News Overview

Dinner is served: Food Chemistry and Technology course kicks off again!

Are you working in the area of food production or processing? Apply now to take part in the next course as part of our acclaimed continuing education offers!

In just 4 modules, you have the opportunity to gain fundamental knowledge about microbiology, food chemistry and analysis, but also specialised knowledge about allergies, intolerances, or food quality assessment methods.

Learn how to develop new innovative and high-quality food products and actively respond to the increased demand from consumers for high-quality, regional food.

Have we tantalized your tastebuds?

Next start date: 11 October 2024, application deadline: 15 July 2024

Course details

The course will be held in cooperation with the Styrian Food Hub.

Good to Know: What “Sustainability Reporting” Actually Means

The CSRD came into force in 2024. Larger companies are now obliged to report on the sustainability of their business activities.

The Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD for short) establishes an EU-wide obligation to provide information about how the activities of large companies impact people and the environment. This includes information on their environmental impact (e.g., energy consumption), social aspects (e.g., compliance with human rights), and corporate governance (e.g., fight against corruption). Thus, the directive addresses both how sustainability issues affect business success and how business activities affect people and the environment.

Tip: Expert Spotlight - ESG-Reporting – Umwelt, Soziales, Governance: Überbordende Bürokratie oder alternativlos? (Video in German, the video is hosted by Youtube, therefore YouTube’s privacy policy applies.)

Tip: University Course (in German)  Dekarbonisierung und Nachhaltigkeitsmanagement

Tip: University Course Zero Carbon Management

Funding Project SME5.0: Knowledge Exchange with Stellenbosch University

As part of a “staff exchange,” Helmut Aschbacher spent March in South Africa, making part of his spring semester a fall semester.

In addition to improving resilience and focusing on people-centeredness, supporting SMEs in their digital and green transformation is a core goal of the EU-funded SME5.0 project.

Life Long Learning project employee Helmut Aschbacher went on a staff exchange to the Faculty of Engineering at Stellenbosch University hoping to learn how modularised further training opportunities and providing micro-credentials can contribute in this regard.

Having returned with quite a few experiences and stories to tell, he says: “I am impressed by the innovative teaching approaches that are being implemented here with regard to engineering education; I am very grateful to Prof. Wolff, Senior Advisor for Teaching and Learning, for the valuable insights she gave me into the continuing education programmes of their faculty.”

Attention all deep-tech innovators!

Do you have a great business idea? Apply for our 8-week online mentoring programme by April 12. You can gain valuable knowledge and win a prize from an expert jury as well.

Use the HEICE project’s “Online Startup Acceleration Programme” to take your idea for a business or startup to the next level! Throughout this 8-week mentoring programme, you will benefit from the professional experience of top experts such as founders, academic geniuses, venture capitalists and a governance agency.

At the final presentation in front of a jury, you will not only receive valuable feedback, but there are also attractive prizes to be won!

• Start of the programme: April 22, 2024
• End of the programme: June 14, 2024
• Workload: ca. 6 hours/week
• Language: English
• Application deadline: April 12, 2024

Details and application form – filling out the form takes less than 15 minutes!

Our Tip: How do I find the right continuing education programme?

We have put together 7 questions to help you in your search for a suitable continuing education programme!

• First, consider in which area and on which topic you want to do further training.
• Then, explore which providers are available for your desired topic.
• Next, think about what you want to achieve or what you want to be able to do/know afterwards.
• Determine how much time you can/will invest!
• Wow, how high can the costs be? Or maybe your employer can cover part of them? And what about grants or scholarships?
• When do you want to start this exciting journey?
• Finally: Are there any admission requirements you should know about?

If you have any (further) questions about a specific programme at Life Long Learning, don't hesitate to ask! Our amazing programme managers are always there for you!

Springtime is planting time - for fresh know-how too!

Choose the right "seedlings" from our varied course programme!

As the days get longer and the temperatures rise, it's also a good time for us to grow again. Here is a selection of courses for your personal growth in knowledge and expertise from March to May 2024:  

• Applied Leadership Behaviour in the Digital Transformation, starting 29 March, apply by 15 March
• Data Science: The Way from Big Data to Smart Data, starting 2 April, registration by 6 March
• Moisture and Waterproofing Monitoring, starting 5 April, registration by 8 March
• Applied Statistics as a Problem-Solving Tool in Industry and Business: Introduction, starting 14 May, registration by 15 April
• Restraint Stresses and Crack Width Control in Structural Concrete Members, starting 28 May, enrolment by 30 April

More courses

This was Zero Carbon Day 2024

The first Zero Carbon Day took place on 8 February at TU Graz. More than 100 interested members of the public were able to exchange ideas with experts and company representatives.

Decarbonisation is everyone’s business – companies as well as politicians and educational institutions. What matters most is qualification, competitiveness and new ways to secure the economic future of the region, which requires close cooperation between research, politics and companies. Fascinating lectures showed the audience that sustainability is essential for the competitiveness of companies and that the most important fields of knowledge are “Energy and Green Production”, “Sustainable Buildings” and “Corporate Mobility”. The presentations of selected transfer projects, which were rooted in the large-scale Dekarb project funded by the Austrian Research Promotion Agency (FFG), provided practical insights into decarbonisation plans and activities of corporate partners along with exchange and networking opportunities.

Special thanks to our event partners Green Tech Valley and GRETA as well as to all those who contributed to making the event a success!

Introducing: Franz Teschl, Academic Programme Lead of the Master’s Degree Programme SpaceTech

While Franz Teschl’s childhood dream of flying into space may not have come true, he nevertheless often comes very close to outer space in his work.

