Our Bodies as Reflected in Society

In Focus

Muscular aristocrats, “Volkskörper”, fitness culture: two historians and a scholar of religious studies shed light on how influential body ideals emerge—and what alternative models exist.

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Sustain-
ability

All articles about sustainability

Climate Change

Putting Switzerland’s 2026 Drought into Perspective

The effects of the 2026 drought are still visible everywhere. Researchers at the University of Bern have compared droughts in the 21st century with those of the past 600 years. Their findings show that the risk of drought is increasing sharply as climate change progresses.

Research is not a luxury

For a sustainable future

Maddy Thakur studies how climate change impacts biodiversity. In the video, he explains that his work is essential for gaining knowledge, taking preventive measures, and ensuring a livable future.

Profile of a climate scientist

The Cloud Chaser

Franziska Aemisegger, a climate scientist from Bern, spent hours flying in a propeller plane beneath the clouds over the North Atlantic. In this profile, she explains what she hopes to discover and why she owes her research career to a famous French author.

Bern’s Largest Housing Development Project

The Viererfeld Becomes a Living Laboratory

Within the next twenty years, 3,000 people are expected to move into Bern’s Viererfeld district. Researchers at the University of Bern’s Institute of Geography have launched a wide range of projects to study the transformation of this area of land in the north of the city into a new urban neighbourhood.

Rubbish or resource?

Let’s talk rubbish

Talking about waste is usually a necessary evil. But the way we refer to it and talk about unwanted waste also determines how we deal with it. A project at the Department of English at the University of Bern is looking for new ways to approach the grubby pariah linguistically.

A winding career path

Climate researcher with a background in craftsmanship

As a climate scientist, Patrick Bigler has developed a mobile measuring tower to enable more precise measurements of Bern's urban climate. And as a trained metalworker, he also constructed the device himself.

Slowing Climate Change

Improving our understanding of environmental behavior by examining the brain

Human behavior is a major driver of climate change. Consequently, it is essential to gain a deeper understanding of how individuals make environmental decisions. Two researchers from the University of Bern demonstrate how neuroscientific approaches may contribute to the development of more effective climate protection strategies.

Intercultural knowledge

All articles about intercultural knowledge

Reproductive rights

Whose children are wanted?

Who receives support – and under what conditions – to fulfill their desire to have children? And who is prevented from doing so? The exhibition “Atlas of Reproduction” explores these questions by bringing together research, art, design, and the public in new formats for dialogue.

Literary discovery

Samuel Beckett’s view of Nazi Germany

“What a Schererei”: Samuel Beckett’s legendary "German Diaries" are published for the first time. This edition by the Universities of Bern and Reading reveals the Nobel laureate’s sharp eye for everyday life, language and ideology in Nazi Germany.

From the inkwell to the keyboard

Writing as a reflection of society

Language without writing? Hard to imagine. In this interview, Hanne Griessmann and Roland Reichen explain how writing emerged, why it still shapes us today and why handwriting will probably stay with us for some time to come.

On identity and exclusion

Language as an instrument of power

Language is never neutral; it is always political. It shapes national identity, fosters a sense of belonging and establishes boundaries. In this article, sociolinguist Erez Levon uses examples from Israel and Switzerland to explain these dynamics.

Politics and administration

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Symposium on Criminology and Diversity

“Without Data, All We Have Is Gut Feelings”

How does criminology address issues such as gender, migration, and mental health? Researcher Ineke Pruin explores these topics. In this interview, she discusses what motivates her and the things that need to improve when it comes to this issue.

Luxury tourism

"Gstaad needs luxury tourism"

Gstaad has a reputation as an alpine oasis for the rich. Ordinary mortals watch the goings-on with fascination and wonder. Tourism researcher Monika Bandi Tanner explains how Gstaad strives to strike a balance between luxury and accessibility.

Work-Life-Balance

With children, time is the greatest luxury

Expensive daycare, lagging gender equality, and delayed parenthood: many factors are contributing to the declining birth rate in Switzerland. What would need to change to reverse this trend?

Between desire and exclusivity

Why we spend the money on luxury

Luxury promises status, a sense of belonging and a feeling of uniqueness. But when is it that we reach for the expensive brands, and how do companies succeed in making themselves seem more desirable? A look behind the psychology of luxury consumption.

A question for Jonas Weber

How can language help us convict criminals?

Jonas Weber is a professor of criminal law and criminology and explains what language analysis can do in criminal prosecution.

Political science

Pre-franked voting envelopes as a nudge

Voting by post is a popular choice, and pre-paid postage makes it even more convenient. However, a study by Alina Zumbrunn and Pierre Lüssi from the Institute of Political Science at the University of Bern shows that having enough letterboxes is just as important.

