New Rectorate Elected at CU – Carinthia University of Applied Sciences | Carinthia University of Applied Sciences

The University Council of CU – Carinthia University of Applied Sciences | Carinthia University of Applied Sciences appointed the academic leadership at its meeting on June 17, 2026. The title of Rector is conferred by resolution of the governing body. In the election, FH-Prof. MMag.a Dr. Kathrin Stainer-Hämmerle was elected as Academic Director and FH-Prof. Dr. Ulla Birnbacher, MSc, as Deputy Academic Director. The new rectorate will take office on October 1, 2026, for a four-year term.

Pursuant to Section 10(3) of the University of Applied Sciences Act, the University of Applied Sciences Council is responsible for central academic tasks. These include, in particular, the coordination of teaching content, quality assurance, and contributing to the further development of teaching, research, and continuing education.

The election takes place during a pivotal phase in the university’s development: Following its 30th anniversary and its evolution into CU – Carinthia University of Applied Sciences | Hochschule Kärnten, the focus is shifting further toward regional responsibility, international perspectives, and applied research.

“I am very pleased by the trust placed in me by the University of Applied Sciences Board and view this election as a mandate to continue shaping the academic development of our university together. CU – Carinthia University of Applied Sciences | Hochschule Kärnten stands for a close integration of practice-oriented teaching, applied research, and social responsibility. We intend to further build on these strengths in the coming years and position the university as a reliable partner for students, staff, the business community, and society,” says FH-Prof. MMag.a Dr. Kathrin Stainer-Hämmerle, the newly elected academic director.

The Board of Directors of the Carinthia University of Applied Sciences Private Foundation extends its warmest congratulations on the election.

Managing Director FH-Prof. Dr. Martin Waiguny emphasizes the significance of the election for the upcoming term: “I congratulate the newly elected Rectorate and wish them every success for the coming term. The coming years will be marked by important developmental steps. This makes it all the more important that academic responsibility, strategic leadership, and the perspectives of our university community work well together. I look forward to continuing on this path together.”

In addition to the Rector and the Vice Rector, the University of Applied Sciences Council consists of six program directors, six representatives of the teaching and research staff, and four student representatives. These representatives are elected by their respective groups.

Curriculum Vitae: FH-Prof. MMag.a Dr. Kathrin Stainer-Hämmerle
FH-Prof. MMag.a Dr. Kathrin Stainer-Hämmerle is a professor of political science at Carinthia University of Applied Sciences, Program Director in the field of Public Management, and Research Group Leader of TRANS_SPACE. Her areas of expertise include electoral and constitutional law, research on participation and democracy, political education, party politics, and the relationship between politics and the media.

Kathrin Stainer-Hämmerle studied political science and law at the University of Innsbruck and earned her Ph.D. in law. After teaching and conducting research at several Austrian universities, she was appointed professor of political science at CU – Carinthia University of Applied Sciences | Carinthia University of Applied Sciences in 2009. Since 2019, she has headed the Public Management BA program as well as the Public and Nonprofit Management MA program.

As a political scientist and legal scholar, she combines academic expertise with a deep understanding of democratic processes, public administration, and social transformation. In addition to her teaching and research activities, she is regularly sought after as an expert on current domestic political developments and contributes her perspective to public discourse.

Curriculum Vitae: FH-Prof. Dr. Ulla Birnbacher, MSc
FH-Prof. Dr. Ulla Birnbacher, MSc, has been a professor of signal processing and communications engineering at CU – Carinthia University of Applied Sciences | Carinthia University of Applied Sciences since 2007. She currently heads the bachelor’s program in Green Transition Engineering and serves as associate dean of the Faculty of Engineering & IT. Her teaching focuses on signal processing, telecommunications, and the supervision of student projects and academic theses.

She began her professional career as a research associate and university assistant at the Institute for Communication Networks and Satellite Communications at Graz University of Technology (TU Graz), where she worked on research projects related to satellite communications and broadband networks from 1998 to 2007. At the same time, she served as a lecturer at CU – Carinthia University of Applied Sciences | Hochschule Kärnten starting in 2005.

Ulla Birnbacher studied telematics at Graz University of Technology (TU Graz), earned a Master of Science in Space Sciences from the University of Graz and Graz University of Technology (TU Graz), and completed her doctorate in the field of multiple access methods for broadband wireless networks. Since 2019, she has focused in particular on innovative teaching concepts, online and hybrid teaching, the flipped classroom, sustainability in teaching, and the scholarship of teaching and learning. In addition, she is active on various committees at CU – Carinthia University of Applied Sciences | Hochschule Kärnten, including the Diversity and Equity Board and as the audit representative for the “familieundhochschule” certification.

For inquiries, please contact:
CU – Carinthia University of Applied Sciences | Hochschule Kärnten
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