Menstruation and Menopause: A Workplace Taboo

Women’s Health

Periods and menopause make adaptations in the workplace necessary: Studies by gynecologist Petra Stute and gender researcher Christine Bigler show us where are the areas that need improving and what are the needs of the female body.

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Politics and administration

All articles about politics and administration

Satire under pressure

Between freedom of expression and censorship

Geneva-based cartoonist Patrick Chappatte and Bern-based media lawyer Franz Zeller discuss the limits of freedom of expression and the role of political satire at a time when traditional media are coming under increasing pressure.

Law

Human Rights Law Clinic: Putting human rights into practice

The Human Rights Law Clinic of the University of Bern was the first Swiss law clinic to work exclusively with real cases. We visited them – and learned what sets their curriculum apart and what inspires their students.

Sender: Bern Education Commission

Wishes and expectations from politicians

Seven members of the Education Commission of the Cantonal Parliament write to the University of Bern. They describe their view of the role of the University within the education system, its responsibility to society, and also their idea of how visible and accessible a university should be today.

Infographic

Driving value added in the region

The University of Bern makes a key economic contribution to the region. It attracts investment from the federal government and others, creates jobs and purchases services from local companies. Its employees and students are consumers in the region. The financial contribution of the canton generates roughly three times as much value added in the regional economy.

Istituto di italiano giuridico

“The federal city of Bern is ideally suited for this institute”

The University of Bern is strengthening the status of the Italian language in law. Iole Fargnoli, founder and director of the new Institute for Italian Legal Language, explains why Bern is the ideal location for it.

Sustain-
ability

All articles about sustainability

Hans Sigrist Prize 2025

“We can’t expect judges to save us”

The Norwegian-German law professor, Christina Voigt, has been awarded the University of Bern’s Hans Sigrist Prize worth 100 000 Swiss Francs. This honor recognizes her achievements in advancing international climate law.

2nd Bern Climate Law Conference

Climate protection in the gray area

Watching Netflix, eating tropical fruits, wearing cheap fashion—most greenhouse gas emissions are caused by imported goods and services. A conference at the University of Bern is focusing on these "gray emissions".

United Nations Ocean Conference 2025

The ocean is at its limit – but there is still hope

Heating, deep-sea mining, vulnerable ecosystems: In this interview, climate researcher Thomas Frölicher explains what is going on with the ocean, what glimmers of hope there are and why this is important for Switzerland.

Part-time, participatory, ecological

Modern timber industry in the Bern region

The timber industry is regarded as sluggish and not very innovative. Unfairly so: Three Bern-based carpentry companies are adding value to local raw materials in peripheral regions and offering future-oriented working models. This is demonstrated by research conducted by the Department of Economic Geography at the University of Bern.

University and studies

All articles about university and studies

Linguistic Research

New language app explores Italian around the world

How is the Italian language changing in an age of globalization and migration? A new language app developed at the University of Bern aims to find out.

Abuse of power at universities

“Use the Advisory Services”

Swiss media recently reported cases of abuse of power at universities. The University of Bern would like to use this report as an opportunity to explicitly draw attention to its advisory services, as Vice-Rector Heike Mayer explains in an interview.

Equal Opportunities

“A paradigm shift in economics is imperative”

The VWelles Rethinking Economics student group is committed to including different schools of thought in the study of economics in Bern and treating them equally. On November 19, it will receive the “Prix Lux” 2025, the equal opportunities prize of the University of Bern.

University history

The “ivory tower” and us

The people of Bern and their University: A long and fruitful, but also complicated relationship, not without its dramatic moments, as a look at history shows.

Free daycare center places

KIHOB: Great commitment to smaller daycare center groups

The Foundation for Childcare in the Bern University Area (KIHOB) has been running daycare centers for students and employees of the University of Bern for over 55 years. As Managing Director Aline Bamberger explains, the foundation constantly adapts its offerings to meet varying needs.

Photography

Places where the university is involved

A nature reserve, a classroom, or railway station in the Bernese Oberland—at first glance you wouldn’t guess it, but the university is active in all of these places and more, working with the local community, as those involved can attest.

