Mission Statement

WU is the public university of economics and business in Austria, and one of the leading universities of its kind in Europe. It is an agile organization of experts with the goal of promoting social prosperity, economic capability, and sustainability through its teaching, research, and third mission activities. WU’s faculty, staff, students, and alumni take their social responsibility seriously and are guided by the values of openness, integrity, and appreciation.

WU creates meeting spaces that utilize, promote, and display the university’s expertise to enhance its national and international reputation and appeal among its stakeholders. WU aims to be a leading institution in research and tertiary education in the German-speaking region and in all of Europe, characterized by a future-oriented and innovative approach. It strives for excellence in research and sees it as part of its responsibility to deliver state-of-the-art teaching rooted in current academic knowledge. In this way, WU wants to prepare its students to become leaders of the future who will go on to shape the course of society. WU treats students and alumni with appreciation and respect, and it creates spaces for lifelong learning. Its expertise makes WU a valuable partner for businesses, academia, and the community at large. WU cooperates with excellent universities around the world, predominantly with institutions holding accreditations from EQUIS2, AACSB3, and AMBA4.

WU delivers excellent research and teaching and upholds the highest standards of professionalism in its administrative services. With its location in one of the most livable European capital cities, its internationality, diversity of subjects, size, and excellent infrastructure, WU is one of the most attractive universities in the world.

WU's guiding principles

The following guiding principles have been defined as a basis for WU’s further development:

• WU is committed to the goal of research excellence and contributes to the further development of disciplines and cross-disciplinary research areas within a diverse range of research communities. 

• WU is also committed to the principle of research-led teaching in all of its degree programs. In this way, WU prepares its students for their roles as future leaders in business and society.

• WU is committed to social responsibility. As a responsible university, WU lives up to its social responsibility in all areas of its activities and is continuously working to have a positive impact on society, the economy, and the business community.

• WU follows the principles of economy, sustainability, and barrier-free accessibility in a broad sense, and it is committed to anti-discrimination and inclusion.

• With a high degree of professionalism, WU maintains relations to a broad range of different stakeholders, living up to its social responsibility.

• WU is committed to the principle of equal opportunities.

• WU cultivates academic integrity and the freedom of research – with special emphasis given to the plurality of research topics and methods.

• WU is proud of its expertise in research, teaching, and administration, and it plans to utilize this potential to an even greater degree going forward.

Strategic Plan & Performance Agreements

Based on a 125-year track record of successful academic work, this Strategic Plan describes how WU Vienna University of Economics and Business perceives its role and position, and it outlines WU’s key priorities and areas of work for the coming two Performance Agreement periods (until 2030).

The Austrian Universities Act (Universitätsgesetz) defines the content that must be covered in a Strategic Plan and specifies the requirements for developing this document further on a continuous basis.