In summary
In line with its strategy 2021, the University of Bern distinguishes itself with the targeted promotion of talented young academics. The University aims to make it easier for intermediate staff to embark on an academic career, and to create appropriate, internationally competitive employment conditions.
In the context of changes to the higher education landscape as well as national and international support conditions, the University of Bern, together with faculties and the intermediate staff association, has worked on improving framework conditions. These conditions should make it easier to plan academic career paths so that opportunities and prospects can be identified at an early stage.
The University Ordinance was revised on 1 February 2019 in order to implement these improvements: a key component being the improvement of employment conditions for young researchers.
The new legal foundations improved the structure of the Tenure-track assistant professorship and the requirements for how assistant professors can obtain tenured professorships after a probationary period were reviewed. The new position of Tenure-track assistant lectureship creates an alternative career path for those who would like to specialize in teaching, services, or technology. There are also new job categories for postdoctoral researchers which, as of August 1, 2019, replaced the previous senior research assistantships and research assistantships with a dissertation.
These adjustments ensure that young researchers can find attractive academic career paths following the doctorate. You will find more information on this on the next page.