Semester question

What are the big questions of our time?

Ten years of the Semester Question. To mark the anniversary of the University of Vienna's largest science communication format, researchers are now asking the questions themselves. What big question is driving them right now? Why won't it let them go? And what would finding an answer mean for us all?
In cooperation with:
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5. October 2026
10 years of the Semester Question

The big questions of our time

Science begins with a question mark. As the Semester Question series celebrates its tenth anniversary, researchers at the University of Vienna reflect on the big questions they can't let go of and what drives them in the search for answers.
15. September 2026
DISAGREEMENT AND COEXISTENCE

How much emotion can democracy take?

Wherever there is a heated debate, Anna Durnová takes a closer look. The sociologist of the University of Vienna investigates how emotions shape political debates – and why we need to learn to contextualise them to further advance society.

Semester question 2026/27: What are the big questions of our time?

Great discoveries rarely begin with answers, but with good questions. Often, it is curiosity, doubt or surprising observations that pave the way for new insights. Whether emerging from open-ended explorations or driven by urgent societal problems, both types of questions have their place.

On the 10th anniversary of the Semester question series, where we address the big questions that matter for society, researchers from the University of Vienna talk about the big question that currently drives them and how scientific work contributes to societal progress. The topics range from climate and democracy, through artificial intelligence and data protection, as well as health and sustainability.

Discover knowledge at its source: look over our researchers' shoulders through interviews, podcasts and videos, and exchange ideas with them in Q&As, online discussions and at in-person events.

About the Semester question

Each semester, the University of Vienna poses its academics a question that is of particular relevance to today's society. The University of Vienna runs this project in cooperation with the Austrian daily newspaper "Der Standard" – starting with online contributions and ending with a closing event at the end of the semester. Explore all of our focus topics, including past Semester Questions, here.