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UZH News

Archive All Categories 2022

167 articles

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  • New UZH Magazin

    Climate Change, Wars and Insatiable Data Dredgers

    The challenges facing the global community today are complex and manifold: climate crisis, war, poverty, inequality, digitalization, a new political world order. The new issue of the UZH Magazin analyzes some of the problems and points to possible solutions.
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  • Behavioral Economics

    The Costs of Rationality

    Paul Glimcher, co-founder of the field of neuroeconomics and professor at New York University, recently held a keynote speech at UZH. In his lecture titled "Efficiently Irrational", he showed why seemingly irrational decisions are economical and how too much choice leads to worse decisions.
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  • Environmental Virology

    Acids against viruses

    A new study by various Swiss universities shows that aerosols in indoor air can vary in acidity. This acidity determines how long viruses remain infectious in the air – with profound implications for virus transmission and strategies to contain it.
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  • Human Reproduction Reloaded | H2R

    Should Egg Donation Be Legalized in Switzerland

    A motion has been submitted calling for the legalization of egg donation in Switzerland. Physician Brigitte Leeners and lawyer Andrea Büchler explain why they believe legalization is the way to go.
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  • Mobile Working

    Mobile Working Model

    In May 2022, UZH introduced a new working model to enable its employees to organize their work flexibly while continuing to meet the requirements of an on-site university. The model has been well received, a staff survey has shown.
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  • Potential Energy Shortage

    Potential Energy Shortage

    If energy shortages occur in the next few months, UZH aims to maintain its teaching and research activities for as long as possible. But how can the university achieve this?
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  • Academic Career Development

    Lecturers

    Under Next Generation @ UZH, the University of Zurich is creating permanent positions for lecturers and senior lecturers, with a clear focus on either teaching or research, from 2023. This step opens up attractive new career paths for highly qualified junior researchers.
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  • The LOOP Zurich

    Precise Treatment

    The LOOP Zurich research center combines expertise from UZH, ETH Zurich and the four university hospitals in Zurich with the aim of developing more personalized therapies. Two new projects supported by The LOOP Zurich target urinary tract infections and obesity respectively.
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  • 2022 Science Barometer Switzerland:

    2022 Science Barometer Switzerland: Majority of Swiss Trust Science, Some Remain Skeptical

    Swiss people’s interest and confidence in science increased during the pandemic but has now returned to pre-Covid levels, the 2022 edition of the Science Barometer Switzerland has shown. Online sources and instant messaging have become the preferred sources for people seeking information on science topics.
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  • Virology

    New Virus Discovered in Swiss Ticks

    The Alongshan virus was discovered in China only five years ago. Now UZH researchers have found the novel virus for the first time in Swiss ticks. It appears to be at least as widespread as the tickborne encephalitis virus and causes similar symptoms.
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  • Neuroeconomics

    Conflicting Motives Govern Sense of Fairness

    Researchers at UZH have investigated the motives influencing our perception of justice in resource distribution. They found that although people feel an aversion to inequality, they are also reluctant to harm others and to upend existing social hierarchies.
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  • 2022 Koetser Award

    The Causes of Dizziness

    Adolfo Miguel Bronstein has been awarded this year’s Betty and David Koetser Award for Brain Research for his groundbreaking contributions in the field of eye movements, balance and spatial orientation.
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  • Medicine

    Commercial Dishwashers Destroy Protective Layer in Gut

    Residue from rinse agents is left behind on dishes after they are cleaned in professional-grade dishwashers. This damages the natural protective layer in the gut and can contribute to the onset of chronic diseases, as demonstrated by researchers.
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  • Right Livelihood Award

    “Peace is more than the absence of war”

    Fartuun Adan and Ilwad Elman are the recipients of this year’s Right Livelihood Award, also known as the alternative Nobel Prize. Before the awards ceremony, the two activists spoke at UZH about their humanitarian activities in Somalia, a country beset by civil war.
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  • UZH Center for Crisis Competence

    Crisis Mode

    The new UZH Center for Crisis Competence (CCC) opened its doors this week with a public launch event. Alexander Wagner, professor of finance and co-head of the CCC, tells us about the center’s purpose and how it will contribute to improved crisis competence.
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  • NCCR Evolving Language

    Genes and Languages not Always Together

    Does the history of our languages match the history of our genes? A team of scientists at the University of Zurich and the Max-Planck-Institute have revealed a large number of matches – but also widespread mismatches in around 20 percent of cases, including in Malta, Hungary and Namibia.
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  • Medicine

    heart metabolism

    Researchers from the University of Zurich and ETH Zurich are taking magnetic resonance imaging a step further. With their new method, they can visualize metabolic processes in the body. Their objective is to improve the future diagnosis and treatment of heart disease.
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  • The Future of Teaching at UZH

    The Future of Teaching at UZH

    UZH has launched a new initiative called the Future of Teaching (“Zukunft der Lehre”). In this interview, Gabriele Siegert explains where the journey is headed and how the initiative will benefit teaching staff and students.
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  • Parking Charges

    The Cost of Parking

    The University of Zurich is increasing its parking fees from 1 January 2023. François Chapuis, Vice President Real Estate and Facility Management, explains why this step is necessary. .
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  • Teaching

    Game-Changing Teaching Approaches

    In traditional seminar and lecture formats, instructors explain a topic, while students present and discuss their ideas. But these formats are increasingly complemented by new, innovative approaches to learning. UZH systematically promotes these methods.
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  • Vulnerable Prehistoric Giants

    The remains of glyptodonts, a group of extinct giant armadillos, indicate that humans spread to South America earlier than previously assumed. Found in northwestern Venezuela, the fractured skulls could represent evidence of hunting by humans, says UZH paleontologist Marcelo Sánchez. Skilled human hunters are also likely to have contributed to pushing the large, heavily armored animals over the brink.
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  • Cardiology

