Newsletter

Desire to have children? – Now

An Input to the topic of parenthood and dissertation/assistance by our Co-President, Daniela Feller, a phd student in the field of environmental law at the Institute of Public Law, Mlaw, a notary, a scientific assistant and mother of two children (1- and 3-year-olds).

"If you have a desire to have children, you are always accompanied by the question of the right timing: Shouldn't you do further studies first? Advance your career? Earn money? Travel? There is no right answer. For me atleast, "right now" seems to be the best answer. It's like jumping into the cold Aare river in early summer: if you spend ages pondering, standing on the bridge and observing the others, you spend a lot of time thinking and watching, without having any fun yourself. It is clearly a hard balancing act between work, dissertation and private life when you welcome your first child into your life (it doesn't get any better with the second one either). Often one has the feeling that you are not enough: neither as a mother, nor as a scientific assistant, nor as a researcher or a woman. However, you have this feeling of being torn apart everywhere and at all times, even outside the university. For me, having children has proven itself during my scientific work at the University of Bern. As an employer, I have all the support I need from the university. I am flexible in my time management, absences can be announced at short notice, I can take advantage of funding opportunities and I get a lot of understanding when difficult situations arise. I would not have it like this in the private sector. Of course, when it comes to your own dissertation, you have to have a lot of perseverance and a hard will with a certain amount of doggedness. I quickly learned that I have to assert myself and that the dissertation has to be treated like a "child": you have to create time for yourself and also make the effort to take it. Even if that means harnessing the immediate family more often. However, the advantages of parenthood during the dissertation period clearly outweigh such disadvantageous, ambivalent situations."

Events of the MVUB

• Panel Discussion: Stories of Success - Gender Equality Measures of Universities in Dialogue

Wednesday, 08.03.2023, 12:30 p.m., Room 205, Hallerstrasse 6, 3012 Bern.
Further information and registration at: University: stories of success - gender equality measures of universities in dialogue (unibe.ch).

• "Autour d'un verre ", Mardi 21 mars 2023, 18:15

Pour la deuxième édition de notre apéro, nous invitons tous les francophones et francophiles du corps intermédiaire de l'Université de Berne de nous joindre. Merci de vous inscrire. Universität: Autour d’un verre – se rencontrer, échanger, réseauter (unibe.ch)

• Save the date: The general meeting of the MVUB will take place on Tuesday, March the 28th, 2023 at 5:00 pm. A personal invitation will follow.

You can find the events of the MVUB at: University: Events - University of Bern (unibe.ch)

Higher Education Policy: Compatibility

• Extension of contracts in case of maternity in qualification functions

With the total revision of the university's employment regulations as of January 1, 2023, an important change will come into effect in the case of maternity in qualification functions: the right to an extension of the contract for the duration of the maternity leave has now been added to the employment regulations, as long as this does not exceed the maximum employment duration according to the UniV.
Parenthood - Compatibility (unibe.ch)

• More short leaves for the care of sick children and close family members

With the partial revision of the Cantonal Personnel Ordinance as of January 1st, 2023, up to ten days of short leave per year (three days per event) can now be granted for the care of sick or injured children and other close family members. Until now, it was 5 days per year.
Parenthood: legal framework - compatibility (unibe.ch)
PV revision as of January 1, 2023 (be.ch)

Events

Our next events are published on our website on an ongoing basis. University: MVUB events (unibe.ch)

More Events

• Cours : Langage inclusif : Français

Vendredi, 03.03.2023, 12:00 h, date limite d'inscription : 16.02.2023
Organisateur : Department of Equal Opportunities
Orateur: PD Dr. Pascal Gygax, Université Fribourg
Vous trouverez ici la description du cours et l'inscription: Atelier sur le langage inclusif en français, 3.3.2023

• Vice-Rectorate for Development, Workshop: Planning and applying for a career outside academia

Friday, 17.03.2023, 10:00 a.m.
Speaker: Prof. Dr. Daniel Spurk, University of Bern
Research: Planning and applying for a career outside academia, March 2023 (unibe.ch)

• Collegium generale: Münchenwil Seminar on Science and the Public Sphere

Will take place at Münchelnwiler Castle from Friday, May 12, 2023 - Saturday, May 13, 2023.
The seminar addresses docents and staff from the Mittelbau of the University of Bern.
Science and the Public, Friday, May 12, 2023 - Saturday, May 13, 2023
University: Münchenwiler Seminar - University of Bern (unibe.ch)

• COMET Career Program for Postdocs

The COMET Career Program for Young Women Scientists is specifically aimed at female postdocs and habilitation candidates from all faculties of the University of Bern. It consists of the elements of coaching, mentoring and training and supports young female scientists in successfully realizing their desired academic career and planning their next career steps. Application deadline is March 17, 2023, program start date is June 12, 2023. www.comet.unibe.ch

Call for Tenders / Funding

• swiss young academy: Call for new members.

The Swiss Young Academy (JAS) is a platform of the Swiss Academies of Arts and Sciences (a+) and serves to promote young scientists. Applications until 28.02.2023 at: swissyoungacademy.ch.

