University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences - Vienna

Mission

The university sees itself as a teaching and research institution that focuses on renewable resources that are a prerequisite for human existence. The relationships between man, society and the environment form the basis of all activities at the BOKU, and its foremost aim is to make decisive contributions to securing the well-being of future generations. In this endeavour, it will seek ways of ensuring a sustainable and environmentally sound management of natural resources by allying the competences of the natural, engineering, economic and social sciences.

Areas of Competence in Teaching and Research:

* Soil, plants, and living beings
* Land use, landscape, and infrastructure
* Water, atmosphere, and environment
* Alternative biogenic materials and bio-energy
* Biotechnology
* Forestry and wood sciences
* Agricultural sciences
* Food technology science

Topics in Teaching and Research

* sustainable use of naturally growing raw materials both for energy supply as well as for innovative materials
* protecting regenerable sources such as water, soil, and atmosphere
* shaping true to life recycling processes
* interrelation between food production and health
* protecting and shaping biotopes and environments
* protecting the wellbeing of plants, animals, and humans

Contemporary natural hazard management is based on the analysis and assessment of risk, and requires therefore information on both the physical environment and the anthroposphere/the society.

Embedded in the national and international research network, the core competencies of the Institute of Mountain Risk Engineering are directly linked to the field of risk research. Thereby, multidisciplinary cooperation is essential for analysing and assessing risk.

The focus of the Institute is to assess risks for the settlement area and for infrastructure lines. In this manner results of basic research will be directly converted into practical application, and our applied research regularly stimulates our basic research. Furthermore, results of our scientific projects will be directly integrated into teaching activities.