    A Fountain of Youth for Blood Vessels

    Vascular aging is the most common cause of fatal cardiovascular diseases. Can blood vessels be rejuvenated using fat cells? Cardiologist Soheil Saeedi is developing a novel method to do just that.
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  • Biomedicine

    Immune System Reboot in MS Patients

    Blood stem cell transplantation is a radical but highly effective therapy for multiple sclerosis. An UZH study has now examined in detail the way in which the treatment curbs the autoimmune disease and how the immune system regenerates afterwards.
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  • Economics

    Diversifizieren statt abschotten

    Global trade policy has become more unpredictable, says the recently appointed Chief Economist of the World Trade Organization (WTO), UZH’s Ralph Ossa. We interviewed him to find out more.
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  • Biodiversity

    A Unique Academic Program

    The University of Zurich is introducing a new degree program on biodiversity in the 2023 Fall Semester. Students can complete the study program, the only one of its kind in German-speaking countries, at Bachelor’s and Master’s level.
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  • Center for Legal Data Science

    Exposing Blind Spots

    The Center for Legal Data Science (CLDS) at UZH is a new hub for research into the use of quantitative methods in legal studies. Researchers and students at the Faculty of Law will benefit from the center’s programs and services. The CLDS will present its aims and areas of activity at its launch event on Monday.
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  • The Art of Learning

    In the Jungle of Neurons

    A big part of learning involves our memory. Neuroscientists are looking closely at what goes on in our brains when we learn, and are slowly unraveling the mysteries of this incredible ability of ours.
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  • Climate Research

    Vegetation Regulates Energy Exchange in the Arctic

    Global warming is changing the Arctic by causing permafrost thaw, glacier melt, droughts, fires and changes in vegetation. Different plant communities in the tundra play a key role in the energy exchange between land and the atmosphere but are not taken into account in climate models.
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  • Addictive Behavior

    Wodka, Benzos & Co: Gefährliche Mischung für Jugendliche

    At least 33 young people have died from polydrug use in Switzerland since 2018. Polydrug use refers to taking two or more psychoactive substances at the same time. The young adults are often unaware of the associated risks and rarely use the available services to minimize the risks.
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  • Paleobiology

    Vocal Communication Originated over 400 Million Years Ago

    Acoustic communication is not only widespread in land vertebrates like birds and mammals, but also in reptiles, amphibians and fishes. According to researchers at the University of Zurich, the evolutionary origin of vocal communication dates back more than 400 million years.
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  • Media Research

    Rising News Deprivation Has Negative Consequences for Democracy

    News media is reaching fewer and fewer people. Young adults consume just seven minutes of news per day on their smartphones. This poses a problem for democracy: news-deprived people are less interested in politics, have lower rates of participation in the political process and have less trust in political institutions.
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  • Employee Survey 2022

    “A foundation that holds up even in difficult times”

    Despite the challenges of the pandemic, workplace satisfaction is high at UZH, as shown by the results of the May 2022 employee survey. We sat down with Deputy President Gabriele Siegert and Stefan Schnyder, Vice President Finances and Human Resources, to learn more about the University’s perspective.
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  • Space Research

    A Factory in Outer Space

    It’s possible to produce things in orbit that wouldn’t be possible on Earth, says Oliver Ullrich. We sat down with the biochemist and space physician to learn more about weightless cells, the UZH Space Hub, and humans as an interplanetary species.
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  • Executive Board of the University

    Daniel Hug Appointed New Vice President Finances

    Daniel Hug will take office as Vice President Finances at the University of Zurich in February 2023. As a member of the Executive Board of the University, he will be responsible for planning and managing UZH’s finances.
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  • Neurolinguistics

    Literacy Influences Understanding of Speech

    Do people who can read and write understand spoken language better than those who are illiterate? Research carried out by a UZH researcher with collaborators in India has found that handwriting, specifically the type of writing system used for a language, influences how our brains process speech.
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  • Portrait

    Physics and War

    The young Ukrainian scientist Iaroslava Bezshyiko is set on discovering new elementary particles. This excitement about the mysteries of mass and matter runs in the family: thanks to a Scholars at Risk grant, her mother is now researching at UZH, too.
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  • Evolutionary Biology

    Threatened Aldabra Giant Tortoise Genome Decoded

    They can live for more than 100 years and weigh up to 250 kilograms – Aldabra giant tortoises. Researchers at the University of Zurich have now decoded the genome of Aldabrachelys gigantea, one of only two remaining giant tortoise species worldwide. The findings will help to ensure the long-term survival of the threatened species.
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  • The Art of Learning

    Happy Hormones for the Brain

    Good teaching is when learners can make their own connections to knowledge they already have, says Kai Niebert. The education researcher is looking at how teaching is being conducted today and how it can be improved, especially at high school level.
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  • Parabolic Flights

    New Flight Platform Increases Flexibility in Research

    The 6th Swiss Parabolic Flight Campaign, run by the UZH Space Hub and the Swiss Sky Lab Foundation, takes place at the Air Base Dübendorf from 3 to 14 October. It is the first time a campaign is featuring a Cessna Citation II research aircraft, operated by the Royal Netherlands Aerospace Centre (NLR). The airplane will carry four research projects into weightlessness.
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  • Abuse in the Catholic Church

    “We are not judges”

    Historians Monika Dommann and Marietta Meier are working on cases of abuse on behalf of the Catholic Church. Their project exemplifies how historical scholarship can engage in the public discussion of a controversial topic.
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  • 50 years of psychological counseling center

    “Seeking help with mental health problems is a strength”

