Ombudspersons - Conflict Resolution and Support
The OMDS Board members and the scientific coordinator serve as impartial and confidential contacts for all doctoral students and supervisors in the doctoral/PhD programs in Business, Economics and Statistics (SPL 39). Their role is to support fair and respectful working relationships and help address concerns related to supervision, communication, discrimination, harassment, or other conflicts that may arise during doctoral studies.
Support Structure
The Ombuds system offers a two-level support structure to ensure that all students receive appropriate and timely assistance. In most cases, concerns are first addressed through the first point of contact, who provides confidential advice and helps explore possible solutions.
If the matter cannot be resolved at this stage or requires additional expertise, it may be referred to a second point of contact—a group of Ombudspersons. The Ombudspersons listen, advise, help clarify options and resources, and—when appropriate—can mediate between parties or refer cases to relevant university bodies. All discussions are strictly confidential, and no action is taken without the individual’s consent.
We encourage you to reach out early if a problem occurs:
First Point of Contact

Katherine Xueting Dou
Scientific Coordinator, Oskar Morgenstern Doctoral School (OMDS)
Office 03.316, Oskar-Morgenstern-Platz 1, 1090 Wien
+43-1-4277-37016
Second Point of Contact - Ombudspersons

Univ.-Prof. Christoph Fuchs, PhD
OMDS Speaker/Track Coordinator-Management, DSPL

Univ.-Prof. Dr. Jan Fabian Ehmke
OMDS Track Coordinator-Business Analytics, Logistics, and Operations Research (BALOR), Vice-DSPL

Univ.-Prof. Dr. Maarten Janssen
OMDS Track Coordinator-Economics (VGSE), Vice-DSPL

Univ.-Prof. DI Dr.techn. Johannes Moritz Jirak
OMDS Track Coordinator-Statistics and Data Analytics

Univ.-Prof. Mag. Günter Strobl, PhD
OMDS Track Coordinator-Finance (VGSF), Vice-DSPL
