For philosopher Martha C. Nussbaum it is clear: Anger and revenge are destructive and don’t get us anywhere – whether it’s personal or political. She wants us instead to embrace “transition anger”: Anger that acknowledges problems but looks for solutions. More …

The Swiss Institute for Children’s and Young Adult Books (SIKJM) researches, documents and promotes children’s literature in Switzerland. On the occasion of its 50th anniversary, in September the institute published the Atlas der Schweizer Kinderliteratur. More … 1 Comment

Researchers at the Universities of Zurich and Cambridge have discovered a new, exotic class of planets outside our solar system. These super-Earths were formed at high temperatures close to their host star and contain high quantities of calcium, aluminum and their oxides – including sapphire and ruby. More …

Christmas is a time to make wishes. We asked the UZH staff and students to tell us their hopes for 2019. Find out what they said in our video. From UZH News: Happy holidays and may all your wishes come true! More …

Children learn to read in playful ways. But it’s not always easy for them to connect the abstract groups of letters with their meaning. Neurobiologist Silvia Brem researches how children learn to read and how those with reading difficulties can be helped. More …

In the Model United Nations (MUN) at UZH, students get the chance to represent a country’s interests and refine their reasoning while discussing the burning issues in international politics – just like in the real United Nations. We met with Deborah Häusermann, who chairs the debate-driven student organization. More …

UZH alumnus Johan Rochel has an ambitious goal: He wants all countries to have a fair share of the innovation pie. We met with the idealist who wants to shake things up. More …

Using scientific expertise to start your own business and develop marketable products is a high-stakes adventure. The new UZH Magazin presents a selection of innovative entrepreneurs who dared to think big. More …

UZH students teamed up with historians to shed light on the little known Swiss Trotskyist movement during the Cold War. The seminar project was adapted into a book, which has now been published. More …

Ad fontes is an eLearning tool that teaches people how to use archives and read old manuscripts. It is aimed at students but also available to the general public – and is appreciated by both. More …

A new kind of heat treatment could be an effective way of supporting cancer therapy. Caroline Maake heats up tumors using naturally occurring nanoparticles, which has shown to eliminate cancer cells in animal models. More …

A new exhibition about the many people who found a new home in Switzerland after the suppression of the Prague Spring 50 years ago opened in the Lichthof yesterday, and a commemorative plaque was ceremoniously unveiled. And, at a joint symposium, Charles University in Prague and UZH reinforced their strategic partnership. More …

Starting in December, drones will be transporting laboratory samples between UniversityHospital Zurich and the UZH lab on Irchel Campus – an approach that is time-saving as well as technologically and ecologically innovative. More …

In his guest lecture at UZH, American political scientist Francis Fukuyama claimed that both right-wing and left-wing identity politics pose a threat to democracy. He pleaded for a rational return to universal values. More …

Instead of continuing to plant trees futilely, for decades Tony Rinaudo has been persuading African farmers to regenerate trees from the existing underground root system. The agronomist received a Right Livelihood Award for his longstanding efforts. On Wednesday he spoke about his work at the University of Zurich. More …

At its annual event this week, the University Medicine Zurich initiative presented its new flagship project SURGENT. The new technology enables operations to be planned and carried out with the utmost precision, in part thanks to holographic navigation. More …

This past Wednesday the University of Zurich and ETH jointly unveiled the new Participatory Science Academy, an expansion of the Citizen Science Center Zurich that aims to bring citizen science to a new level. The Academy is generously sponsored by the Stiftung Mercator Schweiz. More …

The University of Zurich has joined a global Internet of Things network. Two LoRaWAN gateways stand ready to be used for research and teaching purposes. More …

Sociologist Katja Rost and molecular biologist Christian Mosimann discuss the significance of international experience and mobility for academic careers. They find that stays in renowned universities abroad aren’t enough. More …

Their research is making waves: Political science students taking part in a Capstone Course examined cases of police brutality in Kenya. More …

As part of Kunst: Szene Zürich 2018, the University of Zurich has opened its doors to artists, creating a dialogue between art and research. The works on display in the Lichthof are part of several exhibitions by 250 artists in total which can be seen in various locations around the city until 2 December. More …

Martin Gubser has headed the UZH Foundation since the beginning of May. He intends to step up efforts to raise funds from alumni and attract bequests to tap what he sees as the greatest potential – private individuals. More …

Most rare diseases have genetic causes and cannot yet be healed. But treatments are improving, and this benefits patients, as the example of Andrin Walt demonstrates. More …

The November issue of the UZH Journal focuses on mobility and international experience. We present researchers from abroad who have been able to come to the University of Zurich thanks to EU grants. In the debate, we ask how important it is for academics to be mobile and gain international experience. Selected texts are now also available in English online. More …

The effects of the digital revolution are being seen everywhere – including in jobseeking and recruitment. At the Long Night of Careers taking place this week on 22 November, you can get lots of useful tips for planning your career. Here’s a sneak preview. More …

