Sub-strategy 2: Five key areas

Strategic objective: The University of Bern distinguishes itself both nationally and internationally with excellent research and teaching, particularly in several key areas that represent particular strengths for the University and are of major social and economic significance.

  1. Sustainability: The University of Bern carries out excellent interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary research and teaching on sustainability (ecology, society, economy, culture and climate).
  2. Health and medicine: The University of Bern is helping to turn Bern into an internationally recognized center for medical research and teaching. It aims to establish itself as a Swiss center for state-of-the-art medicine. The University is making outstanding achievements across all medical research disciplines.
  3. Matter and the universe: The University of Bern conducts excellent research in order to gain a better scientific understanding of the Earth and the universe, most notably in space exploration and in basic research on the formation, behavior and transformation of matter.
  4. Intercultural knowledge: The University attaches great importance to contextual intercultural knowledge by conducting research and teaching that reflects on historical, religious, legal, linguistic and gender-specific aspects of cultural development.
  5. Politics and administration: The University of Bern positions and distinguishes itself as the university for the wider Bern region. Outstanding research and rigorous and internationally competitive teaching and continuing education, particularly in law, economics and the social sciences, underpin this.

The faculties, strategic centers, graduate schools, centers of excellence, platforms and networks work hand-in-hand to expand and develop these five key areas and set the University apart in the research community and the public sphere.