International Ranking: USTP Makes Top 100 Twice

In this year’s World University Ranking for Innovation (WURI), USTP – University of Applied Sciences St. Pölten is represented twice among the 100 best university initiatives.

Both our outstanding student service and engagement model (ranked 73^rd in the category “Student Support and Engagement”) and the  Center for Digital Health and Social Innovation (ranked 80^th in the category “Interdisciplinary, Convergent, and Integrated Research”) were honoured.

The two recognitions increase USTP’s international visibility with regard to the institution’s innovative power in student guidance and application-oriented research.

73rd Place for Holistic Student Guidance

One of the recognitions was for USTP’s student service and engagement model. In this approach, students are accompanied throughout their entire educational journey – from guidance regarding which programme to choose, through the entire duration of the programme, to their career start and beyond.

The model combines counselling, support, and development offers in a consistent system and considers students to be active co-designers of their individual training and development paths. This includes, for example, study orientation offers, writing and learning coaching, peer support programmes, measures to promote students’ health and wellbeing, diversity and inclusion initiatives, and career and alumni offers.

The goal is to offer students the best possible support in their personal, social, and professional development and to prepare them for the challenges of a changing working world and lifeworld.

80th Place for Interdisciplinary Research in Healthcare

The Center for Digital Health and Social Innovation (CDHSI) was honoured for its interdisciplinary research approach. The Center combines health sciences, social sciences, and digital technologies to develop solutions to current challenges in the healthcare and social sectors.

Among the Center’s fields of research are digital applications for rehabilitation and care, artificial intelligence in the health sector, Extended Reality in the training for the health professions, and the use of health data to improve care. Specialised infrastructure such as the Digital Health Lab and the Usability Lab support the Center’s research.

Thanks to the close collaboration with partners from science, healthcare, business, and society, the CDHSI helps to disseminate research results in practice, thus creating added value for society.

International Recognition for Innovation and Impact

The WURI ranking assesses higher education institutions worldwide in terms of their contribution to innovation, societal impact, and the solution of real challenges. The focus is on innovative projects and initiatives that go beyond traditional performance indicators.

The two top-100 rankings demonstrate the wide range of USTP’s strengths: The consistent orientation towards students' needs and development potentials as well as the university’s interdisciplinary research on societally relevant future topics.