Executive Board

Living and breathing a good quality culture

Excellence, transparency and credibility, not to mention respect and tolerance, are central values that the University of Bern follows, and which lay the foundation for the constant development of its academic culture.

By Prof. Dr. Heike Mayer, Vice-Rector Quality 

The Vice-Rectorate Quality deals with equal opportunities, developing quality and sustainable development, three areas that appear very different at first glance. However, what all three have in common is values such as excellence, transparency, credibility and tolerance – values we want to foster as a university. Diversity, for example, is an important basis for excellent research, as diversity in the team, in points of view or in methods mean that issues and results seen in research are constantly questioned. This leads to new ideas and approaches that can compete with, challenge or even take the place of traditional ways of thinking and methods. Ultimately, diversity at a university increases the quality of research and teaching. That said, quality in research and teaching must not be considered separately from national and international standards, as these ensure comparability and constant progress in the University’s core tasks. Teaching and research do not take place in a vacuum – they are always closely linked with the major challenges of their time. As a result, one of the key challenges of our society is sustainable development, something that a university should – and must – encourage as an organization. However, it can also use teaching and research to contribute to a better understanding of the complex relationships seen in sustainable development. As a result, equal opportunities, quality assurance and sustainable development are central pillars for forward-thinking development at the University of Bern. As the successor to Prof. Dr. Silvia Schroer, I have been following these complex relationships in the three areas together with my teams at the Vice-Rectorate Quality since August 2023. 

Equal opportunities 

Equality and equal opportunities are ensured at the University of Bern through various measures and initiatives. Since the fall semester 2023, there has been a point of contact for University members who have observed or been affected by racial abuse, or who have questions related to racism. This point of contact offers advice, develops preventative measures and creates networks. Additionally, the paper “Protecting personal integrity – basic principles at the University of Bern” was drawn up and approved by the University Executive Board. This is used as an orientation aid and pools together the relevant information. Another key focus in 2023 was on addressing issues relating to a barrier-free university. The Office for Equal Opportunities worked on concepts for barrier-free infrastructures and offers advice on compensating for disadvantages. 

Compass UniBE – university preparation for refugee students 

Summer 2023 saw 20 refugee students start the Compass UniBE pilot project. Within a one-year period, the participants are prepared for university studies. In addition to language courses (German and English), they also visit courses on learning and teaching methods, and lecture courses. Significant interest was shown in the program, with over 70 applications received in the first round of registrations. The participants have very different professional, linguistic and cultural backgrounds. They are supported in their integration by a mentoring program offered by the Student Body of the University of Bern (SUB) and a funding program. The project is supported financially by the Canton of Bern, the State Secretariat for Migration, the Burgergemeinde Bern (civic community of Bern) and the University of Bern.  

Sustainable development 

In 2023, the Coordination Office for Sustainable Development was renamed the Sustainable Development Office. The team compiled and published the Sustainability Report for 2020/21 and the Greenhouse Gas Reports for 2020, 2021 and 2022. A particular highlight of the year was the conclusion of the cooperation agreement “Education for Sustainable Development (ESD)” between the University of Bern, the University of Teacher Education in Bern, Bern University of Applied Sciences and NMS Bern, plus the start of the cross-institutional hub “Students4Sustainability” for student activities in the field of sustainability.  

Quality assurance and development 

In recent years, the University of Bern has been able to develop a very good, actively followed quality culture, which has resulted in it receiving unconditional accreditation. Operational discussions were carried out with all faculties for the first time. These discussions were coordinated together with the Vice-Rectorate Quality and the Director of Administration, and ensure better harmonization between the faculties and central University administration. Thanks to these discussions, there was a productive and constructive exchange between representatives from the different areas.