Resumen de Decentralised Higher Education Infrastructure in Rural Areas to Impede the Outmigration of Highly Qualified Young Women
Demographic change has been identified as one of the prevailing and enduring challenges confronting rural areas in Europe (EC 2010). This chapter focuses on the outmigration of young, qualified women as one severe manifestation of demographic change in rural regions. Selective migration processes have been related to, more than other factors, the lack of innovation and regional development potential necessary for economic, societal and political prosperity (Frey 2007). Furthermore, it is associated with the loss of founders of the next generation and a decline in financial resources for the rural communities since in the Austrian system municipalities receive money from the state, depending on the number of inhabitants they have (Weber and Fischer 2012).