Walter Benjamin Kolleg, interdisciplinary research platform on "Aesthetics and Media" is looking for researchers from all disciplines (postdoc level and above) who want to participate. This interdisciplinary research platform will explore, for example, recent approaches to New Formalism, postcolonial and praxeological genre poetics, style theory, as well as media aesthetics, media comparative studies, and intermediality. It is intended to provide a forum for anyone interested in the workings and social performativity of symbolic media, be they images, sounds, language, bodies (movements, communication, affects, etc.), artifacts, or other thing-space arrangements. If interested, please contact Dr. Sofie Behluli by March 10, 2023: sofie.behluli@unibe.ch

• Socialmedia, Uni Bern: Call for Takeovers and Interviews

For the Instagram channel, the Communication Department is looking for researchers who would like to report on their daily research routine as part of a takeover. This can be from the lab or from a research trip. Researchers will receive login credentials for the UniBE channel and may independently post to the Stories. We are also still looking for researchers for our TikTok channel who would like to present their research, lab or similar in a conversation with our "Faces". If you know a person who would be suitable for one or the other format, get in touch with: socialmedia@unibe.ch

Newsflash

• The University Library of Bern is helping to build the future of Open Access

As part of the EU CRAFT Open Access project, the University Library of Bern is participating in the development of better tools and services for scientific journal publishing. Along with the University of Bern, 232 institutions from 14 countries are participating in the project to jointly shape the scientific publishing landscape of the future. Further information

La bibliothèque universitaire de Berne participe à la construction de l’avenir de l’Open Access

Dans le cadre du projet européen CRAFT Open Access, la bibliothèque universitaire de Berne participe au développement de meilleurs outils et services pour la publication de revues scientifiques. Avec l’Université de Berne, 23 institutions de 14 pays participent au projet afin de façonner ensemble le paysage de la publication scientifique de demain. Plus d’informations

• University Library: News on Read & Publish agreements from 2023 onwards

Service: Read and Publish - Universitätsbibliothek (unibe.ch)

• Library of University Bern: News about Read & Publish agreements from 2023

Services: Read and Publish - Universitätsbibliothek (unibe.ch)

• News on Gold Open Access from 2023

Open Access Publikationsfonds der Uni Bern

• swisscovery: Benefits for UniBE employees

With the implementation of extended ordering options in swisscovery, the most popular lending services of the University Library of Bern via swisscovery are free of charge for all UniBE employees. This includes media delivery by SLSP courier throughout Switzerland, media delivery by mail, ordering digital copies, and interlibrary loan. Further information:
https://www.ub.unibe.ch/research/researchplatform/index_eng.html#pane1284032

In 2023, the University of Zurich will create new permanent positions in teaching and research: "Lecturers" and "Senior Lecturers" with a focus on either teaching or research. In this way, it is opening up new career prospects for well-qualified young researchers, to the article: UZH - News - Lecturers

Germany: NGAWiss: Network for Good Work in Science
https://mittelbau.net/

A PLATFORM FOR GOOD WORK IN SCIENCE

Networking

• Collective membership

Starting in 2023, a meeting with the MVUB Board and the contact persons of the collective members will take place once per semester. This will take place in spring with a joint lunch at the UniS. The collective representatives will receive a separate invitation.

Support

Martin Widmer, MLaw, attorney at law, offers members brief telephone consultations on employment issues at the University of Bern:
From 4:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. on tel. no. 031 684 88 98 on:
February 22 I March 29 I April 26 I May 24 I June 28 I August 30 I September 27 I October 25 and November 29, 2023.

Publications

• SAGW Bulletin 3/22: Money: its values, its transformations

Bulletin 3/22: Money: its values, its transformations - Swiss Academy of Humanities and Social Sciences (sagw.ch)

Further Education

• Vice Rector's Office of Teaching: "Tips and Tools for Good Teaching"

The course will next be held on March 31, 2023. Deadline for registration is March 17, 2023.
Events: Tips and Tools for Good Teaching - Good Teaching at the University of Bern (unibe.ch)

• University didactics and teaching development:

Courses and Conferences: Tag der Lehre - Hochschuldidaktik & Lehrentwicklung (unibe.ch).

Course Program Equal Opportunity Division: University: Courses - University of Bern (unibe.ch)

• SNF media courses for researchers

How do I communicate my research topic to a broad audience? How can I formulate complex knowledge in an understandable way and still be precise?
Researchers are professionals. They know their field of research, are in constant exchange with colleagues, and are familiar with their specialist discourse. But current topics such as the Covid19 pandemic, climate change, the energy transition or international conflicts show every day that communication must go beyond professional boundaries.
The public and politicians depend on scientific expertise. And they also expect it.
This requires the translation of scientific findings and debates from specialist discourse into a language that is generally understandable.
This is not always easy and needs to be learned. After all, it is not only the general public that hears, sees and reads, but also colleagues in the field.
The SNSF's media courses offer researchers the opportunity to prepare and practice their appearance on TV, radio, in the press or on social media, guided by professional media professionals and coaches.
You can find the course offerings and a registration option at:£
https://www.snf.ch/de/vHmVpRYYUJYwO6On/foerderung/wissenschaftskommunikation/medienkurse

• Current communications from the Vice Rectorate for Research (internal):

Services: Current communications - Uni Intern (unibe.ch)

• Vizrerektorat Lehre: Information on teaching: Direct entry pages: Information on Teaching - University of Bern (unibe.ch)