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Austria second most popular country for German students as protests peak

By Thomas Hochwarter

Austria is the second most popular destination for Germans students, it has been announced.

The Statistisches Bundesamt, the Federal German Statistics Authority, said today (Thurs) 16.4 per cent of Germans studying abroad are at Austrian institutions.

Only the Netherlands is more popular with a 18.3-per-cent share of the 90,000 students studying abroad, the body said.

Its figures are from 2007 - one year before study fees were abolished in Austria.

Great Britain is third with 12.9 per cent, followed by Switzerland (10.9 per cent). Officials also said the interest in studying abroad was steadily increasing.

The news comes as Austrian students continue protest activities across the country.

Organisers claim up to 50,000 people joined a protest march on the Ringstra�e boulevard in Vienna city centre last night. Police said the figure was 10,000.

Students in Salzburg, Graz and other universities are currently also campaigning against over-crowding and under-financing of the institutions.

Students, who have occupied the Audimax � the biggest auditorium at Vienna University � since last Thursday claim higher education must be available for young people from all social groups and access to it must not depend on wealth.

Study fees were abolished in a midnight parliament session last autumn only days before early general elections took place. All parties represented in the parliament � expect the conservative People�s Party (�VP) � joined forces to bring the fees, which were introduced by a FP�-�VP government in 2001, to an end.

Now Austrian universities have been confronted with what some call a "stampede" of foreign students, especially from Germany as the country has strict course quota rules to prevent the number of students exceeding certain limits.

The Austrian Students Union (�H) always opposed the fees, arguing they would increase social gaps in society and were a barrier for the poor to higher education. But the �VP � who currently form a government with the Social Democrats (SP�) � dismiss this argument.

�VP whip Karlheinz Kopf said: "The study fees ensure quality standards as far as, for example, the universities� equipment is regarded. No one is barred from receiving the best possible education as those who cannot afford the fees get financial support."

SP� whip Josef Cap last night dismissed Kopf�s argument. Cap said in a discussion on �1 radio: "I support the students in what they do � making people aware of a bad situation. They draw attention and they have every right to do so.

"You could argue not all the actions they took were wise � like occupying an auditorium � but I agree with their view of what the problems at universities are.

"It is a fact that the universities got too little money from the former government, and we will now do everything we can to improve the situation and find a solution."

�H heads Thomas Wallerberger and Sigi Maurer explained the recent protests, saying: "The students have had enough," stressing they were unhappy about the "catastrophic circumstances students are confronted with when studying at Austrian universities."

They criticised the "constant threat of new restrictions" and called for a new structure of the Bachelor/Master studying system as well as for the abolition of study fees for people from non-EU countries.

Some Student Union members however oppose their views.

The students� representatives of the Montan University in Leoben, Styria, said the "scale of protest" has become "unacceptable and unbearable", while the Catholic Students Union warned of "utopian demands". The right-wing Freedom Party�s Students� Representatives called for a raid of the Audimax "to get the lazy students out who occupy it."

Students occupying the Audimax have said they have their own supply of food but are depending on donations from sympathisers.

They have criticised some media which they say have only shown them partying or claimed they were enjoying themselves all the time. Organisers said they were constantly holding debates to discuss the situation and further actions.

�VP Science Minister Johannes Hahn � who will leave his post to become Austria�s next EU Commissioner � meanwhile made clear he would "certainly not talk with some student groups in order not to legitimise the occupation which I think is illegal."

Organisers of the occupation of the Audimax � who are not representing the �H � have appealed to Hahn to meet them. But the minister � who also heads the Vienna �VP � said today he would not do so to "prevent showing any appreciation of what is going on with my presence."

But Hahn also said he will meet �H leaders later today for talks, stressing he saw little chance for an agreement since the points of view would "differ fundamentally".

Organisers of the occupation of the Vienna University�s Audimax claimed their topics as presented on the online platform "Uni brennt!" (The University�s on Fire) � http://unibrennt.at � had become one of the most popular websites on social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook.

Austrian Times

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