We look back on an exciting year in which we did our best to represent your interests as effectively as possible. Because one thing is clear: we need a strong voice in politics so that our problems are taken seriously. With our educational and advisory services and our advocacy work, we will continue to do everything we can in the coming year to make studying possible for everyone, regardless of their financial situation.
Election campaigns, activism, seminars: in this article, you will find a few highlights from 2025 at the ÖH!
80 years ÖH
In 2025, the ÖH will celebrate its 80th anniversary. At our 80th anniversary celebration in Vienna last June, numerous generations of former ÖH chairpersons came together. The newly elected ÖH chairpersons (from left to right: Viktoria Kudrna, Selina Wienerroither, Umut Ovat) made their first joint appearance.
Start of the semester: No more cutbacks!
While more than 6 out of 10 students live below the poverty line and universities are struggling for money in every area, the government wants to make further cuts. At the first joint press conference of the winter semester, the new chair team made clear: Not with us!
Fighting for your rights: In negotiations ...
During the winter semester, the new ÖH chair team met with numerous decision-makers from politics and interest groups to bring students’ concerns to the negotiating table.
... and on the streets
One thing is clear: to build pressure, it is not enough to take a firm stance in negotiations—we must also take our protest to the streets! Students have always been at the forefront of civil society movements. In 2025, we initiated rallies and participated in alliances, for example in the summer semester with the campaign against the end of family reunification for refugees, and in January with our rally against the threat of the FPÖ joining the government, which would have brought massive restrictions for students.
Great turnout at our film screenings
Two film screenings were also on the agenda in 2025: In June, we showed “Bürglkopf” at the Gartenbaukino cinema in collaboration with SOS Balkanroute, a documentary about the inhumane conditions in the Bürglkopf “return center,” followed by a panel discussion moderated by Alexandra Stanić. And in November, we screened “Noch lange keine Lipizzaner” (Not Lipizzaners Yet) in Vienna, which highlights the long and arduous path to Austrian citizenship, also followed by a panel discussion!
Healthcare should not be a luxury!
In 2025, we continued to focus on healthcare services for students. In November, we held our HPV vaccination campaign at the University of Vienna, where we joined forces with the Federal Youth Council, HPV-Impfung Jetzt! (HPV Vaccination Now!) and the ÖH Uni Wien (University of Vienna Student Union) to reiterate our demand for a further extension of free HPV vaccination for everyone under the age of 30. The huge turnout showed that there is a real need for this! We remain adamant that essential health services such as vaccinations should not be a question of money. The same applies to sexual health testing: together with Austrian AIDS charities, we have therefore brought back free STI testing for students!
Our campaign for the winter semester: Reduce the burden on working students!
Two-thirds of all students work alongside their studies—and still struggle to make ends meet. In our campaign “Job First, Studies Second?” during the winter semester, we drew attention to the fact that working students deserve more support. We also visited universities throughout Austria together with the AK to support students directly by providing advice on labor law.
ÖH election year 2025
Of course, 2025 was also marked by the ÖH election campaign! As part of the campaign, we visited universities throughout Austria and mobilized students to vote, because we need strong representation so that politicians and universities take our interests seriously.
International cooperation and networking
From 1 to 7 December 2025, the ÖH hosted the 90th Board Meeting of the European Students’ Union in Vienna. Around 150 delegates from 40 countries came together to discuss key issues affecting European students. The focus was on the Seminar Days on data collection, where Austria presented its best practices such as SOLA and EUROSTUDENT.
We'll keep fighting!
With our educational and advisory services and our advocacy work, we will continue to do everything in our power in the coming year to ensure that studying finally becomes possible for everyone, regardless of their financial situation.