Astrophysicists of the University of Zurich and ETH Zurich show how the icy moons of Uranus came to be. Their findings suggest that such potentially habitable worlds are much more abundant in the Universe than previously believed. The incredibly complex computer simulations were performed at the Swiss National Supercomputing Centre (CSCS) in Lugano. More …

Federal Councilor Ignazio Cassis was last week invited by the Swiss Institute of International Studies to give a talk at the University of Zurich. He warned of a deadlock in negotiations with the EU that was leading to an erosion of the markets. More …

Sociology or cultural analysis? Computational or comparative linguistics? At the Master’s information event in mid-November, Bachelor’s students from the third semester or above could find out about selected Master’s degree programs at UZH. In the video, some students tell us which Master they could choose. More …

It’s not just the regular exhibits at the Zoological Museum that are spectacular — it also houses an impressive natural history collection. And while not normally accessible to the public, its doors will be open for a day on 17 November, National Natural History Collections Day, when visitors can enter the storage rooms and explore. More …

UZH is establishing new strategic principles to set the direction of its future development. A draft version is now being put to university-wide consultation. President Michael Hengartner and Deputy President Gabriele Siegert explain the principles in more detail in this interview. More …

Financial analysts' expertise and predictions are imaginary constructs, says Stefan Leins. The social anthropologist researched their daily routines and their work. More …

With virtually reconstructed crime scenes, suspects, lawyers and judges are instantly transported to the spot where it all took place – and clues to the crime are revealed. More …

UZH now is the most user-friendly Swiss app of 2018. At the Best of Swiss Apps 2018 awards ceremony, UZH’s official app also won two more prizes in the Innovation and Functionality categories. More …

This year’s Tag der Lehre at UZH focused on the topic of digitalization. The celebratory highlight was the presentation of 57 semester awards for students’ outstanding work. More …

Traumatic events occurring shortly after birth cause changes to genetic traits that are passed on to offspring over as many as four generations, neuroepigenetics professor Isabelle Mansuy has shown. More …

The University of Zurich is planning to build a large teaching and learning center opposite its current main building – the FORUM UZH. The architectural competition for the new building was won by a general planning team made up of the renowned architecture firm Herzog & de Meuron Basel Ltd. as well as b+p baurealisation ag. The winning project will be presented in January. More …

By decoding voices, forensic phoneticians provide important clues for the police or secret services. UZH phonetician Volker Dellwo hopes that in the future it will be possible to make identikit images based on voices. More …

At the 67th edition of the UNI-POLY rowing regatta last Saturday, the boats of the University of Zurich men and professors were victorious, while the women and alumni of ETH Zurich won their races. In the race between the 16-scull boats, held for the second time, ETH Zurich came out on top. More …

Things that were once strictly in the private sphere are becoming increasingly public thanks to the internet – even the end of life. Linguist Karina Frick researches the niceties of online mourning. More …

Last week saw researchers from Switzerland and California gather at the Zürich meets San Francisco festival. On the agenda was the influence of social media on democracy. More …

Fake news isn’t a new phenomenon. According to German philologist Christian Kiening, who has established a Center for Historical Mediology at UZH, authenticating information was already a problem back in the Middle Ages. In this interview he takes a historian’s look at today’s media landscape. More …

Digitalization is becoming the Fourth Industrial Revolution. On Digital Day, UZH showcased some of the possibilities of digital technologies and specific aspects of digital transformation in Zurich Main Station. More …

Thanks to its far-reaching and interdisciplinary research and teaching in the area of climate change, UZH has been chosen as a climate action hub. This distinction is awarded by the United Nations Academic Impact on the occasion of United Nations Day. More …

The University of Zurich is investing in digital: With 18 new professorships, it is set to become a global hub for research into the digital revolution. More …

Two UZH researchers have received an ERC Synergy Grant – an innovative funding scheme of the European Research Council. Biochemists Andreas Plückthun and Ohad Medalia want to use this support to develop a novel high-resolution imaging method for molecules. More …

Neuroscientist Olivia Faull researches the links between anxiety and breathing. Her research project is one of the many being presented on the upcoming Digital Day. More …

Apps to help us lead healthier lives, artificial intelligence to enhance monitoring of intensive care patients, and electronic diaries to improve the lives of multiple sclerosis sufferers: On Digital Day, UZH presents ways in which digital technology can change and advance medicine. More …

Creating good living conditions for all – that is law professor Christine Kaufmann’s goal as new chair of the OECD Working Party on Responsible Business Conduct, as she explains in this interview. More …

For Elisabeth Bronfen, any day without cooking is a sad day. As part of the 100 Ways of Thinking exhibition, the professor of English literature cooked a mouthwatering meal for the visitors in the Kunsthalle – and showed that cooking and thinking go hand in hand. More …

A workshop at the Crowdfunding Science Festival 2018 showed researchers how to get funding for their projects and at the same time build up a community of supporters. More …

On Tuesday, Polish President Andrzej Duda spoke about Poland and European integration at the Churchill Symposium. Duda showed himself to be a firm believer in a unified Europe. More …

A new plagiarism detection software program allows members of the UZH teaching staff to check papers for unmarked sources and plagiarized sections. More …

