Best practice measures

At the University of Bern, specific measures are implemented in various faculties and competence centres that successfully contribute to equality and equal opportunities.

On this page you will find some particularly successful measures.

The best-practice measures are sorted below by field of action of the equal opportunities plans or by university unit:

Best Practice Collections by Field of Action

Below you will find the best practice measures of the university units sorted by the fields of action of the Equal Opportunities Action Plan.

Overview

Newsletter for faculty members

Responsible institution

Faculty of Human Science

Aim

Good information on topics relevant to gender equality

Description

All members of the faculty receive an e-mail once per semester, e.g., with information on the promotion of young researchers, offers from the Faculty's Commission for Gender Equality and further training offers from the Department for Gender Equality.

Implementation period 

Since 2015

Contact person

Equal opportunities coordinator Noemi Walder: noemi.walder@unibe.ch

Links 

Link to the Website

Overview

Show examples of best practice

Responsible institution

Faculty of ​Humanities

Aim

To show examples of best practice through events such as the Equality Lunch or guest lectures.

Description 

One event per year (gender equality lunch/guest lecture), in which best practice examples of the faculty are presented.

Implementation period

Seit 2021

Contact person

Korbinian Seitz: korbinian.seitz@histdek.unibe.ch

Overview

Equal opportunities coordinator 

Responsible institution

Faculty of Business, Economics ​and Social Sciences

Goal

Institutional anchoring of the topics of gender equality and quality assurance

Description

The creation of the position of a quality and equal opportunities coordinator with a 75% workload will institutionally anchor the topics of equal opportunities and quality assurance in the Faculty of Business, Economics and Social Sciences.

Implementation period

Since August 2017

Contact person 

Prof. Michael Gerfin: michael.gerfin@unibe.ch

Links 

Link to the Website

Overview

Global Connections Fellowship

Responsible institution

Faculty of Science

Goal

Promotion of young researchers, diversity and inclusion

Description

Grants for three research fellowships for young researchers from non-Western countries.

Implementation period

2021-2024

Contact person

Prof. Carolin Schurr: carolin.schurr@giub.unibe.ch

Links 

Link to the Website

Overview

Intergenerational Exchange

Responsible institution

Centre for Development and Environment (CDE)

Goal

Exchange of experience and know-how and handover of projects and partnerships between older and younger employees.

Description

In order to ensure this exchange and the handover of projects between the generations, a process is institutionalised that specifically plans for the retirement of older employees. This process should start two to five years before retirement, depending on the position.

Ansprechperson 

Camilla Steinböck: camilla.steinboeck@unibe.ch

Overview

Know the Gap-Lecutre Series

Responsible institution

World Trade Institute (WTI)

Goal

To stimulate discussions on UN Sustainable Development Goal number 5 (gender equality).

Description

These lectures are designed to bring women scientists, leaders of international organisations, government and the private sector to the University of Bern. The stories of inspiring women and the results of original research will be shared to make a concrete contribution to the progressive achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 5 - Gender Equality.

Implementation period

Since 2019

Contact person

Prof. Dr. Elisa Fornalé: elisa.fornale@wti.org

Links 

Link to the Website

Overview

"Emilie Jäger" Lecture Series

Responsible institution

Faculty of Science

Goal

To present inspiring female scientists who act as role models

Description

Lecture series with inspiring female scientists who act as role models

Implementation period

2021-2024

Contact Person

Prof. Carolin Schurr: carolin.schurr@giub.unibe.ch

Links 

Link to the Website

Overview

Increase the number of gender equality delegates in appointment procedures

Responsible institution

Faculty of Law

Aim

Make gender equality issues more visible in appointment committees

Description 

Double the function of "gender equality delegate/ faculty gender equality delegate" in the structural and appointment committees, if possible, by one woman and one man.

Implementation period 

Since 2016

Contact person 

Fiona Leu: fiona.leu@unibe.ch 

Links 

Link to the website

Overview

Active search for female candidates in the application process

Responsible institution

Faculty of Business, Economics ​and Social Sciences

Goal

Unterstützung des wissenschaftlichen Nachwuchses

Description

Das WISO-Mentoring unterstützt Nachwuchswissenschaftlerinnen und Nachwuchswissenschaftler ab der Stufe Postdoc und hat zum Ziel, die TeilnehmerInnen bei ihrer Laufbahnplanung individuell zu unterstützen, Möglichkeiten einer wissenschaftlichen Karriere aufzuzeigen und sie auf dem Weg zu einem Extraordinariat und/oder Ordinariat an Schweizer und internationalen Hochschulen gezielt zu unterstützen.

