The online magazine of the University of Bern

Salvation sought in Africa - with fatal results

Bernese travelers

In his doctoral thesis, Tevodai Mambai examines the image that influential travelers such as Paul Hinderling, René Gardi or Charlotte von Graffenried painted of his people – and finds long-lost sacred artifacts in Swiss museums.

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University and studies

All articles about university and studies

30 years of the University of Bern Intermediate Staff Association

Politically committed to intermediate staff

The interests of the more than 4,000 doctoral students, assistants, postdocs, research associates and lecturers at the University of Bern are represented by the Intermediate Staff Association MVUB – and have been for 30 years now. What motivates young researchers to take part in this organization and what do they want to achieve?

WWF rating

University of Bern is “ambitious” when it comes to sustainability

Together with three other universities, the University of Bern is ranked in the highest occupied category in the WWF’s 2024 sustainability rating of Swiss universities.

Higher education

“Excellent teaching inspires passion”

The University of Bern wants to educate its students to become competent members of society. For Fritz Sager, Vice-Rector for Teaching, direct contact with students is key to this, and he recommends that students engage in an international exchange.

Equal Opportunities

“Different perspectives are essential for AI”

The initiative Diversity for AI in Medicine teaches how to build fair and equitable AI applications that are helpful for humanity. The team behind the initiative has now been awarded the Prix Lux equal opportunities prize by the University of Bern.

Cyber Security at the University of Bern

Prevention alone is no longer enough

Philipp Liechti explains why the University of Bern operates under the assumption that a cyberattack is always possible, despite numerous preventive, organizational, and technical security measures. Alongside prevention, the university’s efforts are increasingly focused on early detection, containment, and neutralization of cyber threats.

Climate Neutrality 2030 Roadmap

New climate strategy focuses on reduction and innovation

Instead of purchasing a large number of carbon offset certificates to achieve climate neutrality by 2025, the University of Bern is, in a participatory process, working on a long-term Climate Neutrality 2030 Roadmap, explains Vice-Rector Heike Mayer in the video.

Initiative Afrique

“African expertise pushes the university forward”

Professor Margaret Owuor and Vice-Rector Hugues Abriel discuss the reasons and plans behind Initiative Afrique, a new program that aims to unite existing research expertise at the University of Bern.

Health and medicine

All articles about health and medicine

Antibiotic resistance

Overview of antibiotic resistance in India with Bern-based tool

India is facing high levels of antibiotic resistance. A tool further developed by the University of Bern together with an Indian university now offers insights into resistance patterns in northern and western India, laying the groundwork for improved awareness.

Cancer research

AI model generates virtual staining of cancer tissue

Researchers from Bern and Lausanne are making progress in the analysis and diagnosis of cancer. They have developed an AI model that allows virtual staining of cancer tissue, complementing experimental data.

Thanks to research partnerships

Better treatments for everyone

The research community is only slowly realizing that Africa's medical care problem begins with basic knowledge. The University of Bern is helping to remedy this shortcoming – for the benefit of both the South and the North.

Animal testing

Talking about animal experiments

During the National Information Day on Experimental Animals last weekend, researchers from the University of Bern presented their work involving animals experiments to the public in the city of Bern.

Intercultural knowledge

All articles about intercultural knowledge

Postcolonial studies

“Afrotopia” – postcolonial perspectives for the entire planet

A new generation of intellectuals is further developing the postcolonial debate – from an African perspective and from the perspective of the African diaspora. This gives rise to utopian plans for the future of the African continent, but also far beyond it.

Afrofuturism

Under the sign of Sankofa

The Djiboutian novelist Abdourahman Waberi reflects on his Dürrenmatt Guest Professorship in World Literature in Bern. Together with his students, he pondered the possibilities: Could the future be African? His vision, symbolised by a West African animal, is clear and optimistic.

Educational science

“Those who feel comfortable and belong learn better”

Motivation and emotion are two key success factors in the learning process, as educational scientists Tina Hascher and Julia Mori explain in the interview. They have organized an international conference on this topic in Bern.

Dialect research

Changing Swiss dialects

Swiss dialects are changing constantly and differ from one region to the next. Adrian Leemann and his team at the Center for the Study of Language and Society of the University of Bern have performed the first-ever large-scale analysis of the evolution of the Swiss language.

Women’s health

“There is a great lack of basic knowledge about female bodies”

Women are disadvantaged in all areas of the Swiss healthcare system. This is the conclusion of a study by the Interdisciplinary Centre for Gender Studies (ICFG) at the University of Bern. An interview with two of the co-authors, Christine Bigler and Tina Büchler.

