Austria on Friday launched a new initiative to attract Indian students to its leading technical universities, with Ambassador Katharina Wieser describing academic cooperation as a cornerstone of the relationship between the two countries. The TU Austria — Focus India programme, unveiled at the Austrian envoy’s residence here, is the first such dedicated outreach under the Migration and Mobility Partnership Agreement (MMPA) signed between India and Austria in 2023.
The pact provides a framework for student mobility, research collaboration and exchange of skilled professionals. Officials said the initiative is aimed at creating new pathways for Indian graduates in engineering, technology and applied sciences, besides strengthening collaboration in innovation and sustainable development. “Austria has a long tradition of treating higher education as a public good. By welcoming talented Indian students to Austria’s public technical universities, we are not only fostering academic excellence and innovation but also building stronger people-to-people ties that will define our partnership in the years ahead,” Wieser said.
The programme brings together three of Austria’s leading universities of technology - TU Wien, TU Graz and Montanuniversitat Leoben - which have formed a common to platform under the brand name TU Austria. Collectively, they represent more than 46,000 students, 9,000 staff and hundreds of research groups across multiple disciplines.
Under the initiative, Indian students will be able to pursue two-year Master’s programmes with a strong focus on engineering, IT, circular economy, climate-friendly technologies and sustainable innovation. A one-year post-study visa extension has also been built into the scheme to allow graduates to explore professional opportunities. Austria emphasised that tuition fees at its public universities remain relatively moderate compared to many other European destinations.
Additionally, many Master’s programmes are offered in English, a factor that officials said makes the country more accessible to international students. The overall cost of living, they added, is generally lower than in several Western European capitals. Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Education Armstrong Pame welcomed the launch of the programme and said it should not be restricted to only a small pool of students.
“India produces around 1.7 million engineering graduates every year. While IITs and NITs are well known, there are thousands of bright graduates from state universities and other institutions who deserve access to such international opportunities. I hope Austrian institutions will engage with this wider pool of talent,” Pame said.
Officials pointed out that the programme will combine academic training with industry exposure. Students will have access to internships, career fairs and placement support. Austria’s strong industrial base in areas such as automotive engineering, metallurgy, renewable energy and digital technologies is expected to provide fertile ground for such collaboration. Peter Moser, Rector of TU Leoben, said Indian students bring a strong academic foundation and diverse perspectives.
“We see this as both an honour and a responsibility - to welcome bright Indian minds, nurture their potential, and guide them toward a promising future where they can meaningfully contribute to Austria’s workforce and society,” he said.Austria currently hosts more than 3,000 Indian students. Officials said the Focus India initiative is expected to boost this number significantly in the coming years.
Vienna has seen a steady rise in the number of Indian students over the past decade, driven partly by the appeal of Europe as a study destination, and partly by Austria’s positioning as a country offering high-quality education with relatively low barriers to entry.The embassy underlined that VFS Education Services will support the initiative as the implementing partner, handling application and admission facilitation for eligible candidates.
Wieser also underlined that Austria views academic ties as part of a larger relationship. “This is not just about mobility of students, but also about mobility of ideas, of researchers and of innovation ecosystems. That is why education is central to the India-Austria partnership,” she said. Officials added that in recent years, Austria has sought to position itself as a hub for technology, clean energy solutions and industrial innovation. By drawing Indian students and researchers into its universities, the country hopes to expand cooperation in these areas.