UZH isn’t only a place of research, but also has an important role when it comes to teaching. And this doesn’t only apply to students: Around 80 young people are receiving vocational training at UZH. We met two of them, Alessandro Savoca and Joana Hauser. More …

UZH’s Department of Banking and Finance was founded as the “Institut für Schweizerisches Bankwesen” in the winter semester of 1968/69. On the occasion of its 50th anniversary celebrations, we look back on half a century’s worth of successful research and teaching. More …

Language, intelligence, cooperation – the things that supposedly set humans apart are increasingly being discovered in the animal kingdom. Animals hold a mirror up to our own nature and help us understand what makes us human. More …

UZH alumnae celebrated the founding of the UZH Alumni women’s chapter. As the evening showed, there is still a long way to go until women are fully equal. More …

Many studies of empirical research do not stand up to scrutiny upon review. The new Center for Reproducible Science at UZH aims to improve the quality of research in this area and set the tone for research in Switzerland. More …

Often discriminated against, pathologized or simply ignored: People identifying as transgender don’t have an easy ride, even in these supposedly liberal times. At an event at UZH, experts and those affected discussed what can be done to provide fair studying and working conditions at the University. More …

People who suffer from dementia are unable to express themselves. They rely on outside help, particularly at the end of their lives. The research team behind the Zurich Life and Death with Advanced Dementia Study has published a guide for relatives of dementia patients. More …

The winners of this year’s Right Livelihood Award were announced this week. Among them is Australian agronomist Tony Rinaudo, who will be giving a lecture at the University of Zurich on 28 November 2018. More …

Twenty years ago, the Center for Gerontology of the University of Zurich marked the start of interdisciplinary research on aging. In our interview, the center’s director Hans Rudolf Schelling discusses how gerontology research has developed since then. More …

Language, intelligence, cooperation – the things that supposedly set humans apart are increasingly being discovered in the animal kingdom. Animals hold a mirror up to our own nature and help us understand what makes us human, as the new UZH Magazin shows. More …

The UZH Alumni & Family Day 2018 at Irchel Campus gave alumni and their children the opportunity to get a taste of modern student life and do hands-on scientific experiments. Our author Caitlin Stephens spent a memorable morning at the event with her daughter Evie and her friend Alice. More …

Are digitalization and automation making jobs disappear? Not according to American organizational theorist Thomas Malone, who gave a guest lecture at the UZH Digital Forum last week. More …

Just in time for the start of the new semester, the kiosks in the University’s main building and on Irchel Campus have reopened, selling freshly brewed coffee and the little treats that every student needs occasionally. More …

Remote sensing expert Michael Schaepman wants to use a new aerial sensing method to investigate the complex interplay between ecosystems, species and genes. It could help measure global biodiversity. His research project is supported by the NOMIS Foundation. More …

On Partner Day, on which UZH’s international partner universities come together, delegates from universities all over the world visited the main building of UZH. Hear from the participants in our video. More … 1 Comment

Two UZH researchers have been awarded grants under swissuniversities’ Development and Coordination Network program (SUDAC). These promote collaboration between Swiss higher education institutions and their partners from the Global South who are committed to researching and overcoming global challenges. The International Relations Office at UZH shares this goal, which is why it is staging a workshop on the topic. More …

This year’s award of the Betty and David Koetser Foundation for Brain Research was presented to Professor Alastair Compston from the University of Cambridge. He was awarded for his research into the causes of multiple sclerosis and the discovery of new therapies. More …

In the September issue of the UZH Journal, we find out what motivates students to become tutors during their studies. Meanwhile, this issue’s debate section is dedicated to the much-discussed library project, “UZH Library of the Future”. And, the Journal will also be available online in English for the first time. More …

In the Kunsthalle Zürich, the 100 Ways of Thinking festival is for once focusing on the sensory and aesthetic side of UZH’s research. The following picture gallery presents some of the highlights of the science festival so far. More …

Anita Rauch can make precise diagnoses of diseases through genetic analyses and find pointers for the right therapy, for example for breast cancer patients. More …

After an intensive set-up phase, the Citizen Science Center of UZH and ETH is now ready to hit the ground running. With the new Participatory Science Academy, it aims to bring citizen science to a new level. In this interview, co-director Mike Martin, professor of gerontopsychology at UZH, co-founder Effy Vayena, professor of bioethics at ETH, and managing director Rosy Mondardini explain the concept and future plans for the center. More …

Ties between the University of Zurich and Shanghai Jiao Tong University in China have become stronger with the signing of a university-wide agreement. The agreement in particular supports student exchanges between the two universities. More …

The 100 Ways of Thinking science festival, which will be on for the next 10 weeks, has finally kicked off. UZH has taken up space in the Kunsthalle Zürich to showcase the links between art and science. Last Tuesday saw a very special event take place: Famous Polish artist Artur Żmijewski invited people to join him in producing a collective painting – as seen in the video. More …

Eva Veronesi researches arboviruses at the Institute of Parasitology. These viruses are mainly transmitted by mosquitoes and cause diseases such as dengue fever, yellow fever and Zika. Arboviral diseases are on the rise and should be given more attention, says Veronesi. More …