Implementation period

2021-2024

Contact person

Prof. Michael Gerfin: michael.gerfin@unibe.ch

Links 

Link to the Website

Overview
Active invitation to apply for appointment procedures

Responsible institution

Faculty of Medicine

Goal

Increasing the underrepresented gender in new appointments

Description 

If only women or men who have the potential to be shortlisted for the advertised position apply, at least one to two persons of the unrepresented gender must be actively sought and invited to submit a candidature. As a matter of principle, job advertisements should offer job sharing as an option.

Implementation period  

From early 2018

Contact person

Svea Lehmann: svea.lehmann@unibe.ch

Links 

Link to the Website

Overview
Standardised questions on equality in appointment procedures

Responsible institution

Faculty of Medicine

Goal

Gender equality aspects are included in a standardised and measurable form

Description

In all appointment procedures, candidates are asked 3 to 5 standardised questions on gender equality during the interview. The result will be an integral part of the commission reports as well as the evaluation of the candidates.

Implementation period

Since July 2016

Contact person

Svea Lehmann: svea.lehmann@unibe.ch 

Links 

Link to the Website

Overview

Diversity-sensitive job advertisements

Responsible institution

Centre for Development and Environment (CDE)

Goal

The recruitment process at the CDE is diversity-sensitive and standardised.

Description

If possible, at least one man and one woman are represented in the recruitment process. The process covers the creation of the job advertisement, the screening of the incoming applications, the interviews and the final selection. It is important to note that the CDE strives for diversity in terms of gender, disciplines and cultural background.

Implementation period

Since 2016

Contact person

Camilla Steinböck: camilla.steinboeck@unibe.ch

Overview

Habilitation funding program

Responsible institution

Faculty of Human Science

Aim

Increase the proportion of women at habilitation level

Description

Since 2010, the faculty has maintained a project pool for individual support of women's habilitation theses. Support is provided through the allocation of funds for auxiliary assistance support and laboratory costs, bridging funding, travel for networking, mentoring, etc.

Implementation period

Since 2010

Contact person

Head of the Deanery Barbara Lewis: Barbara.lewis@unibe.ch 

Links 

Link to the website

Overview

Lunch-meetings with Professors

Responsible institution

Faculty of Human Science

Aim 

Promotion of junior staff (mentoring of mid-level staff in an informal setting)

Desciption

Once a semester, questions about science, career and research are discussed with an invited professor in a lunch talk accompanied by a small snack.

Young academics can exchange ideas with a professor in an informal setting and network with each other. They have the opportunity to get to know professors who, for example, have family and/or care responsibilities, are successful in their careers, have successfully overcome obstacles and have found a good balance between private life and career. Such people have an important model function. From 2022, professors representing one of the other diversity categories will also be invited.

Implementation period

Since 2012, with new emphasis points from 2022

Contact person

Equal opportunities coordinator Noemi Walder: noemi.walder@unibe.ch

Links 

Link to the Website

Overview

Mentoring-program

Responsible institution

Faculty of Theology 

Goal

Targeted support for junior academics

Description 

The mentoring programme of the Faculty of Theology serves to provide targeted support for junior female academics; in 2016, the offer was also extended to junior male academics. The programme offers an introduction to the scientific community by familiarising it with written and unwritten laws and mechanisms of academic research. It promotes informal and formal networking and thus provides access to relevant information. Other aspects, such as questions of work-life balance or the importance of gender, are also addressed.

Umsetzungszeitraum 

Since 2011

Ansprechperson 

Mentoring coordination PD Dr. Claudia Kohli: claudia.kohli@unibe.ch

Links 

Link to the Website

Overview

WISO-Mentoring

Responsible institution

Faculty of Business, Economics ​and Social Sciences

Goal

Unterstützung des wissenschaftlichen Nachwuchses

Description

WISO mentoring supports young researchers from the postdoc level onwards and aims to provide participants with individual support in their career planning, to highlight opportunities for an academic career and to provide targeted support on the path to an extraordinariate and/or full professorship at Swiss and international universities.

