RESEARCH STRATEGY AT MU
We aim to foster independent and original research and in turn, bring the benefits of innovation to the research community and the public.
Research is determined to be the prerequisite of high-quality teaching and Modul University Vienna pursues a research-led teaching approach. As a result, researchers at our University are committed to conducting contemporary, as well as future-oriented basic and applied research. The University’s research profile is characterized by a dynamic development of research activities, where researchers of various disciplines are highly innovative and meet the criteria for cutting-edge research. Interdisciplinary research activities shape the research profile of the institution.
Today, the University is organized into four academic Schools, each of which contributes to teaching and research in their fields of expertise (School of Tourism and Service Management, School of International Management, School of Applied Data Science, School of Sustainability, Governance and Methods) and one research center (Research Center of New Media Technology)
The Schools and the Research Center focus on 17 different core areas of research that form the basis for an exceptional output of more than 1500 publications with almost half being peer-reviewed journals, 100+funded research projects, and 300+ conference contributions.. Importantly, this research provides the essential foundation for new and innovative approaches that will contribute to society for decades.
The 17 core research areas are summarized in five research focal areas:
Digitalization and business transformation
Big Data analysis, artificial intelligence, and blockchain
Governance for innovation and sustainable development
Socioeconomic aspects of climate change
Travel behavior, trend, and competition analysis
The University aims at further strengthening its interdisciplinary research activities and balancing basic and applied research. Many of the 17 research areas are joint interests and activities of researchers from different disciplines. In order to provide a conducive environment for cutting-edge research, a few of our development steps are as follows:
Further support, especially to young researchers in developing their own research areas and provide guidance to them. This particularly includes PhD candidates, as well as young PostDoc researchers, especially female faculty members.
Continue building-up a research support infrastructure at the University in order to support researchers in submitting high quality project proposals. This includes funding support in the form of personal consultation and project controlling support.
Expanding the interconnectedness between schools and research centers and the future foundation of a second research center, so that the organizational anchoring of research is further developed.
Collaborations with other universities in Vienna to leverage PhD training opportunities
Research seminar series
Modul University Vienna invites international scholars to share their expertise and present latest research. Presentations and subsequent discussions last for about 30 minutes each. All sessions are live-streamed, free to attend, and open to the public. No registration needed.
Jan van der Borg
University Ca'Foscari Venice, Venice, Italy“Day Tourists or Excursionists. Important but Often Invisible Visitors of a Destination"
Date: March 19th 2025 14:00-15:00 (Vienna local time)
Location: Modul University, Austria, 1190 Vienna, Am Kahlenberg 1, Room no. 2.08
Abstract: Visitors that stay in the various forms of (official) accommodation that destinations offer, or just simply tourists, are the protagonists in official statistics (arrivals and overnight stays and the money they spend), the visitors all tourism firms in destinations long for, and those who pay tourism taxes all over the world. Day tourists or excursionists have been virtually flying under the radar until very recently in many destinations, whether they are coastal, mountain or urban. This needs to change quickly. Already in 1991 Van der Borg argued, for example, that 80% of the number of visitors that Venice receives in a year ‘zombie’ around the city for a couple of hours. Moreover, excursionists per single visit contribute just marginally to the collective benefits that tourism generates, but heavily to the collective costs. My presentation, starting from the definitions of the various types of visitors, analyses a number of behavioural aspects that explain this, discusses the ways researchers and policy makers have to measure excursionism, and presents some important implications for policy at destination level.
Florian Hartleb
Modul University Vienna, Vienna, Austria“Terrorism in the Digital Age"
Date: March 10th 2026 13:00-14:00 (Vienna local time)
Location: Modul University Vienna, Austria, 1190 Vienna, Am Kahlenberg 1, Room no. 2.07
Abstract: Terrorism didn’t get smarter — it got software: in the age of new technologies, extremists don’t just spread propaganda faster, they scale like a startup, stitching together encrypted chats, cheap drones, synthetic media and online marketplaces into a plug-and-play ecosystem that lowers the barrier to violence and raises the cost of prevention — and the most dangerous shift is the human one: lone actors who radicalize in algorithmic echo chambers, learn tactics from tutorials, and move from grievance to action without a network to infiltrate, plus a new wave of teenage terrorism, where kids are groomed, gamified, and pushed into “prove it” moments by online subcultures that turn violence into status; the real threat isn’t one gadget, it’s the workflow that makes recruitment, instruction, targeting and denial faster and cheaper — and if our response stays stuck in slow policy cycles, we’ll keep fighting yesterday’s threat with tomorrow’s headlines, because when harm moves at internet speed, defense has to run on friction, resilience, and rapid mitigation, not paperwork.
Jinyan Chen
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong“Tracking Tourist Mobility by Big Data Analytics: How and Why."
Date: December 2nd 2025 11:00-12:00 (Vienna local time)
Location: Modul University Vienna, Austria, 1190 Vienna, Am Kahlenberg 1, Room no. 4.05
Abstract: Dr. Jinyan (Emily) Chen’s research sits at the intersection of tourism, artificial intelligence, and big data analytics. In her upcoming presentation, she will explore innovative methods for tracking tourist mobility using large-scale data sources, uncovering patterns that inform destination competitiveness and destination development. Through real-world examples, Dr. Chen illustrates how these advanced analytics provide valuable insights into travel patterns. Ultimately, the presentation demonstrates how artificial intelligence and big data analytics can help tourism professionals design better strategies to manage visitor flows, improve infrastructure, and support growth in the tourism industry.
RESEARCH REPORT
Modul University Vienna is at the forefront of groundbreaking research. For the past 10 years we have been a center of excellence for research in sustainability, consumer behavior, digital trends, tourism and hospitality, as well as socioeconomic sciences.
Here we are proud to present a comprehensive reflection on 10 years of insightful research at MU Vienna.
This report delves into the cutting-edge topics explored by five departments across the university, showcasing the remarkable work of 27 Modul University Vienna researchers, both past and present. It also encompasses the contributions of our third-party researchers and associate researchers, highlighting our collaborative and multidisciplinary approach.
Discover a rich tapestry of research topics, insights into our publication output, and innovative approaches applied by our researchers when searching for answers in their diverse fields.