Burkhard Becher uses cutting-edge procedures to determine highly complex blood profiles. They provide the immunologist with information about how successful various cancer therapies are likely to be. More …

Shraddha Karve is a postdoc at the Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies. She researches the stress resistance of bacteria and the evolution of proteins. She is currently organizing a conference to strengthen cooperation between researchers from India and UZH. We met with her to find out more. More … 3 Comments

On Core Day, UZH’s technology platforms showcase their work on Irchel Campus. They make it possible to share the infrastructure needed for research and include small highly specialized facilities as well as large centers such as the Center for Microscopy and Image Analysis. More …

UZH had the honor of welcoming Thomas Zurbuchen, Associate Administrator for the Science Mission Directorate at NASA. He was able to gain an impression of current aviation and spaceflight projects that are being carried out at the UZH Space Hub, which already is collaborating with NASA and further partners. More …

Does the future belong to cyborgs and intelligent machines? Literature scholar Philipp Theisohn and ethicist Johann Roduit discuss the future of humans and society. More …

Should we protect nature because it provides us with resources, or do so simply for its own sake? Philosopher and biologist Anna Deplazes Zemp wants to look at this question from a new point of view using an argumentation of environmental ethics. Her research project is made possible thanks to the generous funding of the NOMIS Foundation. More …

Not long after returning from a holiday, many people already start thinking about their next trip. UZH Alumni offers a number of exciting trips each year. Below you can read about a recent voyage of discovery to Japan with UZH Alumni. More …

Lymphatic vessels actively contribute to the spread of cancer metastases from various organs. This unexpected realization is the result of a joint study as part of the research initiative Skintegrity. More …

The preliminary project for the UZH Library of the Future has reached another major milestone: Following data collection, the formulation of strategic guidelines and the development of solution designs, the concept report has now been put forward for consultation. More …

Songbirds can acquire new abilities both through observation and through trial and error. However, skills acquired with the latter method are more easily adapted to new situations, as scientists at ETH and the University of Zurich have been able to demonstrate. The researchers also see parallels to how children learn. More …

The University of Zurich and the UniversityHospital Zurich have been pooling their efforts in cancer research and medicine since the beginning of 2018 with the new Comprehensive Cancer Center Zurich. By introducing a new funding program, the center is further stepping up its patient-centered cancer research efforts. More …

Slavonic studies expert Sylvia Sasse grew up in the German Democratic Republic. The state wanted her to take up a commercial training program, but she headed to the West and went to university. Today she researches how performance artists stood up against the totalitarian regimes of Eastern Europe. More …

The Executive Board of the University is renewing its structures and processes. The first changes entered into force on 1 August 2018. The Offices of the Vice Presidents have been given new designations, Professor Beatrice Beck Schimmer is the new Vice President Medicine, and Professor Gabriele Siegert has taken on the position of Deputy President in addition to her role as Vice President. The complete reform package will be implemented in stages and completed by 2020. More …

The first UZH Innovators Camp was held recently at the University of Zurich. Aimed at students and young researchers, it gave participants the chance to work together on developing business ideas from their projects. More …

She built particle accelerators, shaped national research policy, and was the first woman to lead a Swiss university: Nuclear physicist Verena Meyer passed away on 21 July at the age of 89. More …

The Royal Musical Association has awarded its Dent Medal to a member of the University of Zurich for the third time, recognizing musicologist Inga Mai Groote for her outstanding work on music history. More …

What should you do to make sure you get back from vacation healthy and rested? Professor Jan Fehr at the Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Prevention Institute advises getting prepared early and taking your time so that your vacation doesn’t turn into a stressful experience. More …

Summer schools make a significant contribution to UZH’s international visibility. The first UZH International Summer School for Bachelor’s and Master’s students from around the world is currently taking place. The 19 visiting and seven UZH students are exploring how Switzerland became one of the richest countries. Over at the Department of Psychology, an international summer school for PhD candidates has just finished. More …

Four group heads from different departments across faculties have joined forces in a pioneering three-million franc project. This collaboration will enable research into new epigenetic approaches for treating cancer. More …

A research group at the chair for developmental psychology in infancy and childhood has shown that babies as young as six months can recognize changes in patterns of activity. The findings also have consequences for our understanding of language development in young children. More …

The annual Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings see Nobel laureates and outstanding junior researchers from all over the world descend on Lake Constance. Karin Prummel of the University of Zurich attended this year’s meeting as an Internationale Bodensee Hochschule (IBH) grant-holder. More …

After years of little progress, cancer research has now entered into a gold rush. The Talk im Turm event on cancer and precision medicine shone an optimistic light on a difficult topic. More …

Everyone knows that they ought to lead a healthy lifestyle. But not everyone finds it so easy to put into practice. That’s where experts offering effective and sustainable support can be of help. In order to train such experts, UZH is offering a new continuing education course, the first of its kind in Switzerland, in physical and mental lifestyle change and mind-body medicine. More …

