Winter semester 2025/26

Quo vadis, Donald Trump?

Artificial Banking

Clean Energy

Retiring at Age 75?

125 Years of Property Prices in Vienna

Mythbusting Migration

Markets. Power. Ethics.

The Hunger Emergency

Quick Quid

Donald Trump has changed the rules of the political game and disrupted the international order more than any US president before him. Economic uncertainty is growing, stock markets are nervous, and diplomatic relations are strained. How will Trump’s actions affect democracy, the economy, and society worldwide? What does his presidency mean for the US and for us here in Europe? What conclusions can we draw one year into Trump’s second term, and what lies ahead in the coming year?

Lecture

Harald Oberhofer, University Professor for Empirical Economic Research, Vienna University of Economics and Business; Senior Economist, WIFO

Discussion

Eric Frey, Journalist and Political Scientist, Senior Editor at DER STANDARD

Harald Oberhofer, University Professor for Empirical Economic Research, Vienna University of Economics and Business; Senior Economist, WIFO

Velina Tchakarova, Founder of FACE and Visiting Fellow at the Observer Research Foundation

Moderated by

Anna Patterson, Marketing Manager, WU Vienna and Moderator

Artificial intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing entire industries and professional fields. The banking sector is all about numbers and figures, which lend themselves to computer processing. The banking industry is therefore particularly affected by the advance of AI: Algorithms can identify potentially problematic loans and reject applications for such loans. AI can also flag problematic banks to banking supervisors early on so that the banks can be wound down. But what about data protection? How much do AI systems really know? And do neural networks also make mistakes?

Lecture

Kurt Hornik, Professor of Statistics and Computing, Department of Finance, Accounting and Statistics, WU Vienna

Karin Turner-Hrdlicka, Director General, On-Site and Internal Model Inspections, European Central Bank (ECB)

Discussion

Gerda Holzinger-Burgstaller, CEO, Erste Bank Österreich

Kurt Hornik, Professor of Statistics and Computing, Department of Finance, Accounting and Statistics, WU Vienna

Michael Höllerer, CEO, Raiffeisenlandesbank Niederösterreich-Wien

Karin Turner-Hrdlicka, Director General, On-Site and Internal Model Inspections, European Central Bank (ECB)

Moderated by

Stefan Pichler, Professor of Banking and Finance, Department of Finance, Accounting and Statistics, WU Vienna

Our future energy system must be secure, reliable, and sustainable – encompassing changes in electricity infrastructure and evolving energy demands in industry, transport, and AI. This transformation is challenging, and it requires innovation in technology, policy, and investment. Yet it’s also an opportunity that can shape global energy value chains to unlock jobs and local prosperity. But how do these energy innovation pathways scale? And how can we drive climate action and economic progress forward?

Lecture

Kavita Surana, Head of the Institute for Data, Energy, and Sustainability, WU Vienna 

Moderated by

Axel Pollerers, Head of the Department for Information Systems and Operations Management, WU Vienna

Life expectancy is increasing, but the proportion of people in active employment is shrinking. As a result, more and more European countries are raising the retirement age. Denmark is on track to push the retirement age up to 74 by 2070. In Austria, however, policymakers have been very hesitant to respond so far. What will be the path forward? When will the retirement age be raised in Austria as well? What kind of pension reform is needed? Does it make sense to link the pension age to demographic developments? And what does all this mean for those who are just starting their careers? 

Lecture

Martin Halla, Full Professor, Department of Economics, WU Vienna

Discussion

Martin Halla, Full Professor, Department of Economics, WU Vienna

Hanno Lorenz, Deputy Director and Chief Economist, Agenda Austria

Barbara Schuster, Deputy Chief Economist, Momentum Institute

Moderated by

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

Vienna is widely regarded to have a stable and socially balanced housing market with a strong public component and a high percentage of renters vs. homeowners. Nevertheless, many say that housing is becoming exceedingly expensive in Vienna. Is this really the case? How have real estate prices actually developed since 1900? We’ve reconstructed the price curves based on thousands of archived purchase agreements. How did regulation and people’s access to ownership impact property prices? What do rising prices mean for financial market stability, affordability, and Vienna’s international attractiveness? And are there lessons to be learned from history?

