Ulrike Gschwandtner

Ulrike Gschwandtner (20 July 1965 – 3 July 2007) was an Austrian political and social scientist. She was the founder of the Institut Solution Sozialforschung & Entwicklung, a think tank dedicated to women's research and women's empowerment. She died while on a climbing expedition to Gasherbrum II in Pakistan.

Biography

Academic career Gschwandtner was from Pongau, Austria. In the 1980s, she committed herself to a career in social science research, focusing on women's issues and women's rights. In 1989, she graduated with a Mag.phil from the University of Salzburg, and then went on to pursue doctoral studies.

After graduation, Gschwandtner went on to lecture at the universities of Salzburg, Linz, and Vienna University of Economics and Business. In 1996, alongside Birgit Buchinger, she founded Solution, the Institut Solution Sozialforschung & Entwicklung. In 2001, she was awarded the Social Policy Prize for the 21st Century by the Austrian Academy of Sciences.

Climbing Gschwandtner gained experience in high-altitude mountain climbing through ascents of Lenin Peak (7,143 m) and Denali (6,194 m).

Honors In 2008, the newly built Ulrike-Gschwandtner-Straße in Salzburg's Nonntal district was named after her. In the announcement, the council sought to honor her achievements in science, culture and sport. In 2016, Gschwandtner was recognized as one of 13 of Salzburg's "Non-conformists" in a special exhibition honoring Dazzling Life in Salzburg.