Implementation period

Since 2010

Contact person

Prof. Michael Gerfin: michael.gerfin@unibe.ch

Links 

Link to the Website

Overview

VetMENT

Responsible institution

Vetsuisse Faculty 

Goal

Support for young scientists

Description

The VetMENT mentoring programme is aimed at all doctoral students, PhD students and assistants, all residents and postdocs, all senior assistants and assistant professors of the Vetsuisse Faculty of the University of Bern.

Description 

Since 2015

Implementation period 

Nora Gassner: nora.gassner@unibe.ch

Links 

Link to the Website

Overview

Mentoring4Women for female researchers aiming for a habilitation

Responsible institution

Faculty of Medicine

Goal

Increase the proportion of women in scientific careers.

Description

Within the framework of a two-year one-to-one mentoring relationship, the mentees have the opportunity to benefit personally from the professional experience of the mentors established at the Faculty of Medicine. With this support, the mentees can map out an individual career plan, expand their network with valuable contacts from their mentor, and develop clear goals for their individual career path.

Implementation period

Since 2012

Contact person

Svea Lehmann: svea.lehmann@unibe.ch

Links 

Link to the Website

Overview

Making women visible in leadership positions

Responsible institution

Faculty of Medicine

Goal

Highlight female role models on the homepage of the medical faculty.

Description

On the homepage of the faculty, women in leadership positions are portrayed on a subpage.

Implementation period

from 2021

Contact person

Svea Lehmann: svea.lehmann@meddek.unibe.ch

Links 

Link to the Website

Overview

Network of academically active women at the Faculty of Medicine

Responsible institution

Faculty of Medicine

Goal

Establish a network of academically active women in medicine at the University of Bern.

Description

The network "FELS" (Female Empowerment in Life Sciences) was founded in 2021. It serves the networking and exchange between female medical and life sciences academics and supports the participants by sharing information and organising workshops.

Implementation period

since 2021

Contact person

Svea Lehmann: svea.lehmann@meddek.unibe.ch

Links 

Link to the Website

Overview

Equality fund for care measures

Responsible institution

Faculty of Humanities

Aim

Increase the compatibility of a scientific career and childcare

Description 

Additional costs of extraordinary care measures during conferences, a research stay, or the final phase of the qualification thesis are covered. The Commission also finances travel costs for children and a carer travelling to a conference or to a research location.

Implementation period 

Since 2016

Contact person 

Korbinian Seitz: korbinian.seitz@histdek.unibe.ch

Links 

Link to the Website

Overview

Summer party for all faculty members and relatives

Responsible institution 

Faculty of Humanities

Aim

Increase the visibility of the employees' family environment.

Description

The Commission for Equality organises a summer party for all faculty members every 2 years, at which the presence of partners and children is explicitly encouraged.

Implementation period

Since 2018

Contact person

Korbinian Seitz: korbinian.seitz@histdek.unibe.ch

Overview

Funds for care tasks for habilitation students

Responsible institution

Faculty of Law 

Goal

Habilitation students can pursue their academic career even with care responsibilities

Description

Habilitation students with care responsibilities can apply for funds from a pool of measures to ease their burden. The measures financed with this money (assistants, relief from care tasks) serve the goal of completing the habilitation as quickly as possible.

Implementation period

Running

Contact person

Fiona Leu: fiona.leu@unibe.ch

Links 

Link to the Website

Overview

Competitive funding scheme for young researchers with care responsibilities

Responsible institution

Faculty of Business, Economics and Social Sciences

Goal

To support junior researchers at the faculty who take on care responsibilities, and to reduce existing disadvantages.

Description

Junior researchers with care responsibilities (childcare, caring for relatives) can apply for staff points for the employment of an assistant who can be used to support their own academic qualifications.

Implementation period

2021-2024

Contact person

Prof. Michael Gerfin: michael.gerfin@unibe.ch

Links 

Link to the Website

Overview

Payment of childcare costs for conferences

Responsible institution

Faculty of Science

Goal

Promoting equal opportunities for researchers with childcare responsibilities

Description

Researchers with childcare responsibilities can apply for funds for childcare during conferences, meetings, job interviews and workshops to ease the financial burden.

