Public Outreach
St. Pölten UAS takes its responsibility to society seriously and orientates itself towards the international concepts of the "Engaged and Entrepreneurial Universities". People are the focal point of all activities of the UAS.
The University of Applied Sciences disseminates knowledge beyond the borders of the respective disciplines. We pass on our findings in various formats to showcase that sound knowledge is worthwhile and relevant for everyone.
2021
In the current crisis all forces are needed to cope, to fight for economic survival. There is little time left for future questions. Nobody knows how things will continue or the ultimate impact of the crisis. Nevertheless, the sooner a new start is made, the more ideas and visions for the future are generated, the faster and more successful it can be. "Inspiring Chats" promote innovative perspectives, invite the exchange of experiences and ideas with a new online format and open new ways out of the crisis with ideas for the future.
The "Science goes School" program, which was initiated by the federal state government of Lower Austria, offers workshops for pupils on a regular basis. The workshops are aimed to spark interest and curiosity for science and research. Pupils are also given the opportunity to get to know the St.Pölten University of Applied Sciences and the educational options offered. Because of the Corona pandemic the workshops are currently organized as webinars.
In a webinar on “deepfakes” UAS St.Pölten Lectorer Alexander Adrowitzer and his student Alexander Buchelt gave insight into techniques of artificial intelligence that are used to produce deceptively realistic manipulations of images and videos. In easy-to-follow steps and with the help of practical examples they explained to the pupils of the HAK/HAS Tulln how such "deep fakes" are created. Because of the great success additional webinars on this topic will be held in autumn.
If you are interested in coming events, check for updates on the “Science goes School” webpage regularly.
Sience Slams offer the opportunity to present research projects in a way that is unusual, easily accessible for a broad public and, above all, entertaining. The participants have a maximum of six minutes to introduce their topics in whichever way they like: from theatre to live experiments and dance performances, everything that’s fun is allowed!
At the Science Slam of St.Pölten UAS 2021 Anita Kidritsch gave an entertaining and informative performance, during which she called attention to the benefits of interprofessional collaboration in health care (detailed information on her project „INPRO - ¡nterprofessionalism in action! )
Please read more about her performance here
or watch it here, if you missed it.
The ScienceCentre Network spreads knowledge about the latest scientific findings and technological developments. During the “Forschen statt Faken” initiative (i.e., researching instead of faking) the Network and its partners organized many online events on fake news and knowledge transfer. This and similar future initiatives are aimed to weaken the impact of misinformation by providing reliable content and promoting critical thinking.
The St.Pölten UAS is one of the partners in this programme and has made important contributions that are in line with the ScienceCentre Network’s focus topics. Discussions on fake news and conspiracy theories have been organized and researchers of the UAS have explained the “magic” behind deep fake images- and videos in webinars, podcasts or other media outlets. A list of these contributions is given below.
- Inspiring chat on the topic Forschen statt Faken.
- Interview on „Automatische Detektion von Fake News“ (i.e., automatic detection of fake news)
- Podcast on „Automatische Detektion von Fake News“
- Newspaper article on people's ability to recognize deep fakes
- Podcast on how deep fakes work
- Webinar on deep fakes within the „Science goes School“ programme
- Symposium on media ethics.
- Podcast "Was tun gegen Verschwörungstheorien?" (i.e., "How to deal with conspiracy theories?")
- Link to the content and the material of the initiative (requires an active user-account)
The master degree programme Digital Media Management at the UAS St.Pölten participates in the project EUNOMIA, which investigates the role of misinformation in social media.
2020
In the current crisis all forces are needed to cope, to fight for economic survival. There is little time left for future questions. Nobody knows how things will continue or the ultimate impact of the crisis. Nevertheless, the sooner a new start is made, the more ideas and visions for the future are generated, the faster and more successful it can be.
"Inspiring Chats" promote innovative perspectives, invite the exchange of experiences and ideas with a new online format and open new ways out of the crisis with ideas for the future.
The Long Night of Research, due to take place on 8.5.2020 had to be postponed due to the Covid19 pandemic. St. Pölten UAS used the original date to provide insights into its projects - virtually. Besides short videos of researchers in the home office, there was a quiz, two live lectures and the possibility to ask researchers questions.
Watch the videos (in German) here.
