While the threat posed by climate change is well recognized, the loss of species diversity is less so. The neglected issue takes center stage, however, at the World Biodiversity Forum, organized by UZH, in Davos next week. More …

Our voices are as individual as our appearance. Phonetician Volker Dellwo knows how to decode their special characteristics. He is also developing cloned voices. More …

Some parts of Zurich are colorful and full of life, while others appear drab and empty. Psychologist Alice Hollenstein knows what brings joy to city dwellers – and what doesn’t. More …

A new National Center of Competence in Research (NCCR) will be based at the University of Zurich. Entitled “Evolving Language”, it will investigate the origins and future of language. UZH linguist Balthasar Bickel will serve as co-director of the research network alongside Anne-Lise Giraud from the University of Geneva. The national network includes numerous other universities and research institutes within Switzerland. More …

They personify the dream of wealth and are sometimes morally questionable: Bankers fascinate authors and filmmakers alike. English literature scholar Barbara Straumann researches how the world of finance is depicted in literature and film. More …

Does our academic performance have an effect on our personal development? A new study by UZH education evaluation specialists has investigated this interesting question. More …

In his research on insects in literature, German literature scholar Davide Giuriato has been closely examining the fly – an insect whose extraordinary literary career has seen it progress from villain to idol. More …

With hormonal swings and changes in our social situation, life after forty presents distinct challenges. Psychologists Hannah Süss and Jasmine Willi examine the best ways of managing this phase of our life. More …

From the early medieval Lombards to Bill Gates: People showcasing their wealth and power is nothing new. Medieval art historian Carola Jäggi discusses wealthy benefactors, swanky watches and super-rich Russians. More …

Severe emotional disturbances have until now mainly been associated with violent young men. But girls can also display anti-social behavior. Studies show that changes in the brain can play a role. More …

Anyone embarking recently on a study of Romance languages at UZH has been immersed in seven linguistic traditions at once – all thanks to a blended learning approach integrating videos in different Romance languages. The innovative teaching and learning approach is a lighthouse project. More …

In her doctoral thesis, Silvia Bolliger examined the University of Zurich's stance towards foreign students during the interwar period (1919-1939). The historian and former UZH archivist’s work shines a light on “discreet anti-Semitism”. More …

The much-discussed new Silk Road is the topic of the current lecture series of the Geographic Ethnographic Society of Zurich (GEGZ). Sociologist Patrick Ziltener, one of the speakers, sees much potential here for collaboration with Switzerland. More …

Frank Rühli is an evolutionary medicine expert who is conducting pioneering research on mummified entrails. He recently became the first person to study the Egyptian Museum’s collection of canopic jars from an interdisciplinary perspective. More …

The Swiss National Science Foundation’s PRIMA grants support outstanding female researchers on their way to obtaining professorships. Three recipients of the grant have chosen UZH as the host institution for their research projects. More …

It took a while for film studies to be offered at UZH. When it finally happened in 1989, the subject took off and has been going from success to success ever since. More …

The internet and social media have become a battleground for the war between facts and fake news. How do we separate fact from fiction? And to what extent should operators of social media platforms and search engines be held responsible? More …

In the colloquium “Storytelling with Maps”, students learn to take a critical approach in dealing with the sources of maps. The innovative course is one of the projects supported by the Teaching Fund of UZH. More …

Humans and machines have a long history of co-existence, but artificial intelligence (AI) threatens to disrupt this delicate balance. Will machines become more intelligent than we are? Will they ultimately take over and enslave us? More …

The Teaching Fund project “Siegfried goes YouTube – Alte Mären in neuen Medien” aims to utilize modern media such as video and podcasts in literary analyses. In the first of its four semesters, the project focused on the Nibelungenlied. More …