‘We do what we can anyway.’

What we do in this country has an impact on the lives of people in other parts of the world. This is the central idea behind the concept of global citizenship. Hans Karl Peterlini has held the UNESCO Chair in Global Citizenship Education since 2020 and is committed to bringing about change, both on the individual and the collective level, to achieve a ‘good life for all’. This chair has just been awarded to him and the University of Klagenfurt for another four years. In this interview, held prior to the public UNESCO Chair Meeting, hosted in the Stiftungssaal by the working group on the 10th of June 2025 from 9 a.m. to 12 noon, he talks about his experiences to date.

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Compulsory education: “The discussion is not really about the young people but rather about other interests.”

In Austria, there is not only a training guarantee for minors, but also a training obligation: all young people must complete an apprenticeship, a training programme or similar measures after completing compulsory schooling if they do not attend secondary school. In his recently published postdoctoral thesis, Alban Knecht investigates the following questions: How does labour market policy support young people entering the labour market? And where does it tend to hinder them? He has analysed political discourses and institutional changes in the promotion of employment and labour market policy for disadvantaged young people in Austria.

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UNESCO Chair “Global Citizenship Education – Culture of Diversity and Peace“ at the University of Klagenfurt: “The world is bigger than the familiar unit that is the nation state.”

The Mediterranean Sea is significantly warmer than it was just a few years ago, and at the same time heavy storms are also becoming more frequent in Austria. The example of climate change provides compelling evidence that national unilateral action and outdated recipes are no match for current global challenges. Hans Karl Peterlini has held the UNESCO Chair “Global Citizenship Education – Culture of Diversity and Peace” since 2020 and he emphasises: “We are increasingly dealing with existential issues that cannot be tackled by national governments alone.”

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Moving out at 18 and then dealing with life by yourself? New project examines the importance of family for care leavers

Care leavers – these are young people who grow up outside the family in child and youth welfare care and who embark on the path to adulthood from there – often experience the transition to independence at the age of 18 as very abrupt. While other young adults can usually count on the support of their family for many years to come, many care leavers often find themselves alone. A research project is investigating the role of the family and social networks in the transition to adulthood. Researchers are currently analysing initial data from the interviews.

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