Implementation period

Since 2016

Contact person

Claudia Scherrer: claudia.scherrer@natdek.unibe.ch

Links 

Link to the Website

Overview

Information for employees who have recently become parents

Responsible institution

Center for Space and Habitability (CSH)

Goal

Inform parents about support services

Description

E-mail to relevant employees with information about the support services offered by the institute, the faculty, the university and the SNSF.

Implementation period

From 2021

Contact person

Prof. Dr. Susanne Wampfler: susanne.wampfler@unibe.ch

Overview

MINT-Day

Responsible institution

Faculty of Science

Goal

Increasing the proportion of women in the natural sciences.

Description

The taster day for secondary school girls aims to promote a strong presence of women in science and mathematics courses. Stereotypes are to be broken down and young women are to be inspired to study science.

Implementation period

Since 2000, first as "Taster Day for Middle School Girls", since 2021 as MINT Day

Ansprechperson 

Regula Gesemann: regula.gesemann@unibe.ch

Links 

Link to the Website

Overview

Stereotype-free teaching materials 

Responsible institution

Faculty of Law

Goal

Revise teaching materials (practice cases) so that they can be applied to as many concrete cases as possible in everyday life.

Description

The departments and institutes review teaching materials with regard to diversity and work to prevent the didactically unfounded use of stereotypes regarding gender roles, ethnic origin, age or social background.

Implementation period

Until 2024

Contact person

Fiona Leu: fiona.leu@unibe.ch

Overview

Raising awareness of examination anxiety and panic attacks

Responsible institution

Faculty of Law

Goal

Raising awareness and providing information for those affected by examination anxiety or panic attacks.

Description

The departments and institutes endeavour to sensitise their own staff to this phenomenon. Specifically, persons who supervise examinations should be made aware of this and informed about how to proceed with students who have acute examination anxiety. The KGN informs students via its own website about suitable internal and external contact points in the event of examination anxiety.

Implementation period

Until 2024

Contact person

Fiona Leu: fiona.leu@unibe.ch

Overview

Workshop on diversity categories

Responsible institution

Centre for Development and Environment (CDE)

Goal

Workshop for staff to raise awareness and critically examine various diversity issues.

Description

In a half-day workshop, various topics such as racism or discrimination based on social background or sexual orientation will be discussed and reflected upon. Under external guidance, CDE staff critically examine their own perceptions and behavioural patterns on these topics.

Contact person

Camilla Steinböck: camilla.steinboeck@unibe.ch

Best Practice Collection by Faculties and Centres

Below you will find the best practice measures sorted by university units.

Overview

Newsletter for faculty members

Responsible institution

Faculty of Human Science

Aim

Good information on topics relevant to gender equality

Description

All members of the faculty receive an e-mail once per semester, e.g., with information on the promotion of young researchers, offers from the Faculty's Commission for Gender Equality and further training offers from the Department for Gender Equality.

Implementation period 

Since 2015

Contact person

Equal opportunities coordinator Noemi Walder: noemi.walder@unibe.ch

Links 

Link to the Website

Overview

Habilitation funding program

Responsible institution

Faculty of Human Science

Aim

Increase the proportion of women at habilitation level

Description

Since 2010, the faculty has maintained a project pool for individual support of women's habilitation theses. Support is provided through the allocation of funds for auxiliary assistance support and laboratory costs, bridging funding, travel for networking, mentoring, etc.

Implementation period

Since 2010

Contact person

Head of the Deanery Barbara Lewis: Barbara.lewis@unibe.ch 

Links 

Link to the website

Overview

Lunch-meetings with Professors

Responsible institution

Faculty of Human Science

Aim 

Promotion of junior staff (mentoring of mid-level staff in an informal setting)

Desciption

Once a semester, questions about science, career and research are discussed with an invited professor in a lunch talk accompanied by a small snack.

Young academics can exchange ideas with a professor in an informal setting and network with each other. They have the opportunity to get to know professors who, for example, have family and/or care responsibilities, are successful in their careers, have successfully overcome obstacles and have found a good balance between private life and career. Such people have an important model function. From 2022, professors representing one of the other diversity categories will also be invited.

Implementation period

Since 2012, with new emphasis points from 2022

Contact person

Equal opportunities coordinator Noemi Walder: noemi.walder@unibe.ch

Links 

Link to the Website

Overview

Equality fund for care measures

Responsible institution

Faculty of Humanities

Aim

Increase the compatibility of a scientific career and childcare

Description 

Additional costs of extraordinary care measures during conferences, a research stay, or the final phase of the qualification thesis are covered. The Commission also finances travel costs for children and a carer travelling to a conference or to a research location.

