Current topics of The Guild working groups
On 20 December 2021, UniBE-representatives in the working groups of The Guild held their annual get-together. They shared insights from their discussions with colleagues working at the other 20 universities of The Guild. This event was a welcome occasion to meet six newly-appointed members of The Guild working groups and our two new Vice Rectors, Virginia Richter and Hugues Abriel. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the meeting had to take place online.
The University of Bern is active in 17 of 19 working groups of The Guild. The meeting gave everybody involved a glimpse into the discussions of The Guild working groups. They covered a wide range of topics, many of which have links to ongoing political debates in Europe as well as in Switzerland.
Horizon Europe
Not being associated to Horizon Europe was a heavy blow for Switzerland. Despite the difficult circumstances, the Grants Office is working closely with researchers to advise them on their options. Frederike Bernsdorff, a member of the Research Support Offices working group of The Guild, pointed out that researchers at the University of Bern could take part in selected research projects as collaborative partners, apply for MSCA fellowships and in some cases even lead a package of a grant application.
Gender Equality Plans will become an important aspect of Horizon Europe projects. Sabine Höfler, a member of the working group Gender Equality and Diversity, had the opportunity to present the “Chancengleichheitsplan” of the University of Bern as a best practice case study. With such a well-developed action plan, the University of Bern is already meeting this criterion for participation in Horizon Europe projects.
New collaborations with African universities
The working group on North-South dialogue is currently discussing how The Guild universities can support capacity building at African universities. Thomas Breu, a member of the North-South dialogue working group, showed how much the discussions in this working group intertwine with research collaborations of the CDE and with projects of the Academy for Nature. He welcomes and supports the Bern-ARUA PhD funding scheme, which is about to start in 2022.
Everybody representing the University of Bern at The Guild working groups has the chance to have a say in how The Guild is responding to consultations for European legislation. Moreover, they hear the arguments put forward by our European partners. For the University of Bern, being a member of The Guild means that we are involved in the discussions on the future of European research and education policies.
Text: Caspar Bienek