Sameness and differentiation: Positioning of universities of applied sciences in the Austrian higher education system

This paper describes the positioning of Universities of Applied Scienes (UAS) in the Austrian higher education system. Exploring how UAS strategically respond to regional environmental determinants and governmental policies can enrich our understanding of institutional positioning. Based on qualitative interviews and content analysis, this article describes how UAS position themselves in particular niches – how they concentrate on institutional similarities on the one hand and try to differenitate themselves on the other hand. Finally, the paper describes the potentials UAS leaders ascribe to governmental coordination projects (e.g. “Zukunft Hochschule”) for the development of a coherent national higher education system.