New Leadership for the Public & Nonprofit Management Program
How can organizations be managed when their success cannot be measured solely by numbers? How can public and nonprofit organizations navigate the diverse social, political, and technological changes while keeping their core missions and goals in sight?
The Master’s Degree program in Public & Nonprofit Management addresses these questions. Starting October 1, the program will have a new director: FH-Prof. Dr. Anna Hauser-Oppelmayer, Bakk. MSc, will take over from FH-Prof.MMag.a Dr. Kathrin Stainer-Hämmerle, who will assume the position of Rector at CU Carinthia University at that time.
From Nonprofit Research to Program Leadership
Anna Hauser-Oppelmayer is a professor at CU Carinthia University and has been addressing issues in nonprofit management for many years. Her professional focus is on the management and development of organizations that do not primarily seek economic profit but rather pursue public and social causes and contribute to the common good.
At CU, she combines research and teaching. Her areas of interest include nonprofit governance, stakeholder management and impact measurement at the intersection of academia and practice. In her research, she has, for example, examined the accountability of nonprofit organizations, the competency requirements for nonprofit managers and volunteer engagement among children and adolescents.
A central question repeatedly arises in this context: How can public and nonprofit organizations fulfill their mission professionally, effectively and efficiently?
A Degree Program for Organizations with Social Responsibility
The Master’s Degree program in Public & Nonprofit Management is designed precisely at this intersection. The program combines management with politics, law, digitalization and social transformation. Students explore topics such as democracy and politics, organization and digitalization, financing and planning, as well as sustainability and transformation.
As such, the program is designed for individuals who wish to take on leadership roles in organizations that fulfill public responsibilities and create social value - ranging from municipalities and state administrations to public enterprises, associations and nonprofit organizations. A distinctive feature of this Master’s program is that it is open to graduates of Bachelor’s programs in the social sciences, economics and law. This brings together diverse academic perspectives, professional experiences and approaches, further enriching learning and intellectual exchange throughout the program.
Anna Hauser-Oppelmayer, a scholar whose own work is closely tied to these issues, is taking over as program director. Her perspective, drawn from both research and teaching, thus brings together precisely the topics that define the program: the design and management of public and nonprofit organizations, as well as their contribution to addressing societal challenges. On October 1, Kathrin Stainer-Hämmerle will begin her new role as rector of the CU. At the same time, a new chapter in Public & Nonprofit Management begins for Anna Hauser-Oppelmayer.
We wish both of them a great start in their new roles - and look forward to seeing how the program continues to develop under new leadership.