BOKU is the"University of Life". Its activities focus on researching andfacilitating the sustainable use of natural resources. BOKU is addressing thecentral challenges faced by society with its expertise in the natural sciencesand engineering, as well as in the social and economic sciences. It isparticularly involved in the following areas: * Protection anddevelopment of habitats and quality of life * Management of natural resources and the environment * Safeguarding nutrition and health BOKU provides competentanswers for those in academia and politics and partners in the social andeconomic spheres in relation to such pressing issues as climate change,sustainable energy security, food security, use of genetic technology and itseffects, development of sustainable agriculture and forestry and the provisionand promotion of quality of life in urban and rural areas, including in thepresence of migration. Precisely because ofthe social and political relevance of the issues dealt with, the independenceof the academic research and the associated freedom in terms of choice ofresearch topics and methodologies and publication of results are essential. Identity, tradition andcontinuity must be maintained and shaped, whilst also making use of theinnovative potential of the members of the university and accelerating itsimplementation. One of the central tasks of the BOKU is to train, on the basisof its own research, a new generation of academics that can contribute in aqualified and critical way to both the technical/scientific andsocioscientific/economic discourse and help to shape future developments. BOKU is committed topromoting gender equality and the integration of people with special needsbeyond the minimum statutory requirements by creating an appropriate workingenvironment. In general, BOKU is committed to measures that sustainably promoteand improve the well-being, satisfaction and health of the staff and students. Inits research, teaching and service provision, BOKU seeks to perform above theaverage. The quality of work is thus of great importance in all areas. Thequality assurance process is now based on international standards. The understandingof the importance of quality management is demonstrated by its integration intothe institution. In addition to itsresearch, teaching and service-provision activities, BOKU sees its social rolein the active promotion and development of the values of democracy and the ruleof law. This involves placing particular emphasis on openness to the new,permitting diversity of opinion and actively promoting, both within theuniversity and in the outside world, interaction with other cultures in anon-prejudiced way. BOKU also involves itself in a responsible way in thepublic debate about social problems and their sustainable solutions. In orderto fulfil its tasks, BOKU cooperates with key academic, economic, political andsocial actors both within and outside Austria. With this mission, BOKU lives upto the new role of universities required on the European level in a “Europe ofknowledge”. This covers the full spectrum from knowledge acquisition, knowledgetransfer and dissemination to knowledge application. BOKU seeks to develop and secure Vienna’s andAustria’s positions by increasing its own access and possibilities withinresearch and teaching cooperation. The unique position ofthe University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna is a result of itshistorical development: founded as a college of agriculture and forestry, BOKUis today still Austria's only university to deal in depth in its research andteaching with the sustainability and future use of natural resources and ourenvironment. Furthermore, it stands out for its structure, which is problemsolving - rather than subject-orientated. BOKU is thus the only institution inAustria which is in a position to deal comprehensively with entirevalue-creation chains (from production via consumption to disposal). Fundamental research ata high international level on the one hand and applied work focussing onregional issues on the other secures BOKU's role as the academic backbone ofAustrian primary production, in the widest sense of the term. Industrialisedand developing countries are both very interested in precisely thiscombination, which is demonstrated by the large number of cooperative projects withlocal and international companies, and projects in the field of developmentassistance. Practical problem-solvingexpertise and excellent connections across Austria are the unique features ofBOKU, and result from its areas of concentration and the uniqueness of thecourses it offers. BOKU is one of the two universities in Austria to drawstudents from very far. This is because of the large number of students fromacross Austria and from abroad – both from developing countries and fromCentral Europe. The close cooperation with its alumni ensures a strongpractical component for BOKU subjects and courses.