    For the past 50 years, UZH and ETH’s Psychological Counseling Services have been supporting students experiencing mental health problems. In this interview, Cornelia Beck, Head of Psychological Counseling Services, explains whether students’ concerns have changed in that time, why more ETH than UZH students seek her help during their Master’s degrees, and what the universities would do well to rethink.
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  • Dental Medicine

    Genetic Defects Lead to Enamel Malformations

    Mutations in a certain molecule result in severe damage in the structure and mineral composition of tooth enamel in mice, according to a study conducted at the UZH Center of Dental Medicine. The researchers combined genetic, molecular and imaging techniques.
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  • Stem Cell Research

    stem cell research

    Turning a body cell back into a stem cell with just four genes? It sounds unbelievable, but Japanese scientist Shinya Yamanaka already achieved it 15 years ago. The Nobel Prize winner gave a talk at the University of Zurich on the current state of research and possible applications of his discovery.
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  • 10 years of the UZH Foundation

    Fueling New Ideas

    For 10 years, the UZH Foundation has been successfully raising funds for research, teaching and innovation – including for the Digital Entrepreneur Fellowship.
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  • Art of learning

    Workouts for the Brain

    While learning new things seems to come naturally to children and young people, the older we get the more difficult we find it to acquire new skills. But it’s like sailing – you can make progress even with a headwind, you just have to know how.
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  • Excellence Scholarships

    Studying with Success

    What does it take to become a successful student? We asked four Excellence Scholarship winners. Here, they give us a glimpse into their daily study routines and show that there are many paths to university success.
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  • Medicine

    Immunotherapy Reduces Lung and Liver Fibrosis in Mice

    Chronic diseases often lead to fibrosis, a condition in which organ tissue suffers from excessive scarring. UZH researchers have now developed an immunotherapy that specifically targets the cause – activated fibroblasts – while leaving normal connective tissue cells unharmed.
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  • Useful Tips

    How To

    UZH members face various challenges every day, some big, some small. To kick off the new semester, we asked our in-house experts to provide tips on saving energy, using multifactor authentication and ensuring fire safety. Their advice may help you manage the “little” things in your everyday life at university.
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  • 2022 Fall Semester

    UZH Student Numbers Remain High

    Most teaching in the 2022 Fall Semester at the University of Zurich will take place on site. According to provisional figures, some 27,800 students are enrolled at UZH, which is slightly below last year’s numbers.
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  • New UZH Magazin

    The Art of Learning

    Learning is itself a skill that must be learned. The best ways to do this and the requirements for success are current topics of research at UZH. The new UZH Magazin examines how our ability to learn changes over the course of our lives, how good teaching works, and what goes on in our brains when we learn. The current issue is published jointly by the University of Zurich and UZH Alumni.
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  • Swiss Science Prize Latsis

    “Improved access to medicine and innovative technologies”

    Lawyer and medic Kerstin Noëlle Vokinger has been awarded the Swiss Science Prize Latsis, worth CHF 100,000. The award is made annually to a junior researcher under the age of 40. The professor of public law and digitalization at the University of Zurich is a woman of many talents. She studied law and medicine in parallel and earned doctorates in both disciplines.
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  • Global Network

    Age-Friendly University Network

    The University of Zurich has been officially recognized as an Age-Friendly University, joining a global network of universities committed to addressing the needs of older people. UZH is the first university in the German-speaking world to achieve this designation.
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  • Strategic Partnerships

    Different Approaches to Healthy Longevity Around the World

    The aging population is a global challenge that requires local solutions – to help people lead healthier lives for longer. In the Healthy Longevity Innovation Cluster, researchers from UZH and the University of Queensland are developing innovative approaches to provide targeted support to older people.
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  • Climate change

    Longer, hotter and more frequent heat waves in Swiss cities

    Hot days followed by sweltering nights without any temperature relief in between might become a new norm towards the end of the 21st century. Researchers from the University of Zurich have analyzed the frequency, intensity and length of such extreme events for five Swiss cities. Lugano and Geneva would be most affected.
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  • Medicine

    High Cholesterol, Overweight and Reduced Physical Stamina Are Long Covid Sequelae in Young Adults

    Healthy young people with just a mild Covid infection can sometimes suffer temporary post-infection consequences such as tiredness, loss of smell and taste or reduced fertility. They usually recover well. In the longer term, metabolic disorders and cardiovascular complications are possible.
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  • UZH Diploma

    Doctor Einstein

    One hundred years ago, Albert Einstein was awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics. Zurich played an important role in the renowned scientist’s career – he was a student here, and in 1905 submitted his dissertation to the University of Zurich. Einstein’s doctoral certificate has now returned to the university and is on permanent display. The new display case containing the diploma was unveiled yesterday.
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  • Exhibition

    Albert Einstein

    The doctoral certificate of Nobel laureate Albert Einstein has returned to the University of Zurich thanks to a donation and is now on display in the entrance hall of UZH’s main building. The famous physicist obtained his doctorate from the University of Zurich in 1906.
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  • Medical genetics

    Genetic Testing Before Pregnancy Detects up to Half of the Risk

    Are would-be parents carrying a genetic risk of serious illnesses that they could potentially pass on to their children? Researchers at the University of Zurich have now shown that a maximal variant of this test detects the risk in 44 percent of couples who are related by blood, and in just 5 percent of other couples.
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  • Portrait

    Catching Butterflies

    Church membership is declining, but there is a proliferation of religious themes and practices in the online space. Theologian Thomas Schlag heads up the new University Research Priority Program Digital Religion(s), which examines faith in the digital realm..
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  • Eating Plants

    Weeding, Mulching, Sowing, Reaping

    Students garden on the Irchel Campus, and a literary scholar gets involved in a farming cooperative: the act of growing one's own vegetables contributes to food security, brings people together, makes them healthier and promotes sustainability.
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  • Evolutionary Biology

