Future Day
On Future Day, pupils in 5th to 7th grade can get to know different fields of work and areas of life by accompanying parents or other caregivers to work or by taking part in a special programme. Girls and boys increase their self-confidence to take their future into their own hands, detached from gender stereotypes. The "change of sides" as part of the Future Day thus promotes equal opportunities for women and men in career choices and life planning at an early stage. Since the special programmes at the University of Bern are open to all admitted pupils, the Future Day is also a first insight into the university for a majority of the participants. In this way, it also contributes in a broader sense to the reduction of access barriers - for example with regard to social status - in the field of education.
The University of Bern participates in the National Future Day with different programmes: with various special programmes at the different institutes and units, as well as the career and study choice tour through the city of Bern.
On the road to the future: a course through the city of Bern to help students choose a career and study
Did you know that programming used to be a typical female profession? Did you also wonder why most children's books were written by men or why especially women become dancers and men become sound engineers?
In 2021, a new project was implemented for the first time: A route through the city of Berne to choose a career and study program. In a playful way, the students* get to know different future perspectives at different places. In the lecture hall, at the bus stop or in the shop window, gender segregation in professional life is addressed, but also questioned. Through various short tasks, the students can discover for themselves how stereotypes can be overcome. There will be a total of eight different posts with different thematic focuses to be discovered in Länggasse and the lower Altstadt. In addition to guided tours, the students can also visit the course individually with a caregiver.
The course was developed by the "chance_be" cooperation project of the University of Bern, the Bern University of Teacher Education and the Bern University of Applied Sciences in collaboration with the equality bodies of the Canton and City of Bern.
Special programmes at the University of Bern
Every year, on National Future Day in November, the University of Bern opens its doors to girls and boys in grades 5 to 7. The aim of this event is to show children and young people the diversity of perspectives, professions and fields of study. For despite all the persistence in the choice of profession and study program, a constant change is taking place.
You can find an overview of what the University of Berne has to offer on this year's Future Day here: National Future Day.