New at CSH?

For administrative questions, Danielle or Wei can help you.

For inquiries about the Master's program, Andrea is your contact.

For diversity and equal opportunities, please contact Susanne.

For questions on sustainability and quality, please refer to Chris.

For items to communicate, Alexander will be happy to help.

For events and visits, please contact Sophie.

For questions about safety, Timm is available.

For IT requests, please use the SPACE-IT Support Center Ticketing System.

Daily life at CSH and the University of Bern frequently requires various administrative tools and documents. Here are the most important ones:

Time Management System — inova:time

The University of Bern is using the time management system inova:time. As an employee of the University of Bern, you are responsible for recording your attendances and absences. On the internal website (Uni intern, requires a VPN connection) you can find more information about "time" as well as a PDF manual and video tutorials.

eForms

The University of Bern completes various processes, especially of financial form, through eForms. This will be especially relevant for you if you have business expenses from travelling, orders, etc. You can access eForms via eforms.unibe.ch.

Here you will find our internal order form. An instruction manual for eForms will be available soon.

SBB Businesstravel Platform

If you are travelling for work by train, you need to book your tickets via the SBB Businesstravel Platform. If you are registering for the Businesstravel Platform for the first time, consult the instruction manual here. General information on travelling for work as a University of Bern employee is available in the "UniBE Travel Platform" section below.

UniBE Travel Platform

The travel platform of the University of Bern consists of an easy-to-use "myCWT" online booking tool and the option of contacting Lehmann Reisen AG, a travel agency in Bern. If you need to travel for work and require accommodation, flights or rental cars, they need to be booked via the travel platform. All relevant information, registration instructions, frequently asked questions and more can be found on the travel platform's overview page here.

If you have already registered for the travel platform, you can access the myCWT online booking tool on www.dienstreisen.unibe.ch. 

The CSH offers various internal events, frequently in collaboration with WP, for members of the space research community at the University of Bern.

CSH+ Lunch

Throughout the semester the CSH+ Lunch takes place every Wednesday. The goal is to promote curiosity, respect, and trust in a relaxed, informal setting. These lunches aim to foster collaboration among CSH members and build connections with other disciplines at the University of Bern. The CSH provides lunch on a first-come, first-served basis.

For more information and the current program, see the CSH Wiki here.

CSH/WP Colloquium Series

The CSH/WP Colloquium is a hybrid talk series offered jointly by the CSH and WP. It is a seminar focused on space research with invited speakers from Swiss and international universities as well as industry.

For more information and the current program, see the WP website here.

CSH Reading Club

In collaboration with PD Dr. Zoë Lehmann from the English Department at the University of Bern, the CSH is hosting a reading club with a focus on scientific writing (including but not exclusive to science fiction). The club meets roughly every 8-10 weeks. If you are a CSH, WP or English Department member and interested in joining the reading club, please contact Zoë Lehmann (zoe.lehmann@unibe.ch) or Chris Broeg (christopher.broeg@unibe.ch).

More information can be found here.

The University of Bern’s Language Center offers semester courses for German as a foreign language and Academic English. The courses focus on the development of language skills for academic settings, which also require intercultural competence. All courses offered by the Language Center are oriented to the language levels of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.

The courses are open to all members of the University. Participation in the courses is subject to a fee. Learn more about the University’s language offers here.

German as a Foreign Language

The German courses are offered at levels A1 to B2 as well as C1. The A1/B2 courses take place twice and the C1 courses once a week (90 min each).

For more information on the courses, costs and registration procedures, check the Language Center website here.

Academic English

The English courses are offered at levels B1, B2 and C1. The courses are designed to develop language skills specifically for academic environments, including preparation for studying in English, writing scientific/academic articles, and delivering presentations.

For more information on the courses, costs and registration procedures, check the Language Center website here.

The University of Bern’s Welcome Center offers an overview of the most urgent matters relevant for international students and deals with questions relating to settling in Bern, including living in Bern, medical insurance, childcare, schools and learning German. More information can be found here.

The Center regularly organizes “welcome” events and workshops, an overview can be found here.

For a personal consultation, please contact Jasmin Fallahi (jasmin.fallahi@unibe.ch).

If you have any requests for your office (new chair, desk, etc.), please contact the CSH Secretariat. They will be happy to coordinate with the designated contacts at the University of Bern Facility Management Office.

University Sports offers a varied sports and exercise program, especially for students and staff of the University and the Bern University of Teacher Education. Learn more here.

The University of Bern provides its members (students and staff) with a wide range of advisory services. The Advisory service guide provides information