    Frogs Use Brains or Camouflage to Evade Predators

    How do frogs protect themselves from predators? Some species rely on cognitive predator evasion, using their large brains and strong hind legs. For species exposed to high predation pressure, effective camouflage to avoid being detected in the first place may be preferable.
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  • Research Policy

    Seeds for All

    Important patents for gene-edited seeds are held by universities. While this presents an opportunity for farmers in developing countries, we are unlikely to see speedy deregulation of this new technology anytime soon.
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  • UZH Summer Quiz Winners Announced

    Kitted Out for Summer

    The winners of our summer quiz have now been drawn. They plan to use their prizes when kayaking on the river, on excursions to the Munster Valley in Alsace, or after swimming at a secluded woodland pond.
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  • Plant Biology

    Global Spread of Powdery Mildew through Migration and Trade

    The worldwide distribution of one of the most important cereal pathogens is the result of human activity. Researchers at the University of Zurich have traced the history and spread of wheat powdery mildew along wheat trade routes and found that mixing of genetic ancestries of related powdery mildew species played a central role in the evolution and adaptation of the pathogen.
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  • Anthropology

    Communication Makes Hunting Easier for Chimpanzees

    Chimpanzees use communication to coordinate their cooperative behavior – such as during hunting. When chimpanzees produce a specific vocalization, known as the “hunting bark”, they recruit more group members to the hunt and capture their prey more effectively.
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  • UZH Summer Quiz

    did you know

    New findings are emerging from UZH research all the time, and UZH is also constantly evolving as an institution. Our summer quiz will take you on a tour of some topics that we’ve covered over the past several months. Have fun trying to guess the answers.
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  • Psychology

    How to Quarrel Constructively

    Happy couples clash over the same issues as unhappy ones, and have just as many conflicts – but they argue differently, shows a large-scale long-term psychological study from UZH.
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  • Medicine

    When the Heart Stops Beating

    Hereditary diseases often play a role when young people succumb to sudden cardiac death. Genetic analysis may prevent further suffering in the affected families, as a study at the Institute of Forensic Medicine has shown.
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  • Biochemistry

    Individual Cells Are Smarter Than Thought

    Humans make decisions based on various sensory information which is integrated into a holistic percept by the brain. But how do single cells make decisions? Much more autonomously than previously thought, as researchers from the University of Zurich have now shown. Cells base their decisions not only on outside signals like growth factors, but also on information they receive from inside the cell. This can even lead to treatment-resistant cancer cells.
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  • Communication science

    High-Quality Media Coverage of Ukraine War

    In times of war, the media fulfill a vital function as information providers. The quality of coverage about the war in Ukraine has been relatively high, a study by the University of Zurich has now shown. Swiss media have been offering reports on the war from various perspectives, providing background information and using images carefully. However, the media depend on external sources and have failed to cover some regions indirectly affected by the conflict.
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  • Developmental Psychology

    Social Development of Infants Unaffected by Covid-19 Pandemic

    Health issues and loss, social isolation and mental health problems – the pandemic has had a drastic effect on our society. But how have the youngest members of society been coping with these changes? Researchers at the University of Zurich have found that the presence of parents and caregivers is enough to mitigate the pandemic’s negative effects on the social development of infants.
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  • Sustainable Food

    Wonderful World of Wheat

    Green genetic engineering will help secure our food supply, believes plant biologist Beat Keller. One possible approach involves genetically modifying wheat to make it more resistant to powdery mildew.
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  • WTO Moot Court Competition

    Fab Four Dazzle in Moot Court

    Four UZH students emerged victorious from the international John H. Jackson Moot Court, which simulates a hearing of a fictitious case between two World Trade Organization members. The successful students, the first winners ever from UZH, had to present their arguments before a panel of experts at the WTO.
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  • Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Prevention Institute

    Looking at the Bigger Picture

    Covid infections are on the rise again. Time for UZH epidemiologists Milo Puhan and Viktor von Wyl to take stock and look ahead. With video.
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  • Language Science

    Gestures Can Improve Understanding in Language Disorders

    When words fail, gestures can help to get the message across – especially for people who have a language disorder. An international research team has now shown that listeners attend the gestures of people with aphasia more often and for much longer than previously thought. This has implications for the use of gestures in speech therapy.
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  • Veterinary Medicine

    Dangerous Bites

    Mosquitoes are responsible for transmitting many disease-causing pathogens. In Switzerland, biting midges in particular make life difficult for sheep and horses. Entomologist Niels Verhulst researches methods to keep the unwanted insects away.
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  • Psychology

    New Sibling Diagnosis for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

    The World Health Organization (WHO) recently listed a new sibling diagnosis for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), termed complex post-traumatic stress disorder (CPTSD). An international team with the involvement of the University of Zurich has now summarized the symptoms of the long-awaited new diagnosis and issued guidelines for clinical assessment and treatment.
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  • Research on Aging

    Living Healthily for Longer

    2021-2030 has been declared the UN Decade of Healthy Ageing by the World Health Organization. Research into healthy longevity and the development of innovative approaches to aging have been a strategic priority at UZH for several years now. The creation of the new Healthy Longevity Center provides an added boost and a firm footing for research in this increasingly important area.
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  • Sustainable Food

    More Broccoli, Less Steak

    If we want to avoid destroying our planet, we need to transform our eating habits – and this starts in our kitchens. We have to find a balance of healthy and sustainable food, with less meat and more veg.
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  • World Biodiversity Forum

    Reversing the Trend

    At the World Biodiversity Forum in Davos this week, the focus is on how to slow down species loss and protect ecosystems. The UZH-organized conference aims to inspire action by bringing together researchers and practitioners.
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  • SNF Grants

