Abstract
The establishment of the Fachhochschul sector is regarded as the most significant success story of the last decade in Austrian higher education. This new sector was legally established in 1993 (FHStG) and started to enrol students in 1994. For the academicyear 2000/01, there were 55 Fachhochschulcourses offered with a further 15 alreadyplanned. The sector has about 9,000 students,and has already produced 2,600 graduates. Inonly a few years it has built up a highreputation amongst students, employers, and thegeneral public. This paper looks back to theearly 1990s, when the Fachhochschul policywas designed. It reconsiders some of thearguments and conflicts which at that time werestirred by this reform and its focus is on theinfluence which was exercised by the Britishpolytechnics. The paper will argue that theCouncil for National Academic Awards(CNAA) served as a role model for the Fachhochschulrat (FHR), which is a cornerstonefor the Austrian Fachhochschul sector andit will discuss why – against the odds – thispolicy transfer was successful.
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Pechar, H. Accreditation in Higher Education in Britain and Austria: Two Cultures, Two Time-Frames. Tertiary Education and Management 8, 231–242 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1016309922084
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1016309922084