Implementation period 

Since 2016

Contact person 

Korbinian Seitz: korbinian.seitz@histdek.unibe.ch

Links 

Link to the Website

Overview

Summer party for all faculty members and relatives

Responsible institution 

Faculty of Humanities

Aim

Increase the visibility of the employees' family environment.

Description

The Commission for Equality organises a summer party for all faculty members every 2 years, at which the presence of partners and children is explicitly encouraged.

Implementation period

Since 2018

Contact person

Korbinian Seitz: korbinian.seitz@histdek.unibe.ch

Overview

Show examples of best practice

Responsible institution

Faculty of ​Humanities

Aim

To show examples of best practice through events such as the Equality Lunch or guest lectures.

Description 

One event per year (gender equality lunch/guest lecture), in which best practice examples of the faculty are presented.

Implementation period

Seit 2021

Contact person

Korbinian Seitz: korbinian.seitz@histdek.unibe.ch

Overview

Increase the number of gender equality delegates in appointment procedures

Responsible institution

Faculty of Law

Aim

Make gender equality issues more visible in appointment committees

Description 

Double the function of "gender equality delegate/ faculty gender equality delegate" in the structural and appointment committees, if possible, by one woman and one man.

Implementation period 

Since 2016

Contact person 

Fiona Leu: fiona.leu@unibe.ch 

Links 

Link to the website

Overview

Funds for care tasks for habilitation students

Responsible institution

Faculty of Law 

Goal

Habilitation students can pursue their academic career even with care responsibilities

Description

Habilitation students with care responsibilities can apply for funds from a pool of measures to ease their burden. The measures financed with this money (assistants, relief from care tasks) serve the goal of completing the habilitation as quickly as possible.

Implementation period

Running

Contact person

Fiona Leu: fiona.leu@unibe.ch

Links 

Link to the Website

Overview

Stereotype-free teaching materials 

Responsible institution

Faculty of Law

Goal

Revise teaching materials (practice cases) so that they can be applied to as many concrete cases as possible in everyday life.

Description

The departments and institutes review teaching materials with regard to diversity and work to prevent the didactically unfounded use of stereotypes regarding gender roles, ethnic origin, age or social background.

Implementation period

Until 2024

Contact person

Fiona Leu: fiona.leu@unibe.ch

Overview

Raising awareness of examination anxiety and panic attacks

Responsible institution

Faculty of Law

Goal

Raising awareness and providing information for those affected by examination anxiety or panic attacks.

Description

The departments and institutes endeavour to sensitise their own staff to this phenomenon. Specifically, persons who supervise examinations should be made aware of this and informed about how to proceed with students who have acute examination anxiety. The KGN informs students via its own website about suitable internal and external contact points in the event of examination anxiety.

Implementation period

Until 2024

Contact person

Fiona Leu: fiona.leu@unibe.ch

Overview

Mentoring-program

Responsible institution

Faculty of Theology 

Goal

Targeted support for junior academics

Description 

The mentoring programme of the Faculty of Theology serves to provide targeted support for junior female academics; in 2016, the offer was also extended to junior male academics. The programme offers an introduction to the scientific community by familiarising it with written and unwritten laws and mechanisms of academic research. It promotes informal and formal networking and thus provides access to relevant information. Other aspects, such as questions of work-life balance or the importance of gender, are also addressed.

Umsetzungszeitraum 

Since 2011

Ansprechperson 

Mentoring coordination PD Dr. Claudia Kohli: claudia.kohli@unibe.ch

Links 

Link to the Website

Overview

VetMENT

Responsible institution

Vetsuisse Faculty 

Goal

Support for young scientists

Description

The VetMENT mentoring programme is aimed at all doctoral students, PhD students and assistants, all residents and postdocs, all senior assistants and assistant professors of the Vetsuisse Faculty of the University of Bern.

Description 

Since 2015

Implementation period 

Nora Gassner: nora.gassner@unibe.ch

Links 

Link to the Website

Overview

Equal opportunities coordinator 

Responsible institution

Faculty of Business, Economics ​and Social Sciences

Goal

Institutional anchoring of the topics of gender equality and quality assurance

Description

The creation of the position of a quality and equal opportunities coordinator with a 75% workload will institutionally anchor the topics of equal opportunities and quality assurance in the Faculty of Business, Economics and Social Sciences.