    Sebastian Jessberger and Nicola Serra Awarded SNSF Advanced Grants

    The Swiss National Science Foundation is supporting two University of Zurich projects with CHF 2.5 million each. Sebastian Jessberger is investigating the aging process in the brain, while Nicola Serra is on the trail of a sensational development in particle physics.
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  • Medicine

    Nitric Oxide Does Not Improve Babies’ Recovery after Heart Surgery

    Infants undergoing heart surgery are connected to a heart-lung machine and given nitric oxide as an anti-inflammatory. Researchers from the Universities of Zurich and Queensland have now conducted the world’s largest study of its kind, showing that using nitric oxide does not improve children’s recovery after surgery.
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  • Astrophysics

    wasser uratmosphaere

    Liquid water is an important prerequisite for life to develop on a planet. As researchers from the University of Zurich, the University of Bern and the National Centre of Competence in Research (NCCR) PlanetS report in a new study, liquid water could also exist for billions of years on planets that are very different from Earth.
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  • Sustainability

    Dealing with Data and Water

    Sustainability has many aspects to it. Working at UZH also has an impact on the environment. We have compiled a few tips on how you can go about saving your data and using drinking water in a more sustainable way.
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  • Green Genetic Engineering

    In the Beginning Was the Popcorn

    Genetically modified crops could contribute to making agriculture more sustainable and productive, says Ueli Grossniklaus. This new green genetic engineering has so far met with skepticism – but the challenges of climate change and the global grain crisis may change people’s views.
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  • START! Study

    Golden Gate to the Future

    The START! Study – University Integration Program at UZH provides refugees with new perspectives in their academic and professional lives. The program’s first 40 participants recently completed the course.
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  • UZH Magazin

    eating plants

    Researchers at UZH are exploring sustainable agriculture and the future of food, from transforming our eating habits and growing our own greens to breeding crops with new techniques, distributing seeds more fairly and farming with biodiversity in mind. The latest UZH Magazin explores how we can eat and produce food in a way that benefits both our own health and the health of our planet.
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  • Biodiversity

    Diverse Forests Outyield Monocultures

    Multispecies tree plantations are more productive than monocultures, according to a new study carried out in China. UZH environmental scientist Bernhard Schmid was involved in the research.
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  • Crypto Art

    Digital Ferraris

    Crypto art fever is lighting up tech communities and the traditional art world alike, fueling intense speculation. An interdisciplinary conference organized by UZH will examine the phenomenon from artistic, technological and legal perspectives.
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  • Pride Month

    Promoting Acceptance for Different Identities

    The University of Zurich provides an open and safe environment for people with different gender and sexual identities, as confirmed by the experiences of four students on the occasion of Pride Month. And yet, there is still room for further improvements.
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  • Call for Proposals: Open Research Data

    “Great opportunity for open science”

    As part of the national Open Research Data Action Plan, swissuniversities is providing CHF 32 million for projects in the area of open research data. UZH vice presidents Elisabeth Stark and Christian Schwarzenegger see this as a great opportunity to integrate UZH's Open Science Policy into research practices.
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  • Language Center

    More Variety in the Language Classroom

    The Language Center of the University of Zurich and ETH Zurich is celebrating its 20-year anniversary. In this interview, director Sabina Schaffner takes stock and explains why demand is growing for tailored courses.
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  • Research Funding

    Boost for One Health and Quantitative Legal Research

    With its new funding instrument, TRANSFORM, UZH is laying the groundwork for innovation across the whole university. The Institute of One Health Research and the Center for Legal Data Science are set to receive seed funding of around CHF 2.7 million in total over the next four years.
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  • What Connects Us

    Nothing Without Each Other

    Humans and apes are social creatures. We need each other. We depend on each other. It's what binds us together. But that doesn't mean we always get along.
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  • Medicine

    A World Premiere: for the First Time, a Human Liver Was Treated in a Machine and then Successfully Transplanted

    The multidisciplinary Zurich research team Liver4Life has succeeded in doing something during a treatment attempt that had never been achieved in the history of medicine until now: it treated an originally damaged human liver in a machine for three days outside of a body and then implanted the recovered organ into a cancer patient. One year later, the patient is doing well.
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  • Reproductive Medicine

    Surrogacy in Ukraine

    Advances in medical technology are expanding the possibilities for humans to have a child. Recently, two visiting scientists from Ukraine have been contributing their expertise to the URPP Human Reproduction Reloaded.
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  • Digital Society Initiative (DSI)

    From "Good" to "Ethical" Drones

    What is needed to turn "good" drones used for humanitarian purposes into "ethical" drones? And how can ethical values be integrated in the use and development of new technologies? Dr. Ning Wang reports on the role of the DSI in helping humanitarian organizations integrate ethical values into innovation practices.
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  • Exhibition

    On Honeymoon? Ethnographic Museum Shines Light on Research into East Africa Collection

    A German couple goes on a honeymoon to East Africa and return with hundreds of objects, including everyday items, jewelry, musical instruments and tools. This collection is now stored in the Ethnographic Museum of the University of Zurich. The new workspace exhibition “Honeymoon?” provides insights into how research is conducted on these objects based on five key questions. The exhibition invites visitors to rethink their views on museum collections and adds to the ongoing discussion on provenance research.
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  • Anthropology

    Watch dolphins line up to self-medicate skin ailments at coral “clinics”

    If a human comes down with a rash, they might go to the doctor and come away with some ointment to put on it. Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins get skin conditions, too, but they come about their medication by queuing up nose-to-tail to rub themselves against corals. In the journal iScience on 19 May, researchers show that these corals have medicinal properties, suggesting that the dolphins are using the marine invertebrates to medicate skin conditions.
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  • Biodiversity

