Ideas that move
Welcome Culture Under the Microscope:
The Knowledge Forum Salzburg
How does the healthcare system work? Which school should my children attend? Which authorities can help me with naturalisation? Newly arrived residents face many challenges, and often lack easy access to essential information. This is what Selina Oberortner and Enikő Rácz Szabó aimed to change with their project “Knowledge Forum: Arrive and Participate”, developed during their Social Innovation degree programme.
“The Knowledge Forum: Arrive and Participate is an initiative to support newcomers in the city of Salzburg. The goal of the project is to make settling in easier and provide orientation in key areas of life, particularly childcare, the school system and the labour market,” explains Enikő Rácz Szabó.
The project was developed by Selina Oberortner and Enikő Rácz Szabó as part of the Master’s in Social Innovation at FH Salzburg. In collaboration with the coordination of BWS offices and a wide range of regional partners, the Knowledge Forum combines practical knowledge, networking and low-threshold support.
The first event in summer 2025 was a great success: around 200 visitors took the opportunity to gather information, exchange ideas and make contacts. A special feature of the project is the Welcome Wall, an interactive installation created in cooperation with GEMINI under the direction of Florian Reininger.
“The Welcome Wall invites visitors to share experiences, wishes and thoughts about arriving in Salzburg and make them visible to others,” says Selina Oberortner. From next year, the Welcome Wall will be used in various urban contexts and aims to strengthen an open culture of welcome.
Politicians from the city of Salzburg who attended the Knowledge Forum were also enthusiastic about the idea and expressed strong interest in continuing the project. The first steps, including locations for the Welcome Wall, are already being planned.
