The Academy is not an Island
Information and discussion on legal requirements for Non-EU citizens and how to deal with it at the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna
With Kübra Atasoy (International Students Office – The Austrian National Union of Students), Ibrahim Basar (helping hands – Coordination Office for integrative and anti-racist projects), Daniela Böckle (ÖAD, Austrian agency for international mobility and cooperation in education, science and research), representatives of AG Migration and Anti-racism, Andreas Spiegl (Vice rector for education and research). Moderated by Petja Dimitrova (Working Committee on Equal Treatment)
Students who do not possess citizenship from an EU country are subjected to migration laws that hinder access to an education in Austria. Part of this impeding legislation is the obligation to hand in their visa application at their "country of origin". This means that the affected students of the Academy are required to return to their "home countries" after going through the application procedures at the university. This entire procedure could last up to an entire year. Those who have made it still have various obstacles that lay before them. For a residence permit one has to prove an enormous amount of money and is simultaneously required to pay tuition fees. Not to mention, access to scholarships and work is extremely limited.
These bureaucratic obstacles sum up to form a daily scenario of uncertainty, destabilization, threat and disadvantages; reasons enough to call these practices discriminatory. The legal and bureaucratic measures go hand in hand with the growing ubiquitous xenophobic and racist practices. In consequence, these practices systematically exclude students from the so-called "third states" by complicating access to the education system on various levels.
In order to overcome these discriminatory structures and to initiate a broad discussion on racism in the education system and society in general, the Working group Anti-Discrimination (a.o. the Working Committee on Equal Treatment and the Works Council), the International Relations Office, the Admission Office, the Student Union, the Working group Migration and Anti-racism and the rectorate invite you to an information and discussion meeting on April 6th in the meeting room (Sitzungssaal).