Implementation period

Since August 2017

Contact person 

Prof. Michael Gerfin: michael.gerfin@unibe.ch

Links 

Link to the Website

Overview

WISO-Mentoring

Responsible institution

Faculty of Business, Economics ​and Social Sciences

Goal

Unterstützung des wissenschaftlichen Nachwuchses

Description

WISO mentoring supports young researchers from the postdoc level onwards and aims to provide participants with individual support in their career planning, to highlight opportunities for an academic career and to provide targeted support on the path to an extraordinariate and/or full professorship at Swiss and international universities.

Implementation period

Since 2010

Contact person

Prof. Michael Gerfin: michael.gerfin@unibe.ch

Links 

Link to the Website

Overview

Active search for female candidates in the application process

Responsible institution

Faculty of Business, Economics ​and Social Sciences

Goal

Unterstützung des wissenschaftlichen Nachwuchses

Description

Das WISO-Mentoring unterstützt Nachwuchswissenschaftlerinnen und Nachwuchswissenschaftler ab der Stufe Postdoc und hat zum Ziel, die TeilnehmerInnen bei ihrer Laufbahnplanung individuell zu unterstützen, Möglichkeiten einer wissenschaftlichen Karriere aufzuzeigen und sie auf dem Weg zu einem Extraordinariat und/oder Ordinariat an Schweizer und internationalen Hochschulen gezielt zu unterstützen.

Implementation period

2021-2024

Contact person

Prof. Michael Gerfin: michael.gerfin@unibe.ch

Links 

Link to the Website

Overview

Competitive funding scheme for young researchers with care responsibilities

Responsible institution

Faculty of Business, Economics and Social Sciences

Goal

To support junior researchers at the faculty who take on care responsibilities, and to reduce existing disadvantages.

Description

Junior researchers with care responsibilities (childcare, caring for relatives) can apply for staff points for the employment of an assistant who can be used to support their own academic qualifications.

Implementation period

2021-2024

Contact person

Prof. Michael Gerfin: michael.gerfin@unibe.ch

Links 

Link to the Website

Overview
Active invitation to apply for appointment procedures

Responsible institution

Faculty of Medicine

Goal

Increasing the underrepresented gender in new appointments

Description 

If only women or men who have the potential to be shortlisted for the advertised position apply, at least one to two persons of the unrepresented gender must be actively sought and invited to submit a candidature. As a matter of principle, job advertisements should offer job sharing as an option.

Implementation period  

From early 2018

Contact person

Svea Lehmann: svea.lehmann@unibe.ch

Links 

Link to the Website

Overview
Standardised questions on equality in appointment procedures

Responsible institution

Faculty of Medicine

Goal

Gender equality aspects are included in a standardised and measurable form

Description

In all appointment procedures, candidates are asked 3 to 5 standardised questions on gender equality during the interview. The result will be an integral part of the commission reports as well as the evaluation of the candidates.

Implementation period

Since July 2016

Contact person

Svea Lehmann: svea.lehmann@unibe.ch 

Links 

Link to the Website

Overview

Mentoring4Women for female researchers aiming for a habilitation

Responsible institution

Faculty of Medicine

Goal

Increase the proportion of women in scientific careers.

Description

Within the framework of a two-year one-to-one mentoring relationship, the mentees have the opportunity to benefit personally from the professional experience of the mentors established at the Faculty of Medicine. With this support, the mentees can map out an individual career plan, expand their network with valuable contacts from their mentor, and develop clear goals for their individual career path.

Implementation period

Since 2012

Contact person

Svea Lehmann: svea.lehmann@unibe.ch

Links 

Link to the Website

Overview

Making women visible in leadership positions

Responsible institution

Faculty of Medicine

Goal

Highlight female role models on the homepage of the medical faculty.

Description

On the homepage of the faculty, women in leadership positions are portrayed on a subpage.

Implementation period

from 2021

Contact person

Svea Lehmann: svea.lehmann@meddek.unibe.ch

Links 

Link to the Website

Overview

Network of academically active women at the Faculty of Medicine

Responsible institution

Faculty of Medicine

Goal

Establish a network of academically active women in medicine at the University of Bern.