Lecture

Markus Lampe, Full Professor, Chair of the Department of Socioeconomics, WU Vienna

Kilian Rieder, Principal Economist, Monetary Policy Section, Economic Analysis and Research Department, Oesterreichische Nationalbank

Karin Wagner, Senior Principal, Economic Analysis and Research Department, Oesterreichische Nationalbank

Discussion

Wolfgang Amann, Managing Partner, IIBW

Gerlinde Gutheil-Knopp-Kirchwald, Housing Industry Specialist, Austrian Federation of Limited-Profit Housing Associations (GBV)

Gregor Puscher, Managing Director, wohnfonds_wien

Stefan Schmitz, Head of the Macroprudential Supervision Group, Financial Stability and Macroprudential Supervision Division, Oesterreichische Nationalbank

Hans Jörg Ulreich, Spokesman of the Property Developers Group in the Association of Real Estate and Wealth Management Trustees, Austrian Economic Chamber, and Managing Partner, Ulreich Bauträger GmbH

Moderated by

Stefanie Peer, Head of the Research Institute for Spatial and Real Estate Economics, WU Vienna

Few topics have received so much public attention and yet have been so widely misunderstood as international migration. Migration is embedded in the UN Sustainable Development Goals – but what does that mean? Do we live in an era of mass migration? Does migration exacerbate issues such as brain drain, inequality, and social tensions? Will climate change bring about another refugee crisis? And what role do businesses play in the realm of migration and sustainable development? 

Lecture

Milda Žilinskaitė, Senior Scientist, Competence Center for Sustainability Transformation & Responsibility (STaR), WU Vienna

Discussion

Jesús Crespo Cuaresma, Professor of Macroeconomics, WU Vienna

Jason Gagnon, Senior Development Economist and International Policy Advisor

Aida Hajro, Professor of International Business, University of Leeds

Judith Kohlenberger, Head of the Research Institute for Migration and Refugee Studies and Management (FORM), WU Vienna

Moderated by

Milda Žilinskaitė, Senior Scientist, Competence Center for Sustainability Transformation & Responsibility (STaR), WU Vienna

Georg Kapsch, a high-profile business executive and CEO of Kapsch TrafficCom AG, has been named WU Manager of the Year 2025. Throughout his career, Georg Kapsch has championed innovation in technology and leadership, constantly reinventing his company. During his years as president of the Federation of Austrian Industries (IV), he advocated for a social liberal model of society based on individual freedom. In his keynote speech, he will discuss corporate and political responsibility from an economic perspective.

Lecture

Georg Kapsch, CEO, Kapsch TrafficCom AG

Discussion

Georg Kapsch, CEO, Kapsch TrafficCom AG

Christopher Lettl, Full Professor, Head of the Institute for Strategy, Technology and Organization, WU Vienna

Monika Kircher, Senior Executive and Supervisory Board Member

Franz Schellhorn, Director of Agenda Austria

Moderated by

Patricia Klarner, Full Professor, Head of the Institute for Organization Design, WU Vienna

As traditional donor support shrinks, vulnerable populations face heightened risks of hunger and malnutrition, especially in conflict-affected and climate-vulnerable regions. What are the escalating challenges of ensuring global food security in the wake of significant international aid cuts? What adaptive strategies exist? What policy responses are necessary to safeguard food systems? And how can we protect the world’s most at-risk communities?

Lecture

Arif Husain, Chief Economist & Director of the Analysis, Planning & Performance Division, United Nations World Food Programme

Opening remarks and introduction of the speaker

Gerlinde Fellner-Röhling, Full Professor, Deputy Chair of the Department of Economics, WU Vienna

Moderated by

Simon Heß, Assistant Professor of Development Economics, WU Vienna

The current cost of living crisis poses a significant threat to consumers’ financial well-being. With rising prices, rampant inflation, and the ready availability of (predatory) lending, consumer debt has attracted increased scholarly and public interest. But what role does language play in the discursive construction of debt and lending? How is language used when sharing advice, asking for help, or offering financial support online?

Lecture

Ursula Lutzky, Associate Professor, Department of Business Communication, WU Vienna

Discussion

Stefan Angel, Senior Economist, WIFO 

Bettina Fuhrmann, Professor, Institute for Business Education, WU Vienna

Julia Jakob, Researcher, Financial Literacy and Culture Division, Oesterreichische Nationalbank

Moderated by

Mathew Gillings, Assistant Professor, Institute for Language and Discourse in Business, WU Vienna