Even back in the Roman Empire, those in power were looking for ways to cope with the challenges of massive immigration. For the first time, a research project is now exploring the measures taken from a legal perspective. The results are expected to shed light on issues ranging from citizenship rights to successful or failed […] Continue reading “More equality, less isolation”
Exacting demands and unfinished tasks at work lead to work-related thoughts cropping up during free time. Those who want to prevent burnout have to learn to draw boundaries. As recent investigations in an Austrian-Slovenian research project show, the problem particularly affects people given to negative thought patterns. Continue reading “The work-related impact of negative thinking”
A group of researchers from Graz is exploring the socio-economic effects of new technologies wreaking another wave of “creative destruction” on established economic structures and processes. The researchers examine the options open to policy makers in the face of major impending upheavals. For Austria they see both entrepreneurial potential in niches and the danger of […] Continue reading “The next industrial revolution is here. What does this mean for Austria?”
Despite all warnings, people continue to ruthlessly exploit land resources around the world, planting monocultures and setting up large-scale infrastructure. Social ecologist Anke Schaffartzik analyses the political and economic interests that precede these developments and their impact on society. The snapshots of global material and energy flows, but also the power gradient of which they […] Continue reading “Saving the world with Christmas cookies?”
One year ago, the new coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 was discovered in China and within a few months it caused a pandemic. Initially, the Austrian population supported the immediate containment measures, and many also hoped that the crisis might lead to a change in direction towards a better society and a more sustainable economy. The dividing lines […] Continue reading “The social fever curve of coronavirus”
Large companies that sell their products and services worldwide, but do not pay income taxes on revenues generated in countries other than their own, are the reason why many are calling for new tax regulations. For legal expert Daniel Blum, the unproductive back and forth of arguments is rooted in different schools of thought that […] Continue reading “No common denominator in international taxation discourse”
When it comes into force at the beginning of 2021, the Open Access initiative “Plan S” is poised to help opening up and improving academic publishing. Ulrich Pöschl, a chemist and Open Access advocate of the first hour, explains why free access to research results is important and how an up-to-date academic publishing system can […] Continue reading ““It’s hard to explain why this is taking so long””
From the beginning to the end of his reign, Emperor Francis Joseph I had the final say on decisions, as documented by roughly a quarter of a million written submissions. A bi-national team of researchers has now developed a new methodology for a first-time assessment of this comprehensive body of material. In the process, surprising […] Continue reading “The Emperor’s desk: the decisions of Emperor Francis Joseph I”
For the first time, a digital map provides a collection of information from all over the world on the subject of torture and physical abuse. According to the grim findings, torture exists in almost every country in the world. On the other hand, there are also research projects and initiatives seeking to prevent excessive violence. […] Continue reading “Addressing a painful subject”