The online magazine of the University of Bern

The new US research policies are also having a direct impact on researchers of the University of Bern. That became apparent at the event "UniBE talks" on the topic of “Research Collaborations with the USA”. Dialog with American colleagues remains important.

The University of Bern has long been committed to the promotion of equal opportunities and equality between women and men and all genders. Some progress has been made, but there still remains a lot to be done. A snapshot in numbers.

Excellence at the University is to be rethought to make it easier to reconcile an academic career and a family. This is what the “Better Science Initiative” demands, explains Heike Mayer, co-initiator and Vice-Rector of the University of Bern.

Lucien Hinderling and Guido Schreurs, two researchers from the University of Bern, have received a prize and a distinction respectively in the 2025 Scientific Image Competition of the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF).

Nadia Mercader researches how the heart can regenerate – and brings a new perspective to medicine as a biologist.

Marianna Kruithof-de Julio focuses on translational cancer research, taking discoveries from the bench to the bedside. In the video, she talks about the choice she had to make as a woman between motherhood and research.

In "Subcontractors of Guilt", Esra Özyürek investigates how Holocaust memory culture in Germany is associated with the marginalization of Muslim citizens. In a public discussion with the author and other experts in Bern, the topic was transposed to Switzerland.

The world of work is changing radically and rapidly. Who is benefiting from the change and who is lagging behind? Experts from the University of Bern from the fields of sociology, psychology and economics have answers.

In her new book, historian Francesca Falk investigates how a society defines “Us” and draws social boundaries. In this interview, she explains how, against the “evidence” (or obviousness) of the present, historical scholarship offers a different view on the here and now.

Political scientist Klaus Armingeon is professor emeritus at the University of Bern. In his essay, he shows what significance trade unions still have in 2025, how they might have to modernize and what would be missing without them.

Judith Wyttenbach is a specialist in constitutional and international law. She sees the law as an instrument for changing power structures – and not as dry as many people think. As a mother, however, she sometimes wishes she had a 36-hour day.

Isabelle Stadelmann-Steffen conducts research into how people make decisions in different political contexts. This is particularly important in Switzerland with its direct democracy. In the video, she also talks about why she works part-time (80%).

Olivia Romppainen-Martius studies the effects of climate change on extreme weather events. In the video, she explains what helps her to spend time with her daughters despite the demands of her job.

The Uni Bern is working to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions. A contribution is being made to climate protection for emissions that are difficult to avoid. One example of this is the biogas plant on the Schürch family farm in Kirchberg.

The public can take part in a survey to decide on the names of two fish species discovered by Bárbara Calegari and her colleagues. In this interview, the biologist explains where they live and how to make the diversity of our waters visible.