    Satellite Monitoring of Biodiversity Moves Within Reach

    Global biodiversity assessments require the collection of data on changes in plant biodiversity on an ongoing basis. Researchers from the universities of Zurich and Montréal have now shown that plant communities can be reliably monitored using imaging spectroscopy, which in the future will be possible via satellite. This paves the way for near real-time global biodiversity monitoring.
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  • Philosophy

    When Something Hurts

    Words used to describe pain often do not have the same meaning for patients as for medical professionals. That can lead to misdiagnoses, says philosopher Kevin Reuter. He conducts research into our understanding of pain.
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  • Palaeontolgy

    Previously Unknown Dolphin Species Was Present in Switzerland

    Twenty million years ago, the Swiss Plateau region, or “Mittelland”, was an ocean in which dolphins swam. Researchers at the University of Zurich’s Paleontological Institute have now discovered two previously unknown species related to modern sperm whales and oceanic dolphins, which they identified based on ear bones.
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  • Award

    Swiss Science celebrates Hansjörg Wyss

    More than half a billion Swiss francs have been granted over 10 years to groundbreaking research projects in Switzerland within three different Wyss Centers or Academy in Zurich, Geneva and Bern. This makes entrepreneur and philanthropist Hansjörg Wyss one of the major private donors for Swiss science. Wyss was celebrated today as the laureate of the 2022 Gallatin Award of the Swiss American Chamber of Commerce. The laudatio was given by Federal Councillor Guy Parmelin.
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  • UZH Space Hub

    Robot Dog on the Way to the Moon

    The robotic explorer GLIMPSE, created at UZH and ETH Zurich, has made it into the final round of a competition for prospecting resources in space. The long-term goal is for the robot to explore the south polar region of the moon.
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  • Annual Press Conference

    UZH Graduates Successful at Launching Careers

    Graduates of the University of Zurich quickly find their place on the job market and earn significantly higher incomes than the Swiss average. UZH facilitates the transition into professional life through various programs that bridge the gap between academia and business, encourage innovative spirit and foster entrepreneurship. The University also wants to improve the situation of junior researchers by providing them with a wide range of career paths.
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  • Evolution

    Complex Human Childbirth and Cognitive Abilities a Result of Walking Upright

    Childbirth in humans is much more complex and painful than in great apes. It was long believed that this was a result of humans’ larger brains and the narrow dimensions of the mother’s pelvis. Researchers at the University of Zurich have now used 3D simulations to show that childbirth was also a highly complex process in early hominins species that gave birth to relatively small-brained newborns – with important implications for their cognitive development.
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  • Global Affairs

    UZH joins the European university alliance Una Europa

    On today’s Europe Day, the University of Zurich becomes a new member of Una Europa. The unique network of leading European universities aims to contribute to a European scientific area through its intensive cooperation.
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  • New Working Model

    New Working Model

    UZH has introduced guidelines on mobile working. What is the reasoning behind this step? We interviewed vice presidents Christian Schwarzenegger and Stefan Schnyder and professor of HR management Jochen Menges to find out.
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  • Honorary Doctorate for Hanna Machińska

    A Lifelong Commitment to Human Rights

    Last Saturday, UZH awarded honorary doctorates to seven outstanding scholars, including Hanna Machińska, Poland’s deputy commissioner for human rights. The lawyer and social activist is currently campaigning to protect the rights of Ukrainian refugees in Poland.
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  • UZH Teaching Award

    “Learning from one another”

    At the Dies academicus last Saturday, Classics scholar Christoph Riedweg was presented with the UZH teaching award. The award winner explains in this interview how he fires up students’ enthusiasm for his subject, and what he finds so interesting about Greek philology.
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  • Dies academicus

    Five Women and Two Men Awarded Honorary Doctorates by UZH

    The University of Zurich celebrates its 189th anniversary virtually on Saturday, awarding honorary doctorates to ecumenist Dorothea Sattler, Polish human rights commissioner Hanna Machińska and gender medicine pioneer Vera Regitz-Zagrosek. Veterinarian Debbie Jaarsma, theoretical physicist Ruth Durrer, educational economist Eric Bettinger and forensic phonetician Peter French also received honorary degrees.
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  • Geriatric Medicine

    Three Simple Interventions for Cancer Prevention in Older People

    A combination of high-dose vitamin D, omega-3 fatty acids and a simple home strength exercise program (SHEP) can cumulatively reduce the risk of cancer in healthy adults over the age of 70 by 61 percent, the international DO-HEALTH study led by the University of Zurich has shown. It is the first study to test the combined benefit of three affordable public health interventions for the prevention of invasive cancers. The results could influence the future of cancer prevention in older adults.
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  • Libraries

    Books in Clouds

    Libraries have gone through many changes throughout history, adapting to new social orders, political systems and technological advances. Today, university libraries, including the one at UZH, have become the gatekeepers of data and information from across the globe.
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  • Covid-19

    Tackling the Consequences of Long Covid

    A research team at the University of Zurich has helped people affected by Long Covid identify the problems they most urgently want scientists to tackle, through a collaborative citizen science approach. The topics identified as most pressing include the development and clinical testing of effective therapies, appropriate healthcare structures, increased awareness as well as better data on children and adolescents affected by the disease.
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  • Deep Learning

    Automated analysis of animal behaviour

    Researchers have developed a new method that uses artificial intelligence to analyze animal behavior. This opens the door to longer-​term in-​depth studies in the field of behavioral science – while also helping to improve animal welfare. The method is already being tested at Zurich Zoo.
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  • Statistics on Professorial Appointments 2021

    Women in the Majority for the First Time

    The total number of professorial appointments has remained constant, but for the first time ever, more women than men were appointed as professors at UZH.
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  • Annual Report 2021

    Diverse Paths in Academia»

