Congratulatory Message & Guest Statement

Dear Sir or Madam,
Dear students, teaching staff and partners,

On 15 October 2026, we will be celebrating 20 years of the Department of Health Sciences at Salzburg University of Applied Sciences – a milestone that highlights the successful academisation of the health professions in Salzburg. In 2006, Salzburg was one of the first locations in Austria to establish MTD and midwifery programmes at Bachelor’s degree level at a university of applied sciences – driven by the Bologna Process and the close collaboration between SALK and the Salzburg University of Applied Sciences – a pioneering step in Austria.

The academisation of the healthcare sector has noticeably strengthened our healthcare system: evidence-based practice, modern curricula, and expanded professional roles are improving quality and patient safety. This forms the basis for interprofessional collaboration and the rapid transfer of research findings, which accelerate innovation in the long term. Complemented by attractive academic career paths, international compatibility and targeted specialisations, the healthcare professions are becoming increasingly appealing. In this way, we secure a skilled workforce and strengthen the resilience of Salzburg's healthcare system.

Warm congratulations on your 20th anniversary – and a huge thank you to everyone who has made this journey possible!

Daniela Gutschi
State Minister

Warm congratulations on 20 years of health sciences at Salzburg University of Applied Sciences!

Twenty years stand for knowledge, development and research – and, above all, for the many people who help shape healthcare.

And from the perspective of vitality psychology, this is precisely where something essential lies: as we know, health is not the goal, but a good start! For it is through our health – on an individual, social and organisational level – that we lay the foundations for vitality and a high quality of life.

And perhaps that is precisely where we will find an important key to our future.

We are all grappling with the question of what artificial intelligence will change. One thing seems certain: AI can deliver fantastic results in an ever-increasing number of areas. But can it also provide us with experiences?

I believe that this is precisely where something absolutely crucial for our health and our humanity lies: it is not just about results. It is about experiences. About encounters. About resonance. About the feeling of truly being involved. About places like this university of applied sciences, where people can educate themselves in the truest sense of the word.

There is one more thing that will become increasingly important in the future: our idiosyncrasies – the things that make us unique. I like to call this our ‘idiosyncrasy capital’: our very own personal blend of experiences, talents, quirks, perspectives and stories. It cannot be interchanged at will, and no AI in the world can replace it.

With this in mind, I hope that Salzburg University of Applied Sciences will, in the years to come, preserve and further develop both the breadth and quality of its education, and, at the same time, its visionary strength in helping people’s individuality flourish.

After all, each of us writes our own life story. And this university can help people turn it into a good one.

Bardia Monshi

About Bardia Monshi

Dr Bardia Monshi founded the Institute for Vital Psychology and co-founded Jobtreffer. He has been working as a psychologist, hypnosystemic coach and trainer since 1999 (Trainer of the Year 2023, *training* magazine). He is a clinical and health psychologist, a certified occupational and organisational psychologist, and a university lecturer. Internationally, he supports CEOs, senior executives and sports stars in navigating the balance between health and high performance. He is known as a TV expert, author and speaker on resilience, vitality, leadership and high performance.

Photo: Laurent Ziegler