New Vice-Rector for Quality elected

The Cantonal Government has elected a replacement for the Vice-Rector for Quality and appointed Prof. Dr. Heike Mayer as a new member of the University Executive Board. It then confirmed the Executive Board of the University of Bern for the term of office from 2023 to 2027. Professor Christian Leumann was re-elected as Rector and professors Virginia Richter, Hugues Abriel and Fritz Sager as Vice-Rectors.

From August 1, 2023, Prof. Dr. Heike Mayer will take over the Vice-Rectorate Quality. She succeeds Prof. Dr. Silvia Schroer, who was no longer standing for re-election due to her imminent retirement. As a former director of the Institute of Geography and as president of the Strategy Committee of the Faculty of Science, Heike Mayer has longstanding knowledge of the university and extensive leadership experience.

As of August 1, 2023, the University Executive Board will therefore comprise the following members: Christian Leumann (Rector), Fritz Sager (Vice-Rector for Teaching), Virginia Richter (Vice-Rector for Development), Hugues Abriel (Vice-Rector for Research), Heike Mayer (Vice-Rector for Quality) and Director of Administration Markus Brönnimann. The University Executive Board is supported by Secretary General Christoph Pappa and by Christian Degen, Head of Communication & Marketing, as a permanent guest.

Christian Leumann, Rector of the University of Bern, says: “I would like to take this opportunity to thank Silvia Schroer for her enormous commitment. At the same time, I am convinced that Heike Mayer is an excellent addition to the University Executive Board.”

A brief biography of Prof. Dr. Heike Mayer

Heike Mayer is Professor of Economic Geography in the Institute of Geography at the University of Bern in Switzerland. She is also a member of the University of Bern`s Center for Regional Economic Development (CRED). Her research is in urban and regional economic development with a particular focus on dynamics of innovation and entrepreneurship, urban and regional economic development policy, and economic sustainability. Heike started her academic career in the United States, where she completed a Ph.D. in Urban Studies (Portland State University) and held a tenured professorship at Virginia Tech University.

Besides traditional scholarship, she is also active through outreach and transdisciplinary work. She currently is president of the Swiss Council on Spatial Development (Rat für Raumordnung). In the past, she has contributed to various policy studies and reports for organizations such as the OECD, State Secretariat for Economic Affairs and the Federal Office for Spatial Development.