The Annual Ceremony of the Graduate Campus was focused on the topic of creativity and science. The improv theater group “anundpfirsich” added a playful and participatory twist to the event, at which this year’s Mercator Awards were also handed out. More …

Can poverty be tackled by systematically influencing the behavior of those affected? Or does that just perpetuate it? Christian Berndt and Guilherme Lichand discuss the effects of social intervention. More …

Nicole Bodmer can use the individual genetic fingerprint of blood cancer cells to determine a suitable therapy for children suffering from leukemia. Often this helps – but not always. More …

UZH doctoral candidate José Parra Moyano has been bestowed with a very special honor: The 27-year-old Spaniard was included on Forbes magazine’s prestigious 30 under 30 list. Parra Moyano researches blockchain technology at UZH. More …

Family doctors have always done personalized medicine. While genetic patient data might sometimes make their lives easier, it won’t change the profession in itself, claims Thomas Rosemann, director of the Institute of Primary Care. More …

Will our cities soon be full of whirring aerial devices? Robotics expert Davide Scaramuzza is working on making drones so smart that they can navigate fully autonomously. More …

If the heart is no longer able to pump enough blood around the body, our bodies’ capabilities diminish and the risk of sudden cardiac death increases. But thanks to preventive measures and modern treatment options, the disease has become less of a threat. Cardiologist Frank Ruschitzka reported on developments in the field in a talk at the Zurich Center for Integrative Human Physiology. More …

The National Center of Competence in Research Kidney.CH, with UZH as its leading house, is highly successful. Its kidney research is now entering its third funding period. More …

Coming off anti-depressants can be difficult. Quentin Huys wants to find out what goes on inside the head during the process. That would make the decision about whether to stop taking medication or not easier. More …

Women are less likely than men to reach top positions in academia and are under-represented at higher levels – the result of unconscious prejudices? The LERU Gender Conference, which took place at UZH last week, was devoted to exploring the topic of implicit bias. More …

Until recently Cyril Zipfel was head of the prestigious Sainsbury Laboratory in Norwich, Great Britain. Now he’s taken up a role as professor of plant physiology at UZH – armed with an ERC Consolidator Grant as well as a prestigious Japanese award. More …

The football World Cup kicks off in Russia today. We asked some UZH professors which teams they would be rooting for. More …

Beatrice Beck Schimmer takes up the new role of Vice President Medicine from August. Her goal is to develop university medicine in the Zurich area. A portrait. More …

Onur Boyman, an immunologist working at the University Hospital Zurich and UZH, has joined forces with Andreas Katopodis to establish Anaveon, a company aiming to translate breakthroughs in research in the field of cytokines into new and innovative immunotherapies for cancer. The spin-off has been made possible thanks to support from the UZH Life Sciences Fund. More …

More should be done to promote part-time models for university professors, leaders and managers. CHESS, the Center for Higher Education and Science Studies at UZH, surveyed the current state of affairs. More …

Bernd Bodenmiller’s research provides in-depth insights into tumors. The quantitative biologist investigates how different cells in diseased tissue interact, paving the way for increasingly targeted interventions. More …

Bigger pictures, more flexible layout: UZH Magazin gets a complete new look. Cancer research and therapy are the focus of the latest edition. It reveals how precision medicine can lead to therapies that are more targeted, more successful and less aggressive. More …

Celebrated alumni look back at their time at the University of Zurich. This time, we hear from Andrej Vckovski, CEO of Netcetera. More …

The less the press report on local politics, the lower the voter turnout in the municipalities, a study by political scientist Daniel Kübler has shown. He warns that the crisis of local journalism poses a threat to democracy. More …

Jane Beil-Wagner and Stefan Kleiser are among the first recipients of the new UZH funding program created to support innovation in biomedicine and the life sciences. The “BioEntrepreneur Fellowships” for young researchers were presented at the annual media conference this week. And thanks to a donation from the Werner Siemens Foundation, UZH can expand the program. More …

The new language guidelines published by the UZH give specific examples and practical solutions for everyday use of inclusive language. More …

Marine biologist Angela Ziltener’s most important work is done in El Gouna on the Red Sea. It is here that the UZH scientist conducts her research on dolphins and campaigns to save the habitat of these fascinating creatures. More …

It its meeting of 24 May 2018, the plenary assembly of swissuniversities elected Michael O. Hengartner to a second term (2019–2021) as President of swissuniversities. Hengartner plans to continue his work promoting collaboration among Swiss higher education institutions. More …

It should be impossible to mention Zwingli without also invoking Bullinger. And yet Zurich’s second-most important reformer has remained an unknown figure. This is about to change thanks to the work of UZH researchers. Bullinger's writings are important for interpreting the events of his time, as shown by an exhibition at UZH. More …

A new chapter has been added to UZH Alumni: As part of the final Alumnae Talks event under the auspices of UZH Alumni Co-President Denise Schmid, four UZH graduates presented the newly founded Women’s Chapter. It brings together alumnae of UZH at regular meetings where discussions are bound to be lively and controversial, but also entertaining and eye-opening, says the new chapter’s co-founder, Dr. Elefteria Xekalakis Matthys. More …

