European strategies and programs

For many years, the Vienna University Children’s Office is part of an international community of organizations and experts whose goal is to positively shape the interfaces between science and society. A most important concern is to support children and young people for inclusive and equitable access to science and higher education. It is particularly important to us that our services and offers can be used independently of origin and economic possibilities.

Science in and for Society

We want a strong scientific landscape, with peoples participation and encouragement to raise questions and be critical. This calls for a responsible approach to research and the advancement of formal and non-formal education in the interests of our future social coexistence.

Universities, research institutions and other scientific organizations have recognized that it is high time to define their own role in the public sphere and to consciously assume responsibility for current and upcoming societal challenges.

Science at eye level

In addition to their tasks in research and teaching, universities are increasingly opening up to a globalized and technologized society. New spaces for encounters and collaborative research are being created. Such encounters, which are currently still out of the ordinary, are made possible by the Vienna University Children’s Office for a very specific target group, namely children and young people. With its Children’s University activities, the Children’s Office has taken on a pioneering role in this area, not only in Austria but also internationally.

Expertise in international cooperation

“ECFUN – the Virtual Children’s University”, our first European Commission funded science education project, was started in 2005. This project was followed by a series of numerous EU projects with partner institutions from all over the world. One of these EU projects resulted in the European Children’s Universities Network (www.eucu.net), whose office is hosted by the Vienna University Children’s Office.

As the Vienna University Children’s Office we are aware of the important role of children and young people in science and research for a sustainable development of our society. We are gladly available for cooperation and projects in which the voices and ideas of children in science are made visible and promoted. Through our own activities and those of our numerous international partners, we have appropriate channels to make important topics and content accessible to children and young people (and their parents and families). We are happy to contribute our work at the interfaces between university research and societal challenges to the strategic development of programs and organizations.

On the following pages you can find our ongoing international projects as well as our completed international projects.