Imperial-Royal Polytechnic Institute (now the TU Wien) in 1823The main building of the Vienna at the Karlsplatz in 1825Main building of the TU Wien in 2012
TU Wien (German:Technische Universität Wien) is a public research university inVienna,Austria.[2]
The university's teaching and research are focused onengineering,computer science, andnatural sciences. It currently has about 28,100 students (29% women), eight faculties, and about 5,000 staff members (3,800 academics).
The institution was founded in 1815 byEmperor Francis I of Austria as thek.k. Polytechnisches Institut (English:Imperial-Royal Polytechnic Institute). The first rector wasJohann Joseph von Prechtl. It was renamed theTechnische Hochschule (English:Technical College) in 1872. In 1975, it was renamedTechnische Universität Wien (English:TU Wien).[3]
As auniversity of technology, TU Wien covers a wide spectrum of scientific concepts from abstract pure research and the fundamental principles of science to applied technological research and partnership with industry.
TU Wien is ranked #190 by theQS World University Ranking, #406 by the Center of World University Rankings,[4] and it is positioned among the best 251-300 higher education institutions globally by theTimes Higher Education World University Rankings. The computer science department has been consistently ranked among the top 100 in the world by the QS World University Ranking[5] and The Times Higher Education World University Rankings[6] respectively.
TU Wien has eight faculties led by deans: Architecture and Planning, Chemistry, Civil Engineering, Computer Sciences, Electrical Engineering and Information Technology, Mathematics and Geoinformation, Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, and Physics.
The university is led by the Rector and four Vice Rectors (responsible for Research, Academic Affairs, Finance as well as Human Resources and Gender). The Senate has 26 members. The University Council, consisting of seven members, acts as a supervisory board.
Development work in almost all areas of technology is encouraged by the interaction between basic research and the different fields of engineering sciences at TU Wien. Also, the framework of cooperative projects with other universities, research institutes and business sector partners is established by the research section of TU Wien. TU Wien has sharpened its research profile by defining competence fields and setting up interdisciplinary collaboration centres, and clearer outlines will be developed.
Research focus points of TU Wien are introduced as computational science and engineering, quantum physics and quantum technologies, materials and matter, information and communication technology and energy and environment.
The EU Research Support (EURS) provides services at TU Wien and informs both researchers and administrative staff in preparing and carrying out EU research projects.
Elfriede Tungl (1922-1981), civil engineer, first Austrian woman to earn a doctorate in civil engineering, in 1973 became the first female associate professor at TU Wien.
Ernst Hiesmayr (1920-2006), architect, artist and former rector of TU Wien
Ferdinand Piëch (1937-2019), Austrianbusiness magnate, engineer and executive who was the chairman of the supervisory board of Volkswagen Group
Ferenc Krausz (born 1962), Hungarian–Austrian physicist, Nobel Prize in Physics 2023
Franz Pitzinger (1858–1933), Constructor General of the Austrian Navy
TU Wien Bibliothek, the university library, was founded in 1815. The main library building was designed by the architectsJustus Dahinden,Reinhard Gieselmann [de],Alexander Marchart [de],Roland Moebius [de], and partners. Completed in 1987, it features owl sculptures by the Swiss artistBruno Weber. The main library has six floors of open access areas and reading rooms, with around 700 study desks.
