Dying with self-determination
Towards a Sustainable Economy, featuring Vice-Chancellor Kogler

Antisemitism in the workplace
Research versus fake news
Catastrophes and financial markets
The green cartel

Corporate transition in turmoil
Gender pay gap: 77 Cents for 1 Dollar
Carbon-neutral Mobility - But How?

Climate Protection vs. Prosperity?
Academic Freedom

In December 2020, the Constitutional Court declared the previous ban on assisted suicide unconstitutional. The Assisted Suicide Act passed in 2022 now regulates the legal requirements for assisted suicide. But that does not mean the debate is over: How much assistance can we provide for people as they die? What does the new law regulate? What does it mean in practice when dealing with the critically ill? We will discuss the right to self-determination at the end of life with experts from an interdisciplinary legal, ethical, and medical perspective.

Keynote lecture:

Hans Valentin Schroll, Institute for Austrian and European Economic Criminal Law, WU Vienna

Discussion:

Reinhard Klaushofer, Public and Administrative Law Section, Paris Lodron University Salzburg

Gudrun Kreye, Division of Internal Medicine, Palliative Care Unit, Krems University Hospital

Sigrid Müller, Department for Systematic Theology and Ethics, University of Vienna

Hans Valentin Schroll, Institute for Austrian and European Economic Criminal Law, WU Vienna

Moderated by:

Robert Kert, Institute for Austrian and European Economic Criminal Law, WU Vienna

We are living at a turning point. What does it mean to take responsibility for sustainable and fair economic activity in a globally interwoven world? What kind of economic system promotes ecological sustainability and social cohesion? What political framework conditions are needed here? What does this mean for education in economics? Vice-Rector Margarethe Rammerstorfer and author Andreas Novy will be discussing sustainable economics and business with Austrian Vice-Chancellor Werner Kogler to celebrate the release of the new “Zukunftsfähiges Wirtschaften” textbook.

Lecture:

Andreas Novy, Professor, Head of the Institute for Multi-Level Governance and Development (MLGD), WU Vienna

Discussion:

Werner Kogler, Austrian Vice-Chancellor

Andreas Novy, Professor, Head of the Institute for Multi-Level Governance and Development (MLGD), WU Vienna

Margarethe Rammerstorfer, Vice-Rector for Academic Programs and Student Affairs, WU Vienna

Moderated by:

Karin Heitzmann, Professor, Head of the Research Institute for Economics of Inequality, WU Vienna

Although antisemitism is on the rise worldwide, including in Austria, antisemitism in the workplace is still not widely discussed and researched. How does this form of discrimination manifest itself? To what extent is antisemitism an indicator for other grievances in the workplace? And how can we put it in relation with wider societal issues, such as the Austrian national identity or the difficult historic legacy of the Holocaust still casting its shadow over the nation’s collective memory? A panel of experts will discuss these questions on antisemitism and talk about what we can and should do to prevent it.

Lecture:

Prof. Michael Ignatieff, historian, writer, journalist, and politician, CEU

Discussion:

Prof. Helga Embacher, Associate Professor, University of Salzburg

Prof. Michael Ignatieff, historian, writer, journalist, and politician, CEU

Dr. Ariel Muzicant, President of the European Jewish Congress and Vice-President of the World Jewish Congress

Moderated by:

Prof. Wolfgang Mayrhofer, Full Professor, WU IVM, WU Vienna

Complex problems such as the energy and climate crisis, inflation, and the coronavirus pandemic present humanity with difficult decisions. In times of crisis in particular, science has an important role to play by analyzing complicated processes and explaining them in a comprehensible way. This not only reduces uncertainty, but also makes evidence-based decisions possible in the first place. But anti-scientific currents are also spreading with the help of social media. We will talk to representatives from academia and business about how science can fight back.

Lecture:

Katharina Miko-Schefzig, Sociologist, Head of the Competence Center for Empirical Research Methods, WU Vienna

Discussion:

Alexander Bogner, Sociologist, Austrian Academy of Sciences

Katharina Miko-Schefzig, Sociologist, Head of the Competence Center for Empirical Research Methods, WU

Martin Moder, Science Busters

Barbara Streicher, Managing Director, ScienceCenter-Netzwerk

Moderated by:

Alice Senarclens de Grancy, Head of the “Wissen & Innovation” section, Die Presse

The coronavirus pandemic. The war in Ukraine. Climate change. Financial markets play a central role in managing the current crises: They have to meet companies’ liquidity needs, form the bedrock of Russia sanctions, and provide the infrastructure for fiscal and monetary support programs. Lastly, financial markets are expected to create the conditions for a transition to a carbon-neutral economy. How can financial markets do all this, and what are the inherent risks? We will talk about whether financial markets can live up their role as saviors in a crisis.

