Adult Education Conference becomes an independent organisation: New legal basis strengthens adult education in Austria

‘The aim of KEBÖ is and remains the representation of interests and professionalisation of adult education in Austria. Our mission and our goals are not new. From now on, we will do this with a clear legal basis and bindingly defined tasks and objectives’
Bernd Wachter, current Chairman of KEBÖ

Vienna (OTS) - The Austrian Adult Education Conference (KEBÖ) was constituted as an independent association a few days ago. The official founding of the association took place - as did the original founding in 1972 - at today's Federal Institute for Adult Education (bifeb) in Strobl.
After more than 50 years as a loose cooperation, KEBÖ now has a binding structure - for more visibility, professionalisation and effectiveness in education policy.
‘The aim of KEBÖ is and remains the representation of interests and professionalisation of adult education in Austria. Our mission and our goals are not new. From now on, we will do this with a clear legal basis and bindingly defined tasks and objectives,’ said Bernd Wachter, the current chairman of the conference, in a statement.

Adult education enables social participation
The KEBÖ associations make significant contributions to the personal and professional development of people in our country, they secure the business location and employability with their educational programmes and thus promote integration and social cohesion. For Bernd Wachter, Chairman of KEBÖ, political and social participation, the reduction of educational deficits and, in particular, the assumption of responsibility in society and politics is also an essential function of non-profit adult education and thus of the associations united in KEBÖ.
Wachter comments: ‘The strengths of the KEBÖ associations lie in continuous educational work with nationwide, cost-effective educational programmes that are accessible to everyone. Our work is not dominated by the logic of the market. Rather, our aim is to meet people and their interests at all stages of life and in all situations and to support them in their personal and professional development,’ says Wachter.

KEBÖ annual conference 2025: ‘Learning peace’
KEBÖ is constantly addressing current education policy and social issues, including through conferences and specialist events.
This year's KEBÖ Annual Conference will take place on 25 September 2025 at the Europahaus Wien (1140 Vienna, Linzerstrasse 429) under the motto ‘Learning Peace’. The challenges and opportunities of adult education in an increasingly polarised society will be examined in lectures and workshops.
The keynote speaker is the renowned sociologist and author Harald Welzer. In the subsequent panel discussion, former Ombudswoman Terezija Stoisits, the President of Caritas Austria, Nora Tötdling-Musenbichler, and the Director of the Catholic Social Academy, Markus Schlagnitweit, will discuss peace and the contributions of adult education with Harald Welzer.
Registration at: www.forumkeb.at/keboe-jahrestagung-2025

Axel Corti Prize goes to Maria Hofstätter
On 16 June 2025, the Adult Education Television Award will be presented at the ORF RadioKulturhaus in Vienna. 20 TV programmes have been nominated for the award's 5 categories. The coveted Axel Corti Prize will also be awarded as part of the 57th Adult Education Television Prize. This year it goes to the actress Maria Hofstätter. John Evers, jury spokesman and managing director of the Association of Austrian Adult Education Centres (VÖV), commented: ‘It is a special pleasure for me to be able to honour an actress who is both committed to society and has repeatedly been active in adult education.’
Further information can be found at www.medienpreise.at.
Registrations for the event, which is open to the public, are possible until 6 June by e-mail to: medienpreise@vhs.or.at. The VÖV, represented by John Evers, will take over the chairmanship of the Adult Education Conference in September 2025.

Austrian Adult Education Conference
The Conference of Adult Education is the working platform of the ten major non-profit adult education associations in Austria, which has been in existence since 1972. The associations that make up the conference (including WIFI, BFI, adult education centres, etc.) are autonomous, not profit-oriented and provide continuous and planned educational work with their member institutions. In 2023 alone, 168,755 events were organised by KEBÖ. This included 2,395,885 participants.
In order to recognise the importance of KEBÖ and to strengthen cooperation between the federal government and the recognised adult education institutions, the recognised and pan-Austrian institutions were given a special status in the Federal Act on the Promotion of Adult Education.
The chairmanship of KEBÖ rotates between the five largest participating organisations (BFI, Forum, Ring, VÖV, WIFI). The Forum of Catholic Adult Education is currently the presiding association until September 2025. The chairmanship will then be handed over to the Association of Austrian Adult Education Centres.

‘The strengths of the KEBÖ associations lie in their continuous educational work with nationwide, cost-effective educational programmes that are accessible to everyone. Our work is not dominated by the logic of the market. Rather, our aim is to meet people and their interests at all stages of life and in all situations and to support them in their personal and professional development.’
Bernd Wachter, current Chairman of KEBÖ

Enquiries & Contact
Conference of Adult Education in Austria (KEBÖ)
Chairmanship 2023-2025
Forum of Catholic Adult Education, Federal Office
Erdbergstraße 72/8, 1030 Vienna
MMag. Bernd Wachter
Phone: 01/317 05 10 - 0
E-mail: office@keboe.at

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