I grew up bilingual (Czech and German) and this certainly influenced the choice of my academic field, as well as my life-long interest in observing cultural differences. For example, in Great Britain I was a Visiting Fellow at the Universities of Kent at Canterbury, Leeds, and Edinburgh, and it was fascinating to see how much the South, middle and North of the UK differ – in terms of dialect, food, prosperity, social structure, ambience, and mental dispositions.

How has the international aspect of an academic career influenced your research and teaching?

It was a real eye-opener when I first attended, as a doctoral student, a conference in the UK. I came from a rather hierarchical university, where basically you where nobody if you weren’t a “Lehrstuhlinhaber” (male form intended – there were very few women professors at the time). In the Anglo-American context people were much more interested in what you were doing than in your status. I have tried to transfer this attitude into my teaching and my dealings with younger scholars. Regarding research, in my field – English and Comparative Literature – an international outlook is of essence. It simply wouldn’t be possible to conduct any meaningful research without international networks, or without access to sources in libraries and archives abroad.

“It is one of the huge benefits of the University of Bern that it is so international.”

Virginia Richter

What was your most memorable international adventure?

I looked up the meaning of “adventure” in the Oxford English Dictionary: mostly, it is connoted with hazard, risk, and danger. In this sense, I can’t claim any adventurous experiences; I have never trekked through the desert or anything like that. But adventure also means “a novel or exciting experience”, a change of outlook. And in this regard, even the most sedate academic conference can be an adventure, on the intellectual or personal level. For example, it was through coffee-break conversations with colleagues from Africa that I realised how immensely privileged I am as a European citizen. My freedom of movement is almost unlimited, whereas they have to face all kinds of difficulties when they travel – from problems of getting visa to being regularly detained and searched at airports.

What does international life and research at the University of Bern mean to you?

It is one of the huge benefits of the University of Bern that it is so international. Many of the people who work here either have an international – and often very mixed – background, or at least some working experience in other countries. On a structural level, the university has all kinds of programmes that promote international exchange, from our summer schools to our huge scientific cooperations. These structures contribute to very high standards and a lively campus. However, like many researchers in Switzerland I am worried that our international academic culture could deteriorate due to the failure of the framework treaty with the EU. If we don’t have full access Horizon Europe, the University of Bern could become a less attractive workplace for top researchers. The exclusion from Horizon Europe does not only concern access to funding, but our participation on an equal footing, and in the long run our marginalisation can’t be compensated by national financial efforts.

“The Guild is also an invaluable ally in the current situation, following our exclusion from Horizon Europe.”

Virginia Richter

Of our approximately 7600 researchers, 50% have an international background. What can we as a university do to encourage the international aspects of life at our university?

The university already has a good welcome culture, offering services such as counselling on health insurance, the Swiss tax system, and dual career, as well as language courses. These are very much in demand, and it would be desirable to offer more courses in German as a Foreign Language (as well as Academic English, for our non-native speakers of English). I think that employees with small children have a hard time when they come to Switzerland, due to the high costs and relative scarcity of childcare facilities. Everything the university can do to expand its own daycare offer would be a good investment; from the perspective of internationalisation, there is space for improvement regarding information in English and other languages, and indeed childcare in English.

We are a member of The Guild of European Research-Intensive Universities. What do you value most about this network?

Membership in The Guild gives the University of Bern first-hand access to information on European research and higher education policies; The Guild is also an invaluable ally in the current situation, following our exclusion from Horizon Europe. Moreover, Bern is a research-intensive university, on a world-leading level in some areas, but this excellence is not sufficiently reflected in rankings. The Guild is also a forum to promote our reputation internationally. Conversely, Bern has something to offer to its partner universities. For example, the university has developed cutting-edge strategies to support young scholars, and to promote gender equality and diversity. In this field, Bern has contributed to shaping The Guild’s policy, for example by initiating a new working group on diversity and inclusion.

Where do you see the greatest need for discussion with our Guild partners?

The main topic will remain Switzerland’s fraught relationship with the EU, and its consequences for Swiss research. Moreover, the University of Bern has just launched a cooperation with the African Research Universities Alliance (ARUA), based on the existing partnership between The Guild and ARUA. Our membership of The Guild helped us secure this agreement. I am excited about this new partnership and look forward to meeting researchers from ARUA member universities in Bern.

Text: Virginia Richter
Image: Virginia Richter