What can be done to ensure that the growing number of non-professorial academic staff have adequate career prospects? Where do the challenges lie? UZH Journal discussed these questions with Matthias Egger, President of the SNSF’s National Research Council, Claudine Leysinger from the Graduate Campus, and Georg Winterberger, who represents the non-professorial academic staff. One solution – advocated by the SNSF – lies in creating new tenure-track assistant professorships. More …

The UZH Graduate Campus’ citizen science exhibition has been shown abroad for the first time – at two universities in India. Rafael Küng and Barbara Strobl traveled to India with the exhibition to report on their UZH citizen science project. More …

The May edition of the UZH Journal is dedicated to the topic of leadership. The University of Zurich has developed eight Leadership and Management Principles which were approved by the Extended Executive Board of the University in April. They contain specific recommendations for leaders and managers, and ideas to help them reflect on their own leadership style and behavior. More …

Gabriela Schaepman-Strub of the Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies and a research group are set to travel to Greenland on a mission to strengthen cooperation between Switzerland and Greenland in the area of ecological Arctic research. More …

On 17 May, an exhibition about Swiss reformer Heinrich Bullinger will open at UZH. Peter Opitz, professor at the Institute of Swiss Reformation History, explains the significance of Bullinger for the Reformation. More …

Around 14,000 runners took part in this year’s SOLA relay race. The race was won by team TV Örlikä, who finished about seven minutes ahead of their competition. More …

The second edition of the Tschudi Lecture in honor of the polymath from Glarus, Johann Jakob von Tschudi, takes place next week. For the University’s relatively new Latin American Center, the event presents an opportunity to consolidate its reputation. More …

The SNSF Scientific Image Competition encourages researchers to pick up a camera and present scientific work from a different angle. Our picture gallery features some of the photos submitted by UZH researchers. More …

First there was the Human Genome Project. Now, something even bigger is starting: the Human Cell Atlas. UZH statistician Mark Robinson is part of this global endeavor, developing computational tools to analyze large datasets of human cells. More …

Thanks to the internet, academic publications are increasingly distributed and read online. But open access comes at a price. The Swiss universities are negotiating with the world’s three largest scientific publishers for fair – in other words affordable – terms of access. Michael Hengartner, president of swissuniversities and UZH, explains the background. More …

Thanks to Yuta Daigi, co-chair of the UZH Alumni Chapter in Tokyo, UZH alumni in Japan are part of a close-knit network. Yuta Daigi studied at the University of Zurich and now teaches at Mie University in Japan. His area of research: Language in Johanna Spyri’s Heidi. A portrait. More …

Increasing digitalization poses great challenges for library services wishing to remain attractive and modern. In this interview, Vice President Christian Schwarzenegger discusses the plans for the future of libraries at UZH. More …

The Institute of Biomedical Ethics and History of Medicine is presenting a series of events devoted to the topic of film and dying. On Tuesday the discussion focused on the film Vergiss mein nicht. More …

A dangerous dynamic is developing in Russia’s foreign policy, says UZH Professor Jeronim Perović in an interview. He is director of the Center for Eastern European Studies at UZH, which opens next week with a discussion event on the subject of “Russia and the West”. More …

At the latest Talk im Turm event, educational scientist Katharina Maag Merki and economist Florian Scheuer discussed equal opportunities in education and a tax system that provides performance incentives rather than merely redistributing wealth. More …

Modern technologies are dangerous. Does this mean that individuals should be as seamlessly protected as possible? UZH professor of law Florent Thouvenin believes that this, the current approach to data protection, is misguided. More …

The Board of the University has elected Beatrice Beck Schimmer as Director of Medicine. Michael Hengartner, Gabriele Siegert, Michael Schaepman, and Christian Schwarzenegger have been re-elected for a further term of office. More …

High incomes are not always unfair, and too-high taxes can be bad for the economy, shows economist Florian Scheuer’s research into taxation of the super-rich. More …

Celebrated alumni look back at their time at the University of Zurich. This time, Fanni Fetzer, Director of the Kunstmuseum Luzern. More …

Nephrologist Johan Lorenzen and gastroenterologist Michael Scharl have received the renowned Georg Friedrich Götz Award. This prize is awarded annually at UZH for outstanding contributions in the field of medical research. The award was presented at the Day of Clinical Research at the UniversityHospital Zurich, alongside the presentation of the 2018 Hartmann Müller Memorial Prize. More …

This week, UZH has been hosting university leaders from around Europe. The annual conference of the European University Association, held from 4 to 6 April, was devoted to the question of how universities can shape the Europe of today and of tomorrow. More …

This year’s Swiss corporate running event takes place on 24 May 2018. All employees of the University of Zurich are invited to take part – jogging or walking. More …

Balgrist University Hospital yesterday opened the new University Spine Center Zurich. It brings together expertise in eight different disciplines to offer patients the full range of spinal care services under one roof. More …

A growing number of people are overweight. Studies show that the worst affected are those in more disadvantaged sections of society. Food manufacturers could have a key role to play in the fight against obesity. More …

