News

Achieving climate goals: Researchers highlight need for fair country shares in CO2

As the war in the Middle East is currently reminding us once again, many countries around the world are heavily reliant on oil and gas. Lax climate policy and limited options for removing CO₂ from the atmosphere could cement this dependence for future generations. Scientists at the University of Graz highlight this danger in a new study published in the journal Global Environmental Change. They find that rights to carbon dioxide removal should be distributed across countries just as fairly as emission budgets in order to halt global warming.

Sustainable reforestation: Researchers identify key factors for successful restoration

Natural forests are not only valuable for CO₂ storage, but also reservoirs of biodiversity. For this reason, areas that are no longer used for agriculture are being reforested as part of renaturation projects. To ensure successful forest restoration, there are a number of factors to consider. For example, the combination of early- and late-successional tree species plays a role. At the outset, the correct spacing between seedlings is crucial for the survival of young forest plants. Sarah Bürli, head of the Botanical Garden at the University of Graz, has analysed the results of experiments on forest renaturation together with colleagues in Aotearoa/New Zealand. Her findings on beneficial planting strategies were recently published in the science magazine Ecological Solutions and Evidence.

The dark side of life: new method developed to identify soil organisms

A large number of soil animals are smaller than one millimetre and are therefore difficult to study scientifically. Biologists from the University of Graz have now developed a method to determine both the shape and the DNA of the organisms. The results have been published in the journal Geoderma.

On the trail of the Big Bang: University of Graz receives 1.5 million euros for doctoral programmes

The Austrian Science Fund FWF has selected the Doctoral Programme in Theoretical Particle Physics at the University of Graz for funding from the Doc.funds. Six young scientists will be funded for 3.5 years. They will gain fundamentally new insights into the origins of the world.

Teamwork: 100 pupils take part in maths competition at the University of Graz

Four clever guts per group, increasingly tricky tasks, 120 minutes: these were the requirements for the international maths competition Náboj junior, which took place in Graz for the first time this year. The team from BG/BRG/BORG Hartberg was able to answer the most questions within the given limit - 29 - and thus won the competition.

Graduated 50 years ago: Golden Doctorate for alumni of the University of Graz

56 graduates of the University of Graz who earned their doctorates 50 years ago renewed their doctoral oath during a ceremony in the auditorium on 18 November 2025. Rector Peter Riedler and Vice-Rector Catherine Walter-Laager awarded the jubilarians their "golden doctoral diplomas".

Bio-plastics and baroque theatre: Awards for two researchers from the University of Graz

Chemist Katalin Barta Weissert received this year's "Forschungspreis des Landes Steiermark", while Germanist Christian Neuhuber received the "Erzherzog-Johann-Forschungspreis". The awards are endowed with 12,000 euros each and are presented for outstanding achievements in the field of science and research. Provincial Councillor Willibald Ehrenhöfer presented the awards on 7 November 2025 in the White Hall of Graz Castle.

EU supports team led by molecular biologist Brigitte Pertschy with around ten million euro

The European Research Council (ERC) is funding the snoOPERA project with around ten million euros to research the structure of cellular protein factories. The four researchers involved want to clarify how tiny RNA-protein complexes control the formation of ribosomes—a key to understanding diseases such as cancer and Alzheimer's.

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Green Academia Award for Earth Sciences, Business Administration and History

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Reich an Vielfalt: Botanischer Garten gewinnt Wettbewerb zu wildlebenden Arten

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PFAS in honey bees: Insects enable monitoring of pollutants in the environment

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Milestone for medical research

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When will we run out of water? Geologists analyse springs in the Alps

More water in winter, a drastic drop in summer: Austria's springs are still abundant enough throughout the year. In the long term, however, climate…