An untouched mountain paradise, fresh air, the freedom of life on the alp. The Heidi anime series from 1974 shaped the Japanese image of Switzerland for decades. And the Japanese Heidi also claimed a space in children’s hearts across Europe. Now, Heidi in Japan is the subject of a symposium at UZH and an exhibition at the Swiss National Museum. Masterminding the two events is art historian Hans Bjarne Thomsen. More …

This summer for the second time, international summer schools for Bachelor’s and Master’s students from around the world are being held at UZH. 59 students from abroad have joined 23 UZH students to explore how Switzerland became one of the richest countries in the world, why it developed into an international financial hub, and what skills it takes to successfully interact with members of different cultures. More …

Algorithms accompany our every click on the internet. Facebook and Google use them to analyze our online behavior. Communications expert Michael Latzer researches what algorithms do and how they shape our view of the world. More …

The fifth Swiss Congress of Historical Sciences will take place at UZH from 5 to 7 June. The theme of the congress is wealth. In this interview, medieval historian Simon Teuscher discusses the meaning of wealth and how ideas about it have changed. More …

Gottfried Keller is the most famous Zurich writer of the 19th century. He had close links with UZH and bequeathed the university his complete estate and archive, laying the foundations for modern-day Keller research. A major international congress is now being held on the occasion of the 200th anniversary of Keller’s birth. From 23 to 25 May, congress attendees and speakers will examine Keller’s literary heritage. More …

With her commitment to the environment, 16-year-old Swede Greta Thunberg has provoked a debate on values among young people all over the world. How do values arise, and how do they change? An interview with social ethics expert Monika Wilhelm and economist Martin Kindschi. More …

Every third teenager is subject to violence from peers. How can we identify risk factors at an early stage and intervene in time? A UZH study investigated these questions, evaluating data from the Zurich long-term study “z-proso”. More …

Children are mostly open and tolerant towards foreigners but, in contrast to adults, their attitudes are easier to change. Much depends on their friends. More …

Many former Verdingkinder suffered a traumatic childhood, but some have managed to cope with the potentially damaging experience. Psychologist Myriam Thoma wanted to know how. More …

How do animals communicate? How do humans acquire language? When humanities scholars and natural scientists join forces, groundbreaking answers to those questions become possible. The new Center for the Interdisciplinary Study of Language Evolution at UZH aims to deliver them. More …

A museum on wheels has recently started touring Uganda. The mobile museum is visiting remote towns and villages to give an insight into Swiss and Ugandan dairy practices. This traveling exhibition was co-created by the Ethnographic Museum at UZH. Here we take a closer look. More …

The University of Zurich is investing in research into human languages. In the next few years a great deal of equipment will be bought and labs built as part of the LiRI project. With the help of IT specialists, it will be possible to process and analyze large volumes of data. More …

Do women lead differently? How do they view employee leadership and what is their approach to management? Italian studies expert Tatiana Crivelli Speciale and natural scientist Nicole Joller each have different views on this topic – including on gender quotas. More …

On Friday the Universities of Zurich and Basel celebrated their joint professorial chair for Nordic studies. Invited guests included the Finnish, Norwegian and Swedish ambassadors. More …

A brilliant lecture by Egyptologist Jan Assmann opened the series of Ringvorlesungen on the theme of Migration in Antiquity. The event also marked the opening of the ZAZH – Zurich Center for the Study of the Ancient World. More …

Film studies has been remarkably indifferent when it comes to exploring the topic of color. The research project FilmColors wants to change this – and in doing so open up a range of new tools for film studies scholars. More …

A public lecture series at UZH investigates the many faces of poet, writer, politician and painter Gottfried Keller, who was born 200 years ago. Notable Keller expert Ursula Amrein discusses why his work has remained meaningful to this day and what he had in common with railway pioneer Alfred Escher, who was a contemporary of Keller. More …

UZH’s chair for global history has introduced a podcast series in cooperation with partners from across Europe. It provides listeners with fascinating insights into the history and historiography of East Asia, from the 16th century to the present. More …

There are many different ways of looking back on your life. One example is writing an autobiography. The website meet-my-life.net guides people wishing to put the story of their lives into words. Earlier this week, the best autobiographies were awarded prizes at an event held in UZH’s main lecture hall. More …

Swiss diplomat Christine Schraner Burgener has been the United Nations Special Envoy on Myanmar since last spring. A law degree from the University of Zurich formed the basis for her exceptional career. More … 1 Comment