Upcoming events

Engaged UniBE and Institute of Geography are pleased to support the following talk:

Rethinking Governance Perspectives – From Mission to Practice

We are thrilled to welcome Prof. Rob Raven (Monash University, Melbourne/Australia) to Bern!

Rob will be visiting us for a special stop-off straight after the International Sustainability Transitions Conference (IST) in Zurich – and we couldn’t be more delighted. Rob is Director of the Sustainability Transitions Lab at Monash Business School, a Fellow of the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia, and one of the world's most influential researchers on sustainability transitions (Clarivate Highly Cited Researcher, top 2% globally). With over 160 publications, his work has shaped how we think about the role of institutions in driving change toward a more sustainable future.

In this talk, Rob takes us through mission-oriented innovation, university living labs, and sustainability transitions research to tackle a bold question: can universities move beyond observing change to actively driving it? Drawing on over 50 expert interviews and cross-country comparisons, he offers a compelling, multi-level view of how universities can move from strategic missions to institutional governance to everyday research practice.

A must-attend talk for anyone passionate about the future of higher education, governance, and societal transformation!
 

Thursday, 3 September 2026 | 16:00–17:30
Hörsaal 2, Institute of Geography, Hallerstrasse 12, 3012 Bern

Agenda items:

• Welcome by Vice-Rector Heike Mayer
• Presentation by Rob Raven
• Q&A and moderated discussion
• Apéro

Join us afterward for an apéro – connect, discuss, and toast with us!

Hosted by Engaged UniBE and the Unit Economic Geography at the Institute of Geography, University of Bern.

Everyone is warmly welcome – see you there! 🎉 Please register here

More infos about the topic and Rob Raven here.

Are you studying at a higher education in Bern and interested in networking with other students around the topic of sustainable development? Then come to our cross-university networking event organised by Students4Sustainability!

We will start with a delicious vegan aperitif, where you can get to know new people in a relaxed atmosphere. Then it's time for some fun: we will play a game of Stadt-Land-Fluss in groups, specifically on the topic of sustainable development. There are great prizes to be won. You'll also get to know Students4Sustainability, exchange ideas with committed students and maybe even find members for your cross-university project.

The event is open to all students and staff at Bern's higher education institutions, and anyone interested in sustainable development.

Join the Networks4Sustainability Event!

When? Thursday, 5 March 2026, from 6:15 p.m. to approx. 8:30 p.m.

Where? Plenary room (1st floor) PH NMS, Nägeligasse 7, 3011 Bern

Come along and become part of a community that makes a difference! Register at this link.

The first "Wissenschaftsapéro", a co-production of Engaged UniBE and the “Altes Pfarrhaus” meeting place in Muri, took place on March 12. Professor Dr. Dr. Claus Beisbart from the Institute of Philosophy spoke on the topic of “Thinking AI. A future technology from a philosophical perspective” and entered in a discussion with the audience. We would like to thank all participants for the interesting evening and look forward to the next Wissenschaftsapéro on May 21.

The first "Wissenschaftsapéro", a co-production of Engaged UniBE and the “Altes Pfarrhaus” meeting place in Muri, took place on March 12. Professor Dr. Dr. Claus Beisbart from the Institute of Philosophy spoke on the topic of “Thinking AI. A future technology from a philosophical perspective” and entered in a discussion with the audience. We would like to thank all participants for the interesting evening and look forward to the next Wissenschaftsapéro on May 21.

On January 20, 2025, the exciting cross-university project “RealTransform: Real-world laboratories as transformation spaces for sustainable development in universities and society” was launched. In the coming months, we will set the course for real-world experiments that could mark the start of real-world laboratories.

Dr. Lilian Julia Trechsel, Jonas Niederberger and Dr. Claudia Saalfrank are looking forward to working with Dr. rer. pol. Jeannette Behringer, Linde Warland from the University of Zurich, Dr. Sarah-Jane Conrad, Dr. Moritz Gubler and Nina Simonett from the Bern University of Teacher Education, Dr. Clemens Mader, Prof. Dr. Mark Krieger and Dr. Christoph Küffer from the Ostschweizer Fachhochschule, Dr. Stefan Müller from the Network for Transdisciplinary Research and Leonie Barnsteiner from the University of Zurich Student Sustainability Commission and the resulting opportunities for sustainable development. 🚀

At the beginning of December, representatives from the Länggasse, the municipality of Köniz, the Diemtigtal Nature Park and the University of Bern met to discuss projects and key points of transdisciplinary collaboration.

The workshop took place ‘at the gateway to the Diemtigtal’ on the premises of the Diemtigtal Nature Park in Oey.

On October 24, Hugues Abriel (Vice-Rector Research and Innovation), Elmar Anhalt (Dean of the Faculty of Humanities) and Sébastien Hug (Head of the Innovation Office) opened the University of Bern's Ideas Lab.

The Ideas Lab on Fabrikstrasse is an open project and creative space that is available free of charge to all students, researchers and employees of UniBE.

An inspiring place for #EngagedUniBE!