Steering Committee Enquete: Uwe Steger

Uwe Steger, University of Innsbruck

Work title:
Head of Communications

Duties in the SC:
Member
At the moment, I am only an ordinary member most of the time. I have been member of the former working group "New initatives". In the forefront of our conferences, together with colleagues from the Netherlands and Poland I am responsible for the Euprio-award.

Why did you get engaged in the SC, why do you think it is important?
I think it is nescessary, to get in contact with people doing the same job in other countries. Especially education and science are topics, which are essential for the development of our own countries but also for the development of a common Europe. Knowing colleagues from all over Europe helps me to notice upcomming challenges. Being member of the SC enables me to help improving Euprio and university-communications either in Austria or in Europe.

Describe the situation for your country for university communications:
The national organisation in Austria is called "uni.pr". All leading communication-workers have an university degree, many of the co-workers as well. At the 21 universities in austria there are working about 100 people in the field of communications. Together with those in the universites of applied sciences (Fachhochschulen) an the communication-professionals within other science organisations or special-labs, there will be about 200 - 250 people, working in that field,

What are the biggest challenges for university communication in your country? And in Europe?
In Austria and as well in Europe the challenge is, to get into the peoples mind, that education, in the broarder sense, is one of the best investments for every single country and for the whole of Europe to develop our society.

It is a great value, to be member of euprio, to stay in contact with colleagues in all over Europe and to be informed about the changes within the university-system within the several countries. If you are not a member yet, you should try it out.