You can also become active yourself: Here you can test internet applications developed at St. Pölten UAS!
The Researchers' Night - the Europe-wide "Night of Science" - is funded as part of the European Commission‘s Research Framework Programme. It invites visitors of different ages and professions to take part and introduces them to current research projects and the researchers behind them in an innovative, informative and entertaining way. The European Researchers' Night thus underlines the role of research, development and innovation in European society.
Due to the current corona situation, the event will be held primarily online for the first time, so that interested parties are able to take part from the comfort of their own homes. The programme will be streamed in several parallel online channels.
Date: 27. November 2020
Duration: 15:00 – 24:00 Uhr
Where: Online / Aula der Wissenschaften, Wollzeile 27a A-1010 Wien
You can find the Austrian website for the European Researchers' Night 2020 here
Since the first Future Tech Bootcamp on the topics AI, IoT and Blockchain in summer 2019 was a great success the format was further expanded in 2020.
From 29.6. to 2.7.2020, students and makers met again with company representatives, top experts and technology partners to work together on solutions to practical challenges in various future technology areas in a 4-day intensive development session. Although the boot camp this year was purely virtual, a total of about 70 participants were constantly present.
This one-day education event for senior citizens at Lower Austrian universities of applied sciences is carried out in cooperation with the senior citizens' department of the province. St. Pölten UAS offers senior citizens the opportunity to experience the role of students and everyday life at a university .
Due to the measures in connection with the corona virus, the "UNI Aktiv Plus further education day" at St. Pölten UAS was cancelled.
Young Campus is an opportunity for young people to try out new topics and work on their own projects. Due to the current situation, the second Young Campus at St. Pölten UAS took place virtually from August 24 to 28, 2020. Young people aged 15-20 were able to learn new skills in interactive online workshops , supervised by experts.
The young people were eager to participate and developed their own projects in the areas of "Music Production", "Filmmaking", "Coding and Game Design" and "Entrepreneurship" taking into account sustainability . The projects can be viewed, listened to and tried out here on the Young Campus Homepage!
The Long Night of Research, Austria's largest research event, aims to present science and research in an innovative, understandable and entertaining way, admission free! 2020 St. Pölten UAS is again taking part. This year the Long Night of Research will take place digitally on 9 October 2020. There will be numerous live streams and the entire online programme will be available from 9 October to 30 December 2020. The next face-to-face event will take place on 23 April 2021.
2019
The Researchers' Night - the Europe-wide "Night of Science" - is funded as part of the European Commission‘s Research Framework Programme. It invites visitors of different ages and professions to take part and introduces them to current research projects and the researchers behind them in an innovative, informative and entertaining way. The European Researchers' Night thus underlines the role of research, development and innovation in European society.
Austrian site for the European Researchers' Night 2019
On 26.10. St. Pölten UAS took part in the Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research (BMBWF)’s open day presenting three digital healthcare projects: KARLI, EPAR and FallTec.
KARLI is an augmented reality app for use in schools where children can explore the functions of the body, e.g. the heart, in a playful way. EPAR also uses augmented reality to inform patients about strabismus operations. The FallTec fall sensor registers changes in movement patterns so that a possible hazard can be pointed out before an accident occurs.
Visitors had the chance to try out the augmented reality apps on site and learn more about the projects and the research at St. Pölten UAS in genereal by talking to students from the digital healthcare sector.
More Information (in German)
Ministry report (in German).
The "Science goes School" programme of the Lower Austrian Research and Education Company (NFB) aims to interest students in and inspire them for science and research. St. Pölten UAS regularly offers workshops which additionally allow the students to get insight into St. Pölten UAS’ activities and study opportunites.
This time a workshop with students from the Bundesoberstufenrealgymnasium für Leistungssport St. Pölten allowed them to experience work in a radio studio.
More information (in German)
Broadcast from the workshop (in German)
The Forschungsfest Niederösterreich (Lower Austria Research Festival) on 27. September 2019 offered insights into the Lower Austrian scientific landscape. At more than 70 stations, visitors can find out about current research projects and make contact with scientists. Hands-on experiments and show acts at the Palais Niederösterreich invite visitors to be curious and discover new things.
