range of research, teaching, and Third Mission activities. At WU, we find answers to the pressing challenges of our time, and we drive much-needed innovation. To do this, we have to rely on appropriate funding. The WU Foundation gives our supporters the opportunity to make a valuable contribution and help us push forward this important work. Together, we can lay the foundation for a promising future!
Rupert Sausgruber, Rector
What will we do when robots take our jobs?
Will remote work worsen the unequal distribution of work between women and men?
Are we going to see a resurgence of alternative economic models?
At WU, we’re working hard to find the answers to the big questions of our time.
But the race for knowledge is global, and it requires substantial financial resources. To keep up, WU must become even better, more ambitious, and more entrepreneurial in its outlook, its ideas, and in everything it does. However, it’s frequently a lack of funding that holds us back. We therefore rely on the WU Foundation as a dynamic partner that is at our side, firmly committed to supporting and advancing WU.
With the WU Foundation, we’re reaching out to private individuals and foundations who want to create lasting impact.
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Tangible impact and real-world results
The WU Foundation is committed to strengthening research and scholarship in Austria.
It awards grants to help young people launch academic careers and to fund and support research projects. The WU Foundation promotes the pursuit of excellence in academic research and teaching, and it works with strong partners to ensure the uptake and application of research results in real-world practice.
Agile research support and next-level learning
Global trends and local changes make it necessary for universities to keep adapting, expanding, and recalibrating their activities. The WU Foundation helps us to do just that – unencumbered by the restrictions of day-to-day university operations and the global budget. This allows us to take an entrepreneurial approach when it comes to creating additional, experimental programs and academic offerings at WU Vienna to be able to respond quickly to current developments and fast-paced new requirements.
Direct and fast implementation
Managing a university is similar to steering a big ship. It requires decisions that involve large amounts of money and input from numerous stakeholders – with good reason. A foundation, in contrast, is more independent and more agile in its activities, but it still has clear guidelines and decision-making and supervisory bodies. With its lean governance structure and the funding it has at its disposal, the WU Foundation is able to support and implement large-scale projects independently – and very quickly, if needed.
We take responsibility today – for future generations
We have a clear framework for awarding our grants, based on transparency and diligent processes that meet strict ethical guidelines. We always look to the future, because the decisions we make and the steps we take today create the playing field for the generations that come after us.
Your donation is tax-deductible
Donations to the WU Foundation and to WU Vienna are tax-deductible.
Any university that wants to remain internationally competitive and successful in the long run needs optimal financial conditions and structures. As Vice-Rector for Financial Affairs and Campus Management, I’m thrilled to count on the WU Foundation as a reliable funding partner that supports WU in achieving its goals.
Harald Badinger, Vice-Rector for Financial Affairs and Campus Management