Ferdinand Porsche FERNFH Joins the "Austria Researches" Network
FERNFH is a new partner institution of the citizen science network “Österreich forscht.” Through this partnership, the university of applied sciences is strengthening its participatory research approach and further expanding citizen science as an integral part of its research.
FERNFH has recently become a partner institution in the “Österreich forscht” network, the central umbrella organization for citizen science in Austria. The network’s goal is to raise awareness of participatory research projects, ensure quality, and promote dialogue between science and society.
For FERNFH, the partnership is a strategic step toward further developing and more firmly establishing its own citizen science approach.Prof. (FH)Dr. BirgitTeufer, BSc BA MA, director of the Institute of Economics & Psychology and a researcher at FERNFH, sees this primarily as an opportunity for networking and raising the institution’s profile: For FERNFH, “Austria Researches” is “a great opportunity to further expand our still-young citizen science initiative and to network with other committed institutions in Austria.”
Citizen science represents an approach to research that actively involves people—not merely as subjects of study, but as participants in the research process. This approach is central to Teufer’s work. Research, she argues, should not take place in an “ivory tower,” but must be shaped in collaboration with those it affects. Citizen science makes this possible and strengthens the dialogue between science and society, she emphasizes.
Especially in times when a lack of interest and skepticism toward science are palpable, this form of participation takes on particular significance, particularly in FERNFH’s research. The goal is to actively involve people and show them that their experiences and perspectives truly matter in research processes. The FERNFH also aims to break down barriers within its own academic operations.
Through its partnership with the “Österreich forscht” network, FERNFH aims to further expand its citizen science activities, raise their profile, and establish participatory research as an integral part of its scientific work in the long term.