Website: forschungsfest.noe.gv.at
From 25.6. to 28.6. 2019 the first "Future Tech Bootcamp" took place at St. Pölten UAS. In this experimental format, creative "makers" and representatives from industry jointly developed ideas and projects around the Internet of Things (IoT), artificial intelligence (AI) and Blockchain. They were supported by specialists in the respective subject areas and innovative technologies.
Results include a LoRaWAN solution for monitoring temperature and humidity in mushroom cultures for start-up "Hut und Stiel" and a blockchain-based token system for payment when loading e-cars.
More information (in German)
if she can see it, ...
The exhibition "see it, be it! Something with film" was produced in cooperation between FC Gloria and the St. Pölten University of Applied Sciences and took place for the first time from 6 - 8 March 2019 on the occasion of International Women's Day and the annual information event erfolgreich.bewerben at the St. Pölten University of Applied Sciences.
During these three days, the exhibits were open to the public in the auditorium of the St. Pölten UAS. Some graduates of the St. Pölten UAS presented their occupational profile.
... she can be it!
Furthermore, the exhibition is presented at various schools as a travelling exhibition, so that female students can get to know female role models in the occupations shown, and receive information about film occupations and training opportunities in general. The exhibition, is still on the lookout for further possible hosts at schools and universities.
Inquiries: filmberufe@fc-gloria.at
Motto "See it, be it! Something with film"
The images we consume shape our values and our idea of how we want to be. It makes a difference whether media content is made by men or women, by people with different cultural backgrounds and experiences. Who tells these stories, who creates these images and whose values are transported by these images is of great importance.
The diversity of society should also be represented behind the camera. Filmmaking should therefore be accessible to many different people. A fair gender balance in film and TV production would lead to a greater importance of women's perspectives in society.
"Role models are needed to encourage more young women not only to learn but also to practise professions in the increasingly digitised film production. Women are one of the largest underrepresented groups in the film industry," says Rosa von Suess, FH lecturer and deputy head of the media technology course.
In cooperation with FC Gloria, the Department of Media and Digital Technologies, the Alumni and Career Center, the Gender and Diversity Officer and c-tv Ausbildungsfernsehender. Supported by Diagonale - Festival of Austrian Film.
Rosa von Suess
Institute of Creative\Media/Technologies
Research Group Media Creation
Cooperations & platforms
St. Pölten UAS engages actively in networks, platforms and cooperations to promote science communication. Among these platforms are the Austrian ScienceCenter network and the Open Glam Cultural Hackathon.
2018
In summer 2018 the first Young Campus took place at the St. Pölten UAS. During a four-day future festival, young people could get a taste of university: Small groups worked in workshops and laboratories on projects in areas ranging from IT security to the theatre of the future.
Since 2007, this one-day education event for senior citizens has been held with great success at the Lower Austrian universities of applied sciences in cooperation with the senior citizens' department of the province. So far, around 1,500 senior citizens have taken part.
For many years now research has ‚left the ivory tower‘, and inspired young and old at the ‚Lange Nacht der Forschung‘. At this largest domestic research event, researchers present their activities to a broad public.The Long Night of Research is an initiative to promote awareness of research and development in Austria.
St. Pölten UAS participates in the program Science goes School of NÖ Forschungs- und Bildungsges.m.b.H. (NFB) which aims to interest and inspire students in science and research. Pupils are given the opportunity to engage with science and research through lectures, presentations, discussions and hands-on projects on current research topics.
For 2.5 days, participants of this Hackathon are invited to experiment with data of our cultural heritage, to develop projects, to design concepts and to develop prototypes. They are supported by technical and scientific mentors from the partner organisations in developing and implementing strategies that will influence the future of the art and cultural landscape based on data from the field of art and culture. Participation is free of charge. The projects are presented at the end of the events.
The Austrian Science Center-Netzwerk aims to contribute to solving the challenges and needs of our time by making science understandable, accessible and useful for all people. So-called science center activities are intended to make science and technology accessible to the public. The activities combine practice, research, networking and transfer. St. Pölten UAS is a partner in this network.
In the Citizen Science approach scientific projects are partly or completely carried out by interested laymen – but always in compliance with scientific criteria. This not only enables new scientific projects and findings, but also leads to a dialogue between science and society that is otherwise impossible or very difficult. Via the online platform "Österreich forscht", Citizen Science actors in Austria and internationally can network and exchange information in order to further promote the quality of Citizen Science and to further develop the method.