Universität

“If we don’t save now, the challenges are just going to get bigger”

Rector Virginia Richter talks about the financial challenges the University of Bern is facing and the cost-cutting measures planned from 2026 onward.

Health and medicine

All articles about health and medicine

Medicine

Why the "gut brain" plays a central role for allergies

Scientists from Bern and Charité (– Universitätsmedizin Berlin) have identified a previously unknown function of the intestinal nervous system. The findings open new avenues for advancing therapies for allergies and intestinal disorders.

Animal experimentation

Strengthening reproducibility in animal experimentation

An international collaboration led by Bernese researchers launched the first comprehensive atlas of the mouse gut microbiome. The landmark study has the potential to enhance the reliability of biomedical research using mouse models.

20 years GCB

Promoting young researchers in biomedicine

Two research projects at the Graduate School for Cellular and Biomedical Sciences (GCB) demonstrate how scientific curiosity, clinical relevance, and social benefit can converge, providing a successful foundation for research careers.

Department of Clinical Research

Eva Segelov: A career supporting better research

Good research should begin where it matters most: with people – this is the guiding vision of Eva Segelov. Since the end of 2022, the Australian oncologist and clinical researcher has been serving as Director of the Department of Clinical Research at the University of Bern.

FOKUS

A part of Bern

Alumni with regional commitments

Making a difference at home

Some people are drawn to distant places after their studies, while others consciously decide to stay and work in their home region. Five alumni of the University of Bern talk about their years of study, their careers to date and how they are helping to shape the region today.

Sustainable Bern-based start-up

Upcycled fashion from discarded Aare boats

They want to tackle the ecologically problematic consequences of discarded rubber boats: Elmo Francis and Yannick Käser turn discarded rubber boats into stylish bags.

Citizen science on wild plants

Out and about for Thun’s flora

Kathrin Häberlin is a passionate botanist. She voluntarily maps wild plant species for Florinventar – the Thun region's plant inventory project. Her precision here is just as helpful for this task as the task is for her personal well-being.

Intercultural knowledge

All articles about intercultural knowledge

Linguistic Research

New language app explores Italian around the world

How is the Italian language changing in an age of globalization and migration? A new language app developed at the University of Bern aims to find out.

A question for Oliver Lubrich

What does Bern gain from Dürrenmatt’s global literature?

Literary scholar Oliver Lubrich captures the essence of what the Friedrich Dürrenmatt Guest Professorship for World Literature means for Bern.

In focus

Job Stress Index

Many Swiss employees feel stressed, as regular monitoring shows. This not only harms them, but also the economy.

Tackling the clichés

Women’s soccer breaks down gender norms

Just in time for the Euro 2025 soccer tournament, two Bern-based researchers are publishing a new book, “Das Recht zu kicken” [The Right to Kick]. During an interview, co-author Marianne Meier recounts historical anecdotes and pits Swiss women’s soccer against gender stereotypes.

Matter and universe

All articles on matter and universe

2025 Einstein Lectures

The Nobel Laureate Who Makes Molecular Movies

This year’s Einstein Lectures involve sharp shooting. But not bullets, of course. It’s ultrashort laser pulses. On three evenings in Bern, physicist Donna Strickland explains how her Nobel-winning inventions enrich science and medicine.

Citizen science on wild plants

Out and about for Thun’s flora

Kathrin Häberlin is a passionate botanist. She voluntarily maps wild plant species for Florinventar – the Thun region's plant inventory project. Her precision here is just as helpful for this task as the task is for her personal well-being.

Biological invasions

Global study reveals tempo of invasive species‘ impacts

An international study shows: Biological invasions change ecosystems differently. While the loss of native plant diversity continues and increases, other effects such as soil changes diminish over time.

Scientist portrait

What can be done to combat gender stereotypes in research?

Chemical ecologist Christelle Robert researches how plant substances influence organisms that come into contact with them. In the video, she talks about the challenges of gender stereotypes in science.

Space research

Making science tangible with art

How do you make the tectonic development of the planet Mercury tangible with a piece of paper? For planetary scientist Liliane Burkhard, the answer is clear: with the means of art.