Health for people and planet

Pinkafeld, 19 September 2025: Successful premiere - three extraordinary events took place from 17 to 19 September 2025 under the motto "Health for people and planet", bringing together national and international experts, students and specialist audiences. The premiere of the Planetary Health Conference and the presentation of the "Planetary Health Charter 2030" were the highlights of this trend-setting event.

Day 1: Annual conference of the DACH Health Promotion Network

The conference kicked off on Wednesday, 17 September, with a focus on health promotion in (climate) change. Over 120 participants from Germany, Austria, Switzerland and South Tyrol discussed current challenges and possible solutions. The event provided a platform for dialogue between science, practice and politics and laid the foundation for the following days.

Day 2: Premiere of the Planetary Health Conference

On Thursday, 18 September, the Planetary Health Conference, an initiative of the Department of Health & Social Affairs at Burgenland University of Applied Sciences, celebrated its premiere. Over 200 guests came together to shed light on the interactions between human health and the health of the planet. Renowned experts such as Helga Kromp-Kolb (BOKU Vienna), Hans-Peter Hutter (MedUni Vienna) and Isabella Uhl-Hädicke (University of Salzburg) gave inspiring keynote speeches. Thematic break-out sessions enabled participants to engage intensively with specific topics.

Day 3: Awards and a joint commitment

A particular highlight was the ceremonial presentation of the Planetary Health Charter 2030. This charter, which was developed in a one-year participatory process, provides a strategic framework for action to systematically integrate health-related climate competence into the education, training and continuing education of legally regulated healthcare professions. The signing by numerous universities of applied sciences, professional associations and organisations - including Gesundheit Österreich GmbH and the Alliance of Sustainable Universities - underlines the importance of this milestone. The charter was symbolically printed on seed paper and distributed to the participants in order to allow the topic to "blossom" sustainably.

Friday, 19 September, marked the end of the event. The Health Research Award, which recognises outstanding theses in the field of health management, was presented during a festive ceremony. The award winners were honoured for their innovative and forward-looking research work. Of the 12 award-winning graduates, six have completed a Master's degree programme at the Burgenland University of Applied Sciences. Read more about their topics below.

A strong signal for the future

The three-day event under the umbrella of the Planetary Health Conference, which was organised as a Green Meeting in accordance with the criteria of the Austrian Ecolabel, was a complete success. It impressively demonstrated the importance of combining health promotion and climate protection. With this initiative, Burgenland University of Applied Sciences has once again positioned itself as a pioneer for sustainable and future-relevant topics.

"Our aim was to raise awareness of the importance of climate competence in the healthcare sector and to highlight concrete measures for a sustainable healthcare system," emphasised Erwin Gollner, Head of the Department of Health & Social Affairs at Burgenland University of Applied Sciences.

The high number of participants and the broad support for the Planetary Health Charter 2030 are a strong signal that the healthcare professions are ready to face the climate-related challenges of the present and future.

With this premiere, the University of Applied Sciences Burgenland has not only opened a new chapter in health promotion, but also made an important contribution to the global discussion on the health of people and the planet.

Information award winners HRA 2025_graduates University of Applied Sciences Burgenland

Beate Schwaiger (1st place / Health Promotion category); degree programme: Master's degree programme in Health Promotion and Human Resource Management

The thesis analyses the influence of social networks on the mental load of working mothers. The results show that small, dense networks with ambivalent relationships increase mental load, while high-quality, supportive relationships have a relieving effect. The role of the partner is particularly decisive: active support significantly reduces mothers' stress. However, as the networks are predominantly female and too small, there is hardly any noticeable relief. Overall, the study makes it clear that flexible childcare solutions and greater involvement of fathers are necessary in order to reduce the mental load of mothers.

Anna-Maria Kölbl (1st place / Healthcare category); Master's degree programme in Health Management and Integrated Care

The award-winning Master's thesis impressively demonstrates how nurses as nurse entrepreneurs are actively shaping the future of Austrian healthcare with a spirit of innovation and entrepreneurship. It not only sheds light on new care models and opportunities for nursing, but also provides concrete impetus for politics, professional organisations and training. The work thus makes a pioneering contribution to the further development of a patient-centred, modern healthcare system.

Miriam Dufek (3rd place / Climate and Health category); Master's degree programme in Health Management and Integrated Care

The master's thesis analyses the ecological status quo of Austrian hospitals, which are currently responsible for around 7% of national CO₂ emissions. Eight guided interviews were conducted and international best practice examples were described using the example of Villach LKH. The main hurdles are a lack of financial and human resources, while a determined manager and a committed green team are crucial for the implementation of sustainable measures. As only 11 out of 264 hospitals in Austria have been certified as Green Hospitals so far, the work shows an urgent need for action and concrete ways to reduce the carbon footprint.

Elisabeth Berger(1st place / Climate and Health category); Master's degree programme: Health Promotion and Human Resource Management

Promoting active mobility is seen as a key measure to combat climate change and physical inactivity in rural areas. Structural adjustments, cooperation between municipalities and the expansion of public transport are important in order to reduce dependence on cars. In addition to infrastructure, awareness and knowledge of health benefits must be increased, particularly through training and cross-sectoral co-operation. Future strategies should take local circumstances into account and promote not only climate protection but also adaptation to climate change.

Christina Wiesenhofer (3rd place / Management in Healthcare category); Master's programme in Health Promotion and Human Resource Management

The master's thesis examines how leadership behaviour influences the Work Sense of Coherence (Work-SOC) of nursing staff. Through the scoping review, I was able to show that responsible leadership that enables autonomy, recognition and meaningfulness contributes significantly to strengthening the motivation, loyalty and health of carers. In particular, I focussed on the Systemic Salutogenic Interaction Model (SSIM), which offers valuable approaches for health-promoting leadership, but has so far been little established in nursing practice. With my work, I would like to provide new scientific findings on the current state of the literature and at the same time provide impulses for a sustainable, health-promoting leadership culture in the care setting.

Nina Wallner (2nd place / Climate and Health category); Master's degree programme in Health Promotion and Human Resource Management

The master's thesis is dedicated to the question of how companies can counter the health consequences of climate change and at the same time fulfil their responsibility in the area of sustainability. The focus is on climate-sensitive occupational health management that systematically combines health and sustainability in line with the planetary health approach. The work identifies specific challenges and potentials in order to show the need for action for a future combined consideration of both topics. It illustrates how synergies between the two topics can both strengthen the health of employees and contribute to climate protection.

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Enquiry notes:

Mag.a Christiane Staab │ Marketing and Communication │ University of Applied Sciences Burgenland GmbH │ Tel: +43 (0)5 7705 3537 │ E-Mail: christiane.staab(at)hochschule-burgenland.at