    Elisabeth Stark wants to provide junior researchers at UZH with a wide range of career paths. In the interview, the Vice President Research talks about good supervision, academic freedom for budding scholars, and the joy of being a researcher.n zu sein.
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  • Space Research

    Universities Space Research Association Elects UZH as a Member University Elects University of Zurich as a Member University

    The University of Zurich (UZH), a renowned university in Switzerland, has joined the ranks of Universities Space Research Association (USRA). Elected by USRA’s current university members, UZH was formally inaugurated into the Association on March 25, 2022, bringing the membership of the Association to a total of 115 universities.
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  • Social Cohesion

    Consensus Confrontation

    The pandemic illustrated that direct democracy fosters social cohesion and takes the wind out of the sails of opposition movements. Social media, on the other hand, bring turmoil into the system.
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  • Blockchain

    Distributed Trust

    Buying a car? Blockchain promises greater transparency and a revolution in business models. All you need is faith in the technology. Liudmila Zavolokina studies how users trust – or mistrust – these new applications.
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  • New Center of Competence

    Words that Work

    The new Center of Competence Language & Medicine Zurich connects disciplines and combines basic research with clinical application. We take a look at two of the new center’s projects fostering innovative collaboration between linguistics and medicine at UZH.
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  • Sustainable Financing

    Climate-Aligned Financial Flows

    Working group III of the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change yesterday presented their latest report. The report aims to provide science-based information to policymakers worldwide. Stefano Battiston is one of the lead authors of the chapter on investment and finance.
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  • Exhibition

    Fossil Treasures of the Alpstein

    A new special exhibition at the University of Zurich’s Zoological and Paleontological Museum showcases sublime fossils found in the Alpstein massif in eastern Switzerland, taking visitors on a journey through time to the marine wildlife of the Cretaceous and Eocene more than 100 million years ago. The exhibition, conceived by the Natural History Museum in St.Gallen, is based on a book by UZH paleontologist Christian Klug and Peter Kürsteiner.
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  • Evolutionary Biology

    A Single Gene Controls Species Diversity in an Ecosystem

    To test if a single gene could affect an entire ecosystem, a research team of the University of Zurich conducted a lab experiment with a plant and its associated ecosystem of insects. They found that plants with a mutation at a specific gene foster ecosystems with more insect species. The discovery of such a “keystone gene” could change current biodiversity conservation strategies.
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  • Comprehensive Cancer Center Zurich

    Fighting Cancer with Bacteria

    Some bacteria in the gut reduce the effectiveness of cancer treatments, while others increase it. The Comprehensive Cancer Center Zurich is exploring these remarkable abilities in a new flagship project.
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  • Ecology

    Bright Nights

    Our nights are losing their darkness. Artificial light is making them brighter and brighter. Light pollution is affecting people and wildlife – but there are strategies to limit it.
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  • Anthropology

    Popular Male Dolphins Produce More Offspring

    The reproductive success of male dolphins is not determined by strength or age, but via social bonds with other males. The better integrated males are in their social network, the more offspring they produce, a new study by an international team of researchers led by the University of Zurich has shown using long-term behavioral and genetic data.
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  • Awards

    Three UZH Researchers Awarded ERC Consolidator Grants

    Three researchers at the University of Zurich have been awarded much coveted ERC Consolidator Grants by the EU. Funding in the amount of 6 million euros over five years will not be provided by EU, but instead covered by the federal government as promised.
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  • Institute for Global Negotiation

    diplomatic solutions

    This Thursday marks the launch of the Institute for Global Negotiation (IGN). Its founder, Jack Williams, explains why a negotiated solution appears to be so difficult to achieve in Ukraine.
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  • Developmental Psychology

    Frequent External Childcare Can Affect Children’s Behavior

    How does childcare outside of the family affect the development of children and adolescents? The survey suggests that the more time children spend in external daycare, the more likely they are to exhibit problematic behavior; however, this behavior generally disappears at the end of primary school.
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  • Neuroscience

    Astrocyte Networks in the Mouse Brain Control Spatial Learning and Memory

    Astrocytes form large networks of interconnected cells in the central nervous system. When these cell-to-cell couplings are disrupted in the brain of adult mice, the animals are no longer able to store spatial information. The astrocytes network is thus essential for spatial learning and memory formation, as neuroscientists of the University of Zurich now show.
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  • Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change

    window of opportunity

    The latest report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) shows that we need to act faster to bring climate risks to an acceptable level, say Christian Huggel and Veruska Muccione. We spoke in depth with the two UZH scientists, who served as main authors of the IPCC’s report on the consequences of climate change.
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  • Literature

    Walsers Labor

    The great Swiss writer Robert Walser had an extraordinary sense for the small, writing exquisite short stories and experimenting with literary ideas in miniature handwriting. These microscripts are now being published as part of a major series of critical editions of Walser’s work.
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  • Quiz solution

    Schnabeltiere und Androiden

    Love, courage, fear – mythical creatures have always been imaginary incarnations of things that deeply move people, says Heinz-Ulrich Reyer about his new book, which inspired us to write a quiz. You will find the winner and the quiz solution in the closing below the interview with the author. He explains the significance of unicorns, dragons and the like for our cultural and scientific history – and why they continue to capture our imaginations to this day.
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  • Medicine

    Patients Share Their Experiences

    What do people with multiple sclerosis, dementia or chronic pain go through? What are their experiences of medical practices or hospitals like? What kind of support do they find helpful? The new dipex.ch platform launched by Zurich researchers makes patient experience reports publicly available.
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  • Immunology

    Multiple Sclerosis: Study with Twins Untangles Environmental and Genetic Influences

    Researchers at the University of Zurich and Munich’s LMU Klinikum hospital have studied the immune system of pairs of monozygotic twins to identify the influence of the environment and of genetics in cases of multiple sclerosis. In the process, they may have discovered precursor cells of the disease-causing T cells.
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  • Neuroscience

