Once a year, the Vice-Presidents of The Guild of Research-Intensive Universities visit one of their member universities. This was their first meeting in-person since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. For us at the University of Bern, it was an opportunity to host our friends from The Guild and showcase our university.

For many participants, one of the highlights of their visit was a guided tour of Vitaport by Hugues Abriel, Vice Rector of Research at the University of Bern. Vitaport is a nature trail in the Elfenaupark, which explains with beautiful visuals how nutrients and molecules are transported through our bodies. For the delegates, most of them scientists themselves, it was a good example of citizen science and how to communicate science to the public in an accessible way.

Switzerland and Europe

The University of Bern invited Martina Hirayama, head of the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI). She discussed with the VPs how to deepen the cooperation between Switzerland and the EU in research, innovation and higher education.

All member universities of The Guild are taking part in the European Universities initiative, which aims to build alliances between universities by promoting the mobility of students and researchers. There was a lively discussion on how this initiative challenges universities across Europe to work together more closely than ever before. 

Ties to Africa

Earlier this year, the political leaders of the African Union and the European Union launched what they called “a joint vision for a renewed partnership”. Part of this vision is the AU-EU Innovation Agenda, in the formation of which The Guild has played a vital role by emphasising the importance of a long-term and sustainable investment in the African knowledge society.

The University of Bern is supporting these efforts by The Guild to create equitable north-south partnerships between universities. In addition, the University of Bern is launching a programme for up to six doctoral students to receive training in Bern. The initiative is being developed in partnership with the African Research Universities Alliance (ARUA) and will be called Fellowships at the University of Bern for ARUA PhD students (FUBA).

Given the urgent need for Switzerland to be associated with Horizon Europe, the visit from the vice presidents of The Guild could not have been timelier. Meeting delegates from member universities of The Guild showed again that no matter what happens in politics, as a university, we know that we have friends in Europe.

Text: Caspar Bienek
Images: Claudio De Capitano