Description

The network "FELS" (Female Empowerment in Life Sciences) was founded in 2021. It serves the networking and exchange between female medical and life sciences academics and supports the participants by sharing information and organising workshops.

Implementation period

since 2021

Contact person

Svea Lehmann: svea.lehmann@meddek.unibe.ch

Links 

Link to the Website

Overview

Payment of childcare costs for conferences

Responsible institution

Faculty of Science

Goal

Promoting equal opportunities for researchers with childcare responsibilities

Description

Researchers with childcare responsibilities can apply for funds for childcare during conferences, meetings, job interviews and workshops to ease the financial burden.

Implementation period

Since 2016

Contact person

Claudia Scherrer: claudia.scherrer@natdek.unibe.ch

Links 

Link to the Website

Overview

MINT-Day

Responsible institution

Faculty of Science

Goal

Increasing the proportion of women in the natural sciences.

Description

The taster day for secondary school girls aims to promote a strong presence of women in science and mathematics courses. Stereotypes are to be broken down and young women are to be inspired to study science.

Implementation period

Since 2000, first as "Taster Day for Middle School Girls", since 2021 as MINT Day

Ansprechperson 

Regula Gesemann: regula.gesemann@unibe.ch

Links 

Link to the Website

Overview

"Emilie Jäger" Lecture Series

Responsible institution

Faculty of Science

Goal

To present inspiring female scientists who act as role models

Description

Lecture series with inspiring female scientists who act as role models

Implementation period

2021-2024

Contact Person

Prof. Carolin Schurr: carolin.schurr@giub.unibe.ch

Links 

Link to the Website

Overview

Global Connections Fellowship

Responsible institution

Faculty of Science

Goal

Promotion of young researchers, diversity and inclusion

Description

Grants for three research fellowships for young researchers from non-Western countries.

Implementation period

2021-2024

Contact person

Prof. Carolin Schurr: carolin.schurr@giub.unibe.ch

Links 

Link to the Website

Overview

Diversity-sensitive job advertisements

Responsible institution

Centre for Development and Environment (CDE)

Goal

The recruitment process at the CDE is diversity-sensitive and standardised.

Description

If possible, at least one man and one woman are represented in the recruitment process. The process covers the creation of the job advertisement, the screening of the incoming applications, the interviews and the final selection. It is important to note that the CDE strives for diversity in terms of gender, disciplines and cultural background.

Implementation period

Since 2016

Contact person

Camilla Steinböck: camilla.steinboeck@unibe.ch

Overview

Workshop on diversity categories

Responsible institution

Centre for Development and Environment (CDE)

Goal

Workshop for staff to raise awareness and critically examine various diversity issues.

Description

In a half-day workshop, various topics such as racism or discrimination based on social background or sexual orientation will be discussed and reflected upon. Under external guidance, CDE staff critically examine their own perceptions and behavioural patterns on these topics.

Contact person

Camilla Steinböck: camilla.steinboeck@unibe.ch

Overview

Intergenerational Exchange

Responsible institution

Centre for Development and Environment (CDE)

Goal

Exchange of experience and know-how and handover of projects and partnerships between older and younger employees.

Description

In order to ensure this exchange and the handover of projects between the generations, a process is institutionalised that specifically plans for the retirement of older employees. This process should start two to five years before retirement, depending on the position.

Ansprechperson 

Camilla Steinböck: camilla.steinboeck@unibe.ch

Overview

Information for employees who have recently become parents

Responsible institution

Center for Space and Habitability (CSH)

Goal

Inform parents about support services

Description

E-mail to relevant employees with information about the support services offered by the institute, the faculty, the university and the SNSF.

Implementation period

From 2021

Contact person

Prof. Dr. Susanne Wampfler: susanne.wampfler@unibe.ch

Overview

Know the Gap-Lecutre Series

Responsible institution

World Trade Institute (WTI)

Goal

To stimulate discussions on UN Sustainable Development Goal number 5 (gender equality).

Description

These lectures are designed to bring women scientists, leaders of international organisations, government and the private sector to the University of Bern. The stories of inspiring women and the results of original research will be shared to make a concrete contribution to the progressive achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 5 - Gender Equality.

Implementation period

Since 2019

Contact person

Prof. Dr. Elisa Fornalé: elisa.fornale@wti.org

Links 

Link to the Website