The new UZH Center for Crisis Competence (CCC) opened its doors this week with a public launch event. Alexander Wagner, professor of finance and co-head of the CCC, tells us about the center’s purpose and how it will contribute to improved crisis competence. More …

Does the history of our languages match the history of our genes? A team of scientists at the University of Zurich and the Max-Planck-Institute have revealed a large number of matches – but also widespread mismatches in around 20 percent of cases, including in Malta, Hungary and Namibia. More …

Researchers from the University of Zurich and ETH Zurich are taking magnetic resonance imaging a step further. With their new method, they can visualize metabolic processes in the body. Their objective is to improve the future diagnosis and treatment of heart disease. More …

UZH has launched a new initiative called the Future of Teaching (“Zukunft der Lehre”). In this interview, Gabriele Siegert explains where the journey is headed and how the initiative will benefit teaching staff and students. More …

In traditional seminar and lecture formats, instructors explain a topic, while students present and discuss their ideas. But these formats are increasingly complemented by new, innovative approaches to learning. UZH systematically promotes these methods. More …

The University of Zurich is increasing its parking fees from 1 January 2023. François Chapuis, Vice President Real Estate and Facility Management, explains why this step is necessary. . More …

The remains of glyptodonts, a group of extinct giant armadillos, indicate that humans spread to South America earlier than previously assumed. Found in northwestern Venezuela, the fractured skulls could represent evidence of hunting by humans, says UZH paleontologist Marcelo Sánchez. Skilled human hunters are also likely to have contributed to pushing the large, heavily armored animals over the brink. More …

Blood stem cell transplantation is a radical but highly effective therapy for multiple sclerosis. An UZH study has now examined in detail the way in which the treatment curbs the autoimmune disease and how the immune system regenerates afterwards. More …

Vascular aging is the most common cause of fatal cardiovascular diseases. Can blood vessels be rejuvenated using fat cells? Cardiologist Soheil Saeedi is developing a novel method to do just that. More …

Global trade policy has become more unpredictable, says the recently appointed Chief Economist of the World Trade Organization (WTO), UZH’s Ralph Ossa. We interviewed him to find out more. More …

The Center for Legal Data Science (CLDS) at UZH is a new hub for research into the use of quantitative methods in legal studies. Researchers and students at the Faculty of Law will benefit from the center’s programs and services. The CLDS will present its aims and areas of activity at its launch event on Monday. More …

The University of Zurich is introducing a new degree program on biodiversity in the 2023 Fall Semester. Students can complete the study program, the only one of its kind in German-speaking countries, at Bachelor’s and Master’s level. More …

Global warming is changing the Arctic by causing permafrost thaw, glacier melt, droughts, fires and changes in vegetation. Different plant communities in the tundra play a key role in the energy exchange between land and the atmosphere but are not taken into account in climate models. More …

A big part of learning involves our memory. Neuroscientists are looking closely at what goes on in our brains when we learn, and are slowly unraveling the mysteries of this incredible ability of ours. More …

At least 33 young people have died from polydrug use in Switzerland since 2018. Polydrug use refers to taking two or more psychoactive substances at the same time. The young adults are often unaware of the associated risks and rarely use the available services to minimize the risks. More …

Acoustic communication is not only widespread in land vertebrates like birds and mammals, but also in reptiles, amphibians and fishes. According to researchers at the University of Zurich, the evolutionary origin of vocal communication dates back more than 400 million years. More …

News media is reaching fewer and fewer people. Young adults consume just seven minutes of news per day on their smartphones. This poses a problem for democracy: news-deprived people are less interested in politics, have lower rates of participation in the political process and have less trust in political institutions. More …

Despite the challenges of the pandemic, workplace satisfaction is high at UZH, as shown by the results of the May 2022 employee survey. We sat down with Deputy President Gabriele Siegert and Stefan Schnyder, Vice President Finances and Human Resources, to learn more about the University’s perspective. More …

It’s possible to produce things in orbit that wouldn’t be possible on Earth, says Oliver Ullrich. We sat down with the biochemist and space physician to learn more about weightless cells, the UZH Space Hub, and humans as an interplanetary species. More …

Do people who can read and write understand spoken language better than those who are illiterate? Research carried out by a UZH researcher with collaborators in India has found that handwriting, specifically the type of writing system used for a language, influences how our brains process speech. More …