It all started with a passion for raindrops, or rather, with radar meteorology. Even today, the behaviour and properties of raindrops during extreme weather events play a major role in his research work on opportunistic remote sensing. Transmitting from space, satellites provide valuable information for his research.

Franz Teschl shares his enthusiasm in the Master’s Degree Programme SpaceTech, where he is not only responsible for the academic programme lead but also teaches academic working.

Given the opportunity, would he like to fly into space as a space tourist if being an astronaut is not an option? “That wouldn’t be as interesting to me because then you’re just a passenger. As an engineer, I’d obviously want to help and carry out experiments.”

More at Talk Science to Me

New course starting in April 2024: Climate-Ready Spaces for Active Mobility

The course focuses on planning spaces fit for cycling and walking and is aimed at people working in sustainable mobility.

In six thematic blocks, participants not only acquire fundamental skills but also specialist knowledge for planning spaces for cycling and walking. They learn to plan and design sustainable, resilient open spaces and networks (streets, squares, paths, etc.) that are ready for climate change and suitable for various forms of active mobility and users. In addition to supporting online media for self-study, participants will attend in-person (guest) lectures as well as going on awareness walks and bike tours.

Start: 26 April 2024

Application deadline: 5 April 2024

Online information event: 7 March 2024, 3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

To register, e-mail m.monsbergernoSpam@tugraz.at

More about the course

Energy production and storage: Exciting insights into the “future laboratory” at TU Graz

Participants of the university course Energy & Green Production II were given the unique opportunity to visit the Laboratory on Hydrogen and Fuel Cell at TU Graz.

“Is hydrogen dangerous?” is probably one of the questions Viktor Hacker, head of the Institute of Chemical Engineering and Environmental Technology, is most frequently asked. The laboratory brings together not only many years of experience in the research and development of low-temperature fuel cells, but also cutting-edge work on new methods for hydrogen production and storage. As part of a comprehensive tour, Viktor Hacker explained innovative technologies intended to eventually secure a sustainable and environmentally friendly energy supply. “The danger of hydrogen is generally blown out of proportion because it is gaseous. In the event of an accident, hydrogen quickly rises to higher altitudes due to its low specific weight and, unlike many other fuels, it is not toxic.”

More on the topic

We wish you happy holidays and a "knowledge-rich" new year!

The LLL team wishes you relaxing and happy holidays!
We look forward to supporting you again in 2024 with the expertise of TU Graz!

We will also be expanding our programme in the coming year, with exciting new courses in the area of green transformation in particular.

If you would like to expand your knowledge in this area right at the beginning of the year, we invite you to take part in our free online Expert Spotlight on "ESG Reporting (Environment, Social, Governance) - Excessive Bureaucracy or No Alternative?".

On 12 January 2024 from 17:00 - 18:00, decarbonisation and sustainability expert Günter Getzinger and Sophie Hilbert, expert for CSRD reporting, will discuss this topic.

Click here to register

Join us for Zero Carbon Day – From Science to Action

On 8 February 2024, TU Graz will be the stage for an exciting programme all about decarbonisation and further education.

The Green Tech Valley Cluster, Green Tech Academy Austria (GRETA) and TU Graz Life Long Learning (TU Graz LLL) are hosting an afternoon full of lectures, a panel discussion, pitches and poster presentations revolving around all things zero carbon. Sabine Herlitschka, CEO of Infineon Technologies Austria AG, will be giving the keynote speech “Wettbewerbsfähigkeit aufbauend auf Nachhaltigkeit” (Sustainability as a Basis for Competitiveness) for the occasion.

Take this unique opportunity to learn from experts in the field ‒ both in theory and in practice ‒ and gain valuable insights that will help you overcome the challenges of decarbonisation in your own company.

The subsequent open buffet will be an ideal opportunity for you to expand your network.

This event is open to the public and free of charge: However, attendees must register for the event by 1 February 2024.

Click here for the detailed programme and registration.

Continuing education? New year, new course dates!

Implement your training resolutions right at the start of the year and use our expertise for your professional career path!

Here you will find a selection of courses and microcredentials with start dates from January to March 2024:

• Decarbonisation & Sustainability Management: Start 15 January; registration deadline 5 January
• Sustainable Buildings: Start 15 January; registration deadline 4 January
• Sensory Evaluation of Food - Advanced course: Start 1 February
• Evaluation of Measurement Uncertainties: Start 14 March; registration deadline 12 February
• Digital & Green Economy: Start 4 March; registration deadline 19 February
• Innovation Management: Start 4 March; registration deadline 19 February

More Courses

Successful expansion of skills: New “Master of Engineering” in Lean Management in Civil Engineering

Rector Horst Bischof personally congratulated the graduates at the graduation ceremony on 24 November.

From playful simulations using LEGO bricks to complex construction project management tasks – the graduates of the Master’s Degree Programme Lean Management in Civil Engineering can look at back on quite an intensive period in their lives, during which they gained valuable expertise in process optimisation and increased efficiency in civil engineering. The highlight for this batch of graduates was a study trip to Japan. Alumni representative Anna Hoppe said in her closing speech: “While we were there, we experienced first-hand how the fundamental principles of lean management can be put into practice in civil engineering. Our experiences with the innovative working methods and the efficient culture [of Japan] showed us that the roots of “lean” as an idea are more far-reaching than mere theory and models. These impressions will stay with us for the rest of our lives.”

We wholeheartedly congratulate all graduates!