What does it mean to have another person’s heart in your body? As part of the lecture series of the Zurich Center for Integrative Human Physiology, heart surgeon Michele Genoni reported on his experiences with heart patients and on alternatives to donor hearts. More …

Wolves are here and making political waves: their presence is fueling wild debate about different moral values, and even causing cantonal boundaries to be redrawn. These are the findings of researchers at the UZH Department of Social Anthropology and Cultural Studies. More …

The University Children’s Hospital Zurich is set to move to a new location in the Lengg neighborhood of Zurich, freeing up its former site in Zurich-Hottingen for a new occupant. The Government Council of the Canton of Zurich recommends making the current location of UZH’s Center of Dental Medicine available as a new outpatient clinic of the UniversityHospital Zurich. In turn, the Center of Dental Medicine is to move to the current site being freed up by the Kispi’s relocation. More …

Cancer cells are very resourceful when it comes to evading the body’s repair mechanisms. Cell biologist Matthias Altmeyer researches these strategies, paving the way for novel therapies. More …

Children born prematurely, with heart defects, or who have developmental disorders have a difficult start in life. Physician and researcher Bea Latal has dedicated her career to supporting them. More …

The Foundation for Childcare in the Zurich University Area (kihz) supports members of UZH and ETH Zurich when it comes to childcare. One of the offers is "kihz Flex", which now also provides flexible temporary childcare services on Plattenstrasse near UZH City Campus. More …

From informal groups to a modern diversity policy: At the reception for female professors, which took place for the 10th time this year, attendees recalled the grassroots beginnings of the gender equality movement at UZH, and discussed future steps. More …

The Executive Board of the University is renewing its structures and processes to remain viable for the future. The Offices of the Vice Presidents will be renamed in August 2018, while other elements of the reform will gradually enter into force by 2020. More …

Medics in their first semester at UZH are confronted early on with thorny ethical questions. Now, a new prize is being awarded for the best essays on the subject. Selina Steiger was crowned winner of the very first Premio Pusterla Junior by public vote at an event this week. More …

This year's Mercator Awards recognize the research achievements of immunologist Natalia Arenas-Ramirez, theologian Christoph Heilig, and economist Bruno Caprettini. The awards will be presented at the Annual Event of the Graduate Campus of UZH on 3 July. More …

Star anise is a popular spice used in cooking and also known for its medicinal properties. Social and cultural anthropologist Annuska Derks follows the fruit from its cultivation in Vietnam on its journey through a globalized world. More …

Last Wednesday, leaders and representatives from five Zurich-based higher education institutions joined a panel discussion to set out their vision for "a sustainable university". More …

What are the philosophical questions that we need to debate in connection with artificial intelligence? UZH sociologist of law Christoph Graber organized a workshop on this topic at UZH in cooperation with Harvard University. More …

In 2017, UZH Alumni introduced the idea of chapters, a new format designed to make it easier for University graduates to connect. An example is the new Entrepreneurs Chapter. More …

The Innovation Park Zurich promises great opportunities for research at UZH. The information pavilion was officially opened at an event in Dübendorf on Friday. Air and space travel was the topic of the hour – and UZH's Space Hub initiative is already using the airfield infrastructure for projects from all over Switzerland. More …

Researchers at UZH welcome the shift towards open access publishing, which makes academic work available publicly for free. Around half of researchers already publish their work with open access, according to a comprehensive survey carried out by the Main Library of the University of Zurich. Besides a number of positive results, the survey also revealed a need for more information. More …

Poverty reduces people’s ability to think and take action. Poor people often make the wrong decisions, which means they stay poor. Brazilian economist Guilherme Lichand wants to change this – by text message. More … 1 Comment

The specialist journal for communications science SComS has recently been made available free of charge on UZH’s HOPE platform. The journal has moved from the renowned publisher Elsevier to the platform managed by the Main Library of the University of Zurich. More …

The Swiss National Science Foundation has this year awarded 39 professorships to outstanding young researchers. Almost one in four of them are at the University of Zurich. More …

The Swiss education system is full of hurdles. For children from less privileged families, navigating the route to university is tough. Reforming the system could change that More …

The first thing many of us think about in the morning is our mobile phone. Indeed, our daily lives are dominated by smartphones. According to psychologist Theda Radtke, we should deliberately keep our mobile phones out of sight as well as out of the hands of small children. By Thomas Gull and Roger Nickl More …

A new orangutan species, gender differences, and simulations of outer space: The public are fascinated with research topics. An overview of the 10 UZH media releases that received the most attention in 2017. More …

With the help of a 10 million franc donation, the Faculty of Business, Economics and Informatics of the University of Zurich is to establish a center to research the long-term effects of breastfeeding. The professorship and associated research fund is financed by the Family Larsson-Rosenquist Foundation. More …

The Association of the Non-Professorial Academic Staff of the University of Zurich (VAUZ) has carried out a survey about the job satisfaction and student-to-instructor ratio of doctoral candidates and postdocs at UZH. Vice President Gabriele Siegert discusses the results of the survey below. More …

