Peter Kurz

Peter Kurz is a University Professor (HS-Prof.) at the University of Teacher Education Upper Austria (PH Oberösterreich) based in Linz, Austria, and is affiliated with the Institute for Secondary Education. His work integrates teacher education, sustainability research, and interdisciplinary landscape studies.

Education & Academic Training:
While specific degrees are not detailed in the source text, his composite title HS-Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Dr. BEd Prof. indicates advanced qualifications in engineering (Dipl.-Ing.), a doctorate (Dr.), teacher education (BEd), and professorial status.

Research Interests:
Professor Kurz’s scholarship spans three intertwined domains:
• Education for Sustainable Development (ESD): designing and evaluating university-level professional development courses that integrate action research into schools to advance sustainability curricula.
• Cultural Landscape Science: analysing vegetation, land-use history, and management strategies in alpine and rural landscapes, often focusing on hedgerows, mountain forests, and traditional farming systems.
• Environmental & Geography Education: developing pedagogical approaches that use real landscapes as learning laboratories for climate change education and spatial planning in primary and secondary schools.

Publication Profile:
Across more than 30 peer-reviewed outputs (2000–2025), his work clusters around (1) curriculum innovation for ESD, (2) phytosociological descriptions of alpine and riparian vegetation, and (3) socio-ecological analyses of Austrian cultural landscapes under policy change (CAP, UNESCO designations). Recent articles highlight participatory action research models and the EduScape project that turns landscapes into climate-education labs.

Scientific Awards & Distinctions:
No specific awards or honours are mentioned in the provided text.

Teaching, Grants & Supervision:
Professor Kurz directs the in-service university course “BINE – Education for Sustainable Development”, which employs action research to foster whole-school sustainability innovations. Details of funded projects or doctoral students are not supplied.

Laboratories & Teams:
He is located at the Institute for Secondary Education, University of Teacher Education Upper Austria, Linz, where he collaborates on interdisciplinary projects linking ecological fieldwork with educational practice.