Lecture and Discussion:

Aurel Schubert, Chair, European Statistical Governance Advisory Board

Sigrid Stagl, Institute for Ecological Economics, WU Vienna

Josef Zechner, Institute for Finance, Banking and Insurance, WU Vienna

Moderated by:

Stefan Pichler, Head of the Institute for Finance, Banking and Insurance, WU Vienna

What can the legal system contribute to promoting sustainability? Lawyers from all disciplines are currently exploring this question. It is particularly relevant to antitrust law, where a paradigm shift is anticipated. But are there inherent contradictions here? Can the classical antitrust goals of maximizing freedom of competition and consumer welfare still be achieved if sustainability aspects are (or have to be) taken into account equally in the application of the law? WU Professor Georg Eckert explores this question in his lecture.

Lecture:

Georg Eckert, Full Professor, Institute for Civil Law and Civil Procedure, WU Vienna

The world is in a state of upheaval. Anyone who wants to hold their own on the market has to adapt – and keep on adapting. What is the driving force behind this change that is so essential to survival? Does it come from inside or does it require an outside push? Are companies capable to reacting to new challenges in time? Or do they have to rely on external, and usually expensive consulting services? These are some of the questions we will discuss with representatives from academia and the private sector while shedding some light on the advantages and disadvantages of management consulting during transformation processes.

Discussion:

Isabella Grabner, Full Professor, Institute for Strategy and Managerial Accounting, WU Vienna  

Maximilian Scherr, Arthur D. Little

Markus Stelzmann, TELE Haase

Moderated by:

Michael Köttritsch, Head of the Management & Career and Editorial Training Department at the newspaper “Die Presse”

Can gender equality be measured? The gender pay gap is one of the main indicators used to measure gender equality. Where does Austria stand compared to other countries when it comes to structural wage differences between men and women? According to Eurostat, the gender pay gap in Austria amounted to 18.9% in 2020, well above the EU average of 13%. What are the reasons for this? How can we close the gap? And when? We will discuss what measures need to be taken for women to get paid accordingly in the future and thus receive what they rightfully deserve.

Opening Lecture:

Alyssa Schneebaum, post-doctoral teaching and research associate, WU Vienna

Discussion:

Sophie Achleitner, Economist, AK Vienna

Johannes Kopf, Member of the Board, AMS Arbeitsmarktservice Österreich

Alyssa Schneebaum, post-doctoral teaching and research associate, WU Vienna

Moderation:

Jeannine Hierländer, Deputy Head of the Business Section, “Die Presse”

Austria is committed to achieving carbon neutrality by 2040. For Austria to reach this target, it has to step up decarbonization efforts across all sectors, including transport and traffic. Even though necessary technologies have already been developed, it is still a long way to go until widespread adoption. Is mobility's net-zero transition still realistic? What organizational and legal requirements need to be met to achieve this goal? What happens to existing public transport fleets? We will be discussing how and when a state of net-zero carbon emissions can be achieved.

Lecture and moderation by:

Sebastian Kummer, Professor, Head of the Institute for Transport and Logistics Management at WU Vienna

Discussion:

Christian Kern, CEO European Locomotive Group

Wolfram Senger-Weiss, Chairman of the Gebrüder Weiss Management Board

Monika Unterholzner, Managing Director Wiener Lokalbahnen

The green transition is one of the greatest challenges in the coming decades. We need to fundamentally reform our economic and social systems in order to achieve our climate targets. The key to this is to switch to raw materials and increase resource efficiency. Lifestyle changes are another essential aspect. They affect all of us in different ways. Who is most affected? How can we protect vulnerable groups from negative consequences? We will be talking about distribution and fairness, climate protection, and the preservation of prosperity.

Panel discussion:

Gabriel Felbermayr, Director of WIFO; professor of economic policy, WU Vienna

Andreas Löschel, Professor, Faculty of Management and Economics at Ruhr-Universität Bochum

Claudia Kettner, Senior Economist at WIFO

Ulrike Famira-Mühlberger, Deputy Director of WIFO

Enabling critical discourse is an integral part of every university. At the same time, universities oppose exclusion, insults, discrimination, populist and polemical arguments. On the occasion of 125 years of WU and the University of St. Gallen, we will discuss discourse capabilities of academic institutions and evaluate when it is legitimate for universities to draw the line.

Discussion:

Edeltraud Hanappi-Egger, Rector, Vienna University of Economics and Business

Bernhard Ehrenzeller, Rector, University of St. Gallen

Shalini Randeria, President and Rector of the Central European University

Moderated by:

Michael Köttritsch, Head of the Management & Career and Editorial Training Department at the newspaper “Die Presse”