A deluge of scientific publications is pushing the system to its limits. Studies are questioning the reproducibility of results. In this interview, neuropsychologist Lutz Jäncke and systems biologist Lawrence Rajendran talk about the crisis in the publication process and new solutions such as the Matters of Reproducibility platform. More …

Problems and conflicts are easier to solve with the advice and support of neutral third parties. This is why UZH is setting up an office for counseling and mediation. More …

Science fiction in literature and film can offer us insights into ethics for the post-human age, says Johann Roduit. On the occasion of the 50th birthday of the film 2001: A Space Odyssey, the UZH ethicist has launched a series of events. More …

Markus Graf, a member of the Board of the University since 2016, was particularly committed to real estate development at UZH. He passed away last Saturday at the age of 69. More …

Triathlete and cultural studies scholar Yonca Krahn researches the links between space, sport, and the body. More …

It’s a special birthday for the Association of the Non-Professorial Academic Staff of the University of Zurich (VAUZ) this year: The group was founded 50 years ago by a committed group of staff with the aim of improving their employment conditions and having more of a voice within the University. The UZH Journal looks back at the history of the association that arose out of the turbulence of 1968, and asks where it is headed in the future. More …

Surrogacy has become a trans-national industry. At UZH, an international group of experts has come together to develop principles for the protection of the children involved. In this interview, UZH professor of law Andrea Büchler discusses the challenges. More …

The new exhibition in the Johann Jacobs Museum focuses on Japan's rise as a global power. The exhibition was developed in cooperation with the professorial chairs of UZH art historian Hans Bjarne Thomsen and UZH historian Martin Dusinberre. More …

The Swiss National Science Foundation elected UZH communications scholar Eszter Hargittai to be a member of its National Research Council from April 2018 onwards. Her research focuses among other things on the different ways in which people can benefit from the internet. More …

Michael Hengartner's presidency of the umbrella organization swissuniversities runs until the end of 2018. In this interview, the UZH President talks about what has been achieved so far, the challenges ahead – and why he is planning to stand for re-election. More …

In its meeting of 29 January 2018, the Board of the University approved a number of appointments. More …

This year's winners of the Pfizer Research Awards include seven researchers from the University of Zurich and the University's hospitals. More …

In the Fall Semester of 2018, UZH will launch a pilot project giving high school students the opportunity to study at the University. The initiative was announced by UZH President Michael Hengartner in a press conference. More …

Karin Mölling, professor emerita of virology at UZH, has been awarded the Cross of Merit (First Class) of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany. More …

They're young and interested in learning about the energy of the future: 40 high school students were given the opportunity to explore the chemistry laboratories at UZH last week. Some impressions can be seen in the video below (in German). More …

The 10th edition of the Aarau Democracy Days is dedicated among other things to looking into the effects of digitalization on democracy. In his essay, UZH political science scholar Uwe Serdült discusses the potential of digitalization to change our day-to-day political life. He makes the case for using the opportunities of digital democracy in a constructive way. More …

When it comes to salary, UZH treats men and women virtually the same. This is one of the findings of an analysis of over 9,400 sets of data carried out by the Human Resources Office. More …

The exhibition "Zürcher!nnen machen" examines what being a "Zürcher" actually means. The question was also the fiercely debated topic of a panel discussion. More …

Screws, glasses, printing: The inventions of the Renaissance triggered a dramatic surge in development. Will digitalization have a comparable impact on modern society? Historian Bernd Roeck and physicist Titus Neupert debated the question at UZH’s Talk im Turm podium discussion. More …

Research requires more and more data, while data protection rules exist to protect the privacy of the people involved. Vice President Christian Schwarzenegger, epidemiologist Milo Puhan, and data protection delegate Robert Weniger came together to discuss conflicts arising from these contradictory needs. More …

UZH student Luca Baltensperger rowed across the Atlantic as part of the “Swiss Mocean” team. No mean feat, with about a million rowing strokes over 4,700 kilometers. More …

Movies such as Blade Runner paint a grim picture of the future. Positive utopias, hardly ever seen in entertainment cinema, have found a home in documentaries. Film studies scholar Simon Spiegel tells us why. More …

Medieval Japan wasn’t a pre-modern timeless paradise, says Raji C. Steineck. The Japanese studies scholar is examining the nature of time and researching how time is perceived in the land of the rising sun. More …

According to a study by psychiatrist Wulf Rössler, almost 30 percent of people in Zurich have problems sleeping. The main cause is stress. More …

Anthropologist Carel van Schaik has spent years observing orangutans and tackling the major questions of human evolution. He finds new answers to them time and time again. More … 2 Comments

The first-ever Zurich Philosophy Festival kicks off next week. The theme: “Me, Me, Me.” We spoke to the man behind the festival, UZH philosophy student Urs Siegfried. More … 1 Comment

Polarization in Swiss politics makes the country less able to reform, says political scientist Silja Häusermann. She wants to see a welfare state that helps people to stay in the employment market. More …

Life chances are the focus of the latest issue of the UZH Magazin. Academics at UZH are researching inequality and examining what can be done about it. More …