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.

University and studies

All articles about university and studies

Science Diplomacy

Building bridges between research and diplomacy

When researchers and diplomats work together to facilitate knowledge transfer, they can contribute to solutions for the pressing issues of our time. On August 17, the "Science Diplomacy in Practice" conference at the University of Bern put this on display.

University Quality Assurance

"Quality comes from dialogue"

The University of Bern safeguards and continuously develops the quality of its core tasks: teaching, research and continuing education. Academic Quality Officers play an important role in achieving these goals. In a roundtable discussion with uniAKTUELL, three of them share their experiences.

University

Planning professorships more dynamically

Effective from 2027, the University of Bern will implement new guidelines for the planning of professorships. Rector Virginia Richter outlines why the changes are necessary and what they will entail.

Elite Sports and University

Angeline Favre: First a Master’s Degree, Then the Olympics

Angeline Favre needs the ability to stay focused both on the fencing piste and in her studies. As an épée fencer on the Swiss national team and a master’s student at the University of Bern, she navigates two worlds that both demand her full attention.

FOKUS

What do we really need?

In Focus

Is Luxury Superfluous or Necessary?

How has our understanding of luxury changed over the course of history, and how do we view it today? Can the desire for luxury be reconciled with efforts toward more sustainability?

Research is not a luxury

Preparing for the Next Pandemic

Nicola Low, a professor of epidemiology and public health, conducts research on communicable diseases and their prevention. She explains in the video that this also helps prepare for potential health crises.

Trade in luxury goods and customs policy

"Luxury brands can handle losses well"

In Switzerland, people don't splurge, they usually treat themselves to things that only at second glance seem like they cost a lot. On the other hand, exports from the Swiss luxury goods industry are growing despite Trump's tariffs and the strong franc, says trade expert Manfred Elsig.

Health and medicine

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Digital medicine

AI warning system identifies infection risk immediately after surgery

The surgery is over and the wound has been sutured – but the critical phase for patients is not over. Researchers in Bern have developed an AI-based model that can calculate the risk of postoperative infection immediately after surgery.

Healthcare costs

Is health becoming a luxury?

Switzerland has mandatory health insurance, But the premiums people need to pay for it continue to rise. Is health becoming a luxury? Health economist Michael Gerfin, public health researcher Annika Frahsa and medical ethicist Rouven Porz offer their perspectives.

Transparency in clinical trials

Bern-Based AI Tool for more reliable research

Psychologist Jamie Cummins has developed an AI tool that helps researchers assess the quality of scientific publications. In this interview, he explains how it works—and why AI doesn’t replace humans.

Biomedical Engineering

ARTORG Center: From Idea to Product

The Faculty of Medicine at the University of Bern is home to one of the University's strategic centers: the ARTORG Center for Biomedical Engineering Research. For 18 years, clinical practice, research and technology have been converging here to improve patient care.

Matter and universe

All articles on matter and universe

Research is not a luxury

Understanding the building blocks of the universe

Michele Weber studies the elementary particles of the universe and the forces between them. In the video, he explains how his research generates fundamental knowledge and drives technological advancements.

Universe

“I believe we can all be proud of the NCCR PlanetS”

After twelve years, the National Center of Competence in Research (NCCR) PlanetS came to a close at the end of May. Its director, Nicolas Thomas, looks back on the internationally acclaimed planetary research conducted at the Universities of Bern, Geneva, and Zurich, as well as at ETH Zurich, and introduces the follow-up project, SIPS.

Research is not a luxury

“Research is a long-term investment.”

Andrea Fortier, an astrophysicist and manager of the CHEOPS space mission, studies distant planets. In the video, she explains why research is an investment in the future that ultimately benefits everyone.

Planetology

How a collapse could create planets

Oliver Schib has developed a new model for planet formation. His computer simulations show how the gas and dust disks around young stars develop and how instabilities can lead directly to the formation of giant planets.

Carl-Zeiss-Humboldt Research Award

Dancing with the elementary particles

Thomas Becher deals with "short distances and high energies": What happens when protons collide with each other at almost the speed of light? In search of answers, the physicist has moved from Bern to the USA – and back again.

Space Science and Astronomy

New Space Master builds on Bernese Space Heritage

The University of Bern’s newly established Master’s program “Space Sciences and Astronomy” begins in the Fall of 2026. Director of Studies Andrea Fortier talks about Bernese space heritage, what students can expect from the new program, and why it matters.

Plant Science

Succulents as role models: new opportunities for plants under drought?

Researchers at the University of Bern have decoded how an inconspicuous succulent plant regulates its CO₂ uptake via the leaf surface so that it receives enough of it for photosynthesis without losing too much water.