ÖFSE - Austrian Foundation for Development Research

Austria's leading research and information centre on development cooperation and development policy. The foundation has been at the service of the interested public ever since its establishment in 1967. 

 

Research & Consulting

ÖFSE's research activities focus on publishing studies, analyses and policy papers, as well as on offering policy and strategic consulting for public and private stakeholders in the fields of both Austrian and international development policy and development cooperation.

 

Events

In its events, the ÖFSE puts current topics of development policy and development cooperation up for discussion.

Actors in public and private development cooperation as well as development researchers, students, pupils as part of the VWA project and media representatives are addressed in various formats.

Educational Projects

Together with our partners throughout Austria and the EU, ÖFSE implements projects in the field of global citizenship and transformative education. The target group of our projects includes first and foremost teachers, students and young people, and involves furthermore a diverse group of actors and multipliers in the field of educational work.

 

Library

Since September 2009, ÖFSE is operating the C3-Library for International Development in cooperation with Baobab and Frauen*solidarität. The C3-Library for International Development is open to the public.

 

 

Eventlocation

In the C3 - Center for International Development in 1090 Vienna, two centrally located, bright, modern event rooms are available - the "Alois Wagner Saal" and the "Audre Lorde Studio". The rooms can be booked through the ÖFSE.

 

Policy Note 44
Margarita Langthaler / Esther Tiefengraber
Critical reflections on the EU education and skills policies in Africa with a focus on the Global Gateway.
The Global Gateway epitomises the current shifts in EU development policy from a focus on poverty reduction to infrastructure investments to boost economic development. These shifts have also affected the EU’s education sector support strategies introducing a focus on employability and aiming at an enabling role of education for economic investments. Policy Note 44 critically discusses some of these trends at the sub-levels of basic, vocational and higher education, as well as the potential risks attached to them, particularly in Africa.
News
Mit „Brücken in die Welt“ beleuchtet die ÖFSE die Entstehung und Entwicklung der österreichischen Entwicklungspolitik, von ihren Anfängen in den 1960er- und 1970er-Jahren bis in die Gegenwart.

Host Michael Obrovsky macht dabei in Gesprächen mit zentralen Wegbegleiter*innen und Zeitzeug*innen politische Entscheidungen, internationale Einflüsse und persönliche Erfahrungen hörbar.
C3-Bibliothek
Die C3-Bibliothek bleibt in der ersten Woche der Semesterferien, vom 31. Jänner 2026 – 8. Februar 2026, geschlossen. Im restlichen Februar gelten die gewöhnlichen Öffnungszeiten. Mit einer gültigen Jahreskarte können Sie während der Schließzeit sogar mehr Medien ausleihen.
Während der Schließzeit können Sie natürlich weiterhin auf unsere digitalen Medien und E-Books, E-Ressourcen und E-Journals zugreifen. Diese recherchieren Sie wie gewohnt in C3Search+ .
Policy Note 43
Karin Küblböck / Simela Papatheophilou / Bernhard Tröster
In response to growing critical raw material demand and increasing instability in global supply chains, the European Union has established Strategic Partnerships with resource-rich third countries.
This policy note assesses the potential and limits of Strategic Partnerships, highlighting the need for policy alignment to protect partner countries’ policy space, support local value addition, provide dedicated financing, and promote demand reduction to ensure resilient and sustainable CRM supply chains.
Ausschreibung
Zur Verstärkung unseres Teams im Bereich Wissenschaft & Forschung suchen wir ab 1. März 2026 eine*n Referent*in für Wissenschaftskommunikation (30 Stunden/Woche). Die Aufgaben sind u.a. wissenschaftsbezogene Presse- und Öffentlichkeitsarbeit, Video- und Podcastproduktion, aktiver Ausbau und Pflege von Kontakten zu Journalist*innen und zu Akteur*innen der Österreichischen Entwicklungspolitik, technische Betreuung von Veranstaltungen - mehr Details in der Stellenausschreibung.
Bewerbungsfrist ist der 15. Februar 2026.
C3-Radio
In der ersten C3-Radio-Ausgabe 2026 ziehen wir Bilanz über ein Jahr voller Brüche und Unsicherheiten. 2025 stand im Zeichen massiver Umbrüche in der internationalen Entwicklungszusammenarbeit, zunehmender geopolitischer Spannungen und eines spürbaren Backlashs in der Klimapolitik. Gleichzeitig zeigte sich aber auch, dass es viel Engagement, Wissen und Gestaltungskraft gibt, die uns Hoffnung machen können.
Publikationen
Werner Raza / Bernhard Tröster
European Union trade policy finds itself at a crossroads. After three decades of neoliberal dominance in the design of economic policy at large, and trade policy in particular, recent changes in the international system have led to a dramatic rupture of the liberal international order. The authors of this policy brief – Werner Raza and Bernhard Tröster – argue that nostalgia for the good old days of hyper-globalisation and the liberal international order is neither warranted nor helpful.
Reserach Report 25
Karin Küblböck, Simela Papatheophilou, Bernhard Tröster, Leo Ulrici
A critical analysis of the EU’s Strategic Partnerships on Raw Materials, with a focus on Kazakhstan, Chile, and Rwanda.
As part of its efforts to secure access to critical raw materials (CRMs), the EU has concluded Strategic Partnerships on Raw Materials with 14 non-EU countries. This paper critically examines these partnerships and analyzes the nature, objectives, and implementation of the 14 Strategic Partnerships currently in place, focusing particularly on the cases of Kazakhstan, Chile, and Rwanda.