History of Architecture

Historic window glass – culturally and ecologically valuable

Flat glass in historical buildings is an example of cultural heritage and often scores highly from an ecological point of view, but often ends up in the disposal yard. The new publication Glass in Architecture examines glass and its multifaceted value for the man-made structures around us.

Gender equality

Can artificial intelligence be unbiased?

On 7 March, a symposium on biases was held at the University of Bern. Gülser Corat, former Director for Gender Equality at UNESCO, argued that the current design of artificial intelligence often promotes bias and explained how that could change.

Sustain-
ability

All articles about sustainability

A question for Astrid Zabel

Are we running out of chocolate?

Environmental economist Astrid Zabel explains the impact of the European Deforestation Regulation on the cultivation and consumption of goods.

Wyss Academy for Nature

Solutions for people and nature in Kenya

The Wyss Academy for Nature works on four continents with local communities, politics, business and science to improve the precarious relationship between humans and nature. Three examples from Kenya show how such “living labs” work.

Research collaboration

Protecting land and water in Ethiopia

Drought and heavy rainfall are threatening livelihoods in the Ethiopian highlands. Since 1981, researchers from Bern and Ethiopia have been working with the local population to develop solutions. The approach is now being extended to other regions as part of a “Cluster for Research Excellence”.

Thomas Stocker is given emeritus status

“Climate research in Bern is a brand”

Thomas Stocker is one of the figureheads of the University of Bern and a climate researcher of international renown. Among other things, he had a leading position on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Now, he is being given emeritus status. In this interview, he takes a look back at his career, tells us about an offer he once received from Cambridge and talks about orchids and racing bikes.

Matter and universe

All articles on matter and universe

Jupiter moon Europa

NASA mission with Bernese participation

On October 14, 2024, NASA's Europa Clipper mission began its journey to Jupiter's moon Europa. The aim is to investigate if the icy moon currently has habitable conditions. Four researchers from Bern are part of the mission's scientific teams.

Study on "ecological debt"

Heat extremes cause long-term damage to ecosystems

Ecosystems use different strategies to protect themselves from the negative effects of heat extremes. A study by the University of Bern shows: The full extent of the ecological impact only becomes apparent after the end of a heat extreme.

First electron neutrino measurement

New opportunity to explore the universe

A team including researchers from the Laboratory for High Energy Physics at the University of Bern has successfully measured the interaction rates of neutrinos at unprecedented energies using the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN.

Space research

New partnership with NASA

A new network of Swiss research institutions teams up with NASA to accelerate the exploration of the Moon, Mars, and beyond.

A question for Christoph Mordasini

Will there soon be solar power plants in space?

Solar power plants in space will one day collect solar energy and send it back to Earth. But can that really work?

FOKUS

Africa

Research collaboration

Protecting land and water in Ethiopia

Drought and heavy rainfall are threatening livelihoods in the Ethiopian highlands. Since 1981, researchers from Bern and Ethiopia have been working with the local population to develop solutions. The approach is now being extended to other regions as part of a “Cluster for Research Excellence”.

Initiative Afrique

“African expertise pushes the university forward”

Professor Margaret Owuor and Vice-Rector Hugues Abriel discuss the reasons and plans behind Initiative Afrique, a new program that aims to unite existing research expertise at the University of Bern.

Afrofuturism

Under the sign of Sankofa

The Djiboutian novelist Abdourahman Waberi reflects on his Dürrenmatt Guest Professorship in World Literature in Bern. Together with his students, he pondered the possibilities: Could the future be African? His vision, symbolised by a West African animal, is clear and optimistic.

Politics and administration

All articles about politics and administration

The research project

Working with Africa to optimise administrations

Researchers at the Centre for African Smart Public Value Governance (C4SP) study practices in Africa and aim to use this knowledge to strengthen African governments and administrations through local cooperation.

In focus

Can we achieve the energy transition?

Renewable energies are to be expanded, but there is resistance to specific projects. How can we achieve the energy transition by 2050? An interview with political scientist Isabelle Stadelmann, economist Doina Radulescu and Cornelia Mellenberger, CEO of Energie Wasser Bern.

Economics

“Switzerland doesn’t need a big bank”

Economics cannot predict bank crashes or crises, says Professor of Economics Aymo Brunetti. But their insights would help us to mitigate the adverse effects of financial crises and fight inflation.

Conference on women in trade

"Gender neutral trade is a myth"

At the World Trade Institute (WTI), experts from all over the world developed proposals for the advancement of women. An interview with the two pioneers Elisa Fornalé from the WTI and Anoush der Boghossian from the World Trade Organization (WTO).
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