Brigitte Hamann Prize: Austrian Private Universities Awards Announced
The Brigitte Hamann Prize honours the achievements of students and graduates of Austrian private universities.
As of now, students and graduates of Austrian private universities can apply in three categories for the Austrian Private Universities Conference ÖPUK´s first honour award. The Brigitte Hamann Prize, which will be awarded for the first time in 2025, honours graduates and students from and at non-state-funded colleges and universities in Austria for outstanding achievements in the categories "Academic Career", "Start-up", "Career in Music, Art or Performing Arts".
One winner in each category will be honoured with a prize of EUR 5,000. The application period runs until 20 January 2026. Information and submission modalities: www.oepuk.ac.at/brigitte-hamann-preis
"With the Brigitte Hamann Prize, we are creating a joint platform for the first time for graduates who research, design and found companies at Austria's private universities. Brigitte Hamann combined scientific rigour with social relevance - and it is precisely this attitude that the prize is intended to make visible. We honour people whose work concretely advances our scientific, cultural and innovative environment and who show how lively and effective the contributions of non-state universities are today," says ÖPUK Chairman Martin Rummel.
All submissions are scrutinised by a jury of experts in the respective field; the winners are chosen by a majority vote of the jury. Jury members include Christine Standfest (ImPulsTanz), Christian Kircher (Bundestheater-Holding), Kasia Greco (National Council), Cindy Ruiter (McKinsey), Cornelia Lass-Flörl (MedUni Innsbruck), Peter Kovacs (Networksmith) and Sare Balli (ÖH).
The award ceremony will take place in front of 200 invited guests from science, politics, business, culture and society at a gala event on 9 April 2026 in the Wappensaal of Vienna City Hall. The evening will be hosted by Martin Haidinger (Ö1).
The award honours Brigitte Hamann (1940-2016), one of the most successful German-Austrian historians. Her works combine academic rigour with broad readability - a rare combination that has made her an exceptional figure in the field of history.
Details on the calls for entries, the jury and the namesake Brigitte Hamann can be found under Brigitte Hamann Prize | Karl Landsteiner University and on the ÖPUK website under Brigitte Hamann Prize - Austrian Private Universities Conference