    Illuminating Real-Time Brain Dynamics of Neuropeptides with a Fluorescent Biosensor

    Neuropeptides play fundamental roles in modulating cellular and circuit functions within the brain. One such signaling molecule – orexin – regulates arousal and wakefulness, and its failure can lead to constant daytime sleepiness (narcolepsy). University of Zurich researchers have now developed a fluorescent orexin biosensor to observe this molecule "live" in the living mouse brain.
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  • Wyss Zurich Translational Center

    New Foundation for Translational Research and Technology Transfer

    The University of Zurich and ETH Zurich have established the Wyss Zurich Foundation. With this step, the two Zurich universities aim to put the Wyss Zurich Translational Center, a joint accelerator for translational research specializing in regenerative medicine and robotics, on a stable long-term footing.
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  • Quiz

    Of Unicorns and Dragons

    Mythical creatures have been a part of human lore since the dawn of time. They live in our stories, our legends and our imagination. UZH zoologist Heinz-Ulrich Reyer has now published a book that explores these legendary creatures. But how much do our readers know about creatures of myth and legend? Test your knowledge in our quiz, and with some luck you can win a copy of Reyer’s book Rendezvous der Fabelwesen!
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  • Climate Change

    Arctic Winter Warming Causes Cold Damage in the Subtropics of East Asia

    Due to climate change, Arctic winters are getting warmer. An international study by UZH researchers shows that Arctic warming causes temperature anomalies and cold damage thousands of kilometers away in East Asia. This in turn leads to reduced vegetation growth, later blossoming, smaller harvests and reduced CO2 absorption by the forests in the region.
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  • Exhibition

    "Planet Digital": Digital research and design join forces

    Self-learning algorithms, rare earths, and robots bestowing blessings: In the Planet Digital exhibition, organized by the University of Zurich and the Museum für Gestaltung Zürich, innovative research teams meet up with creative minds from the fields of design and art. In around 25 installations, they invite visitors to experience the science of digitalization with all their senses.
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  • Research Involving Animals at UZH

    «Tierversuche bleiben in absehbarer Zukunft unverzichtbar»

    Research involving animals is crucial when it comes to achieving scientific and medical progress, and is also very important for UZH, emphasizes Elisabeth Stark. The Vice President Research believes maintaining exemplary standards of animal welfare and an open dialogue with society is key.
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  • Covid-19

    Immunological Memory Provides Long-Term Protection against Coronavirus

    Exposure to SARS-CoV-2 by infection or vaccination generates immune cells that provide long-term immunity. These long-lived memory T cells play a key role in preventing severe cases of Covid-19. Researchers at the University of Zurich have now discovered how these memory T cells form.
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  • Institutional Accreditation of UZH

    Top Marks for UZH’s Culture of Quality

    The Swiss Accreditation Council has awarded UZH accreditation without attaching any further conditions. The accompanying report describes UZH’s quality assurance system as very well thought-out, consistently organized and implemented.
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  • Delinquency

    Understanding Who Commits Which Crimes

    Why do some young men turn to crime, while others don’t? An international study shows that preferences such as risk tolerance, impatience and altruism as well as self-control can predict who will commit crime. Risk-tolerant, impatient young men are more likely to commit property crime, while people with low self-control tend to commit violent, drug and sexual offenses.
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  • Scholarships

    Excellent Prospects

    The University of Zurich is handing out Excellence Scholarships for the first time. The new program will help gifted UZH students to fund their studies at Master’s level. A total of 20 students will be supported in a three-year pilot project
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  • My Alma Mater

    Taking the Leap

    Celebrated alumni look back at their time at UZH. This time, we meet Denise Schmid, publisher and one of the first co-presidents of UZH Alumni.
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  • Anthropology

    Cracking Chimpanzee Culture

    Chimpanzees don’t automatically know what to do when they come across nuts and stones. Researchers at the University of Zurich have now used field experiments to show that chimpanzees thus do not simply invent nut cracking with tools, but need to learn such complex cultural behaviors from others.
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  • Spectacular DNA Analysis

    Under Suspicion

    Geneticist Cordula Haas was able to uncover a family secret from the 19th century thanks to unique DNA analyses. She used traces of genetic material from stamps stuck on postcards more than 100 years ago to clear up a paternity mystery.
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  • In the Spotlight

    A Lawyer of Many Talents

    Felix Uhlmann is an oft-cited expert in these Covid times. The Basel born and raised legal expert is also a well-connected culture vulture – and enjoys the occasional game of chess when he can find the time.
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  • UZH Spin-Offs in 2021

    Levelling Up

    Every year, innovative UZH researchers launch their own businesses – in 2021, four new spin-offs were founded. Spin-offs play a key role when it comes to transferring scientific findings into industry practice
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  • Top of the Press Pops

    Screams of Joy and Modern People

    Health, psychology and technology were the most popular topics covered by media releases on the University of Zurich’s research projects in 2021. Worldwide, news that the modern human brain evolved in Africa and that we perceive shrieks of joy more intensely than roars of rage were the two most reported stories out of UZH.
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  • Successful innovation

    “We have created a stable active ingredient”

    Molecular Partners, a spin-off from the University of Zurich, has developed a drug against Covid-19 and is applying for approval, together with Novartis, in Switzerland and the US. Phase 2 clinical trials have already demonstrated efficacy in Covid patients. Andreas Plückthun of the UZH Department of Biochemistry was involved from the start.
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  • UZH Mentoring Award

    Successful as a Team

    Three professors were recently awarded UZH’s first-ever Mentoring Award. But what are the hallmarks of good supervision and mentoring? We met with award-winner Katharina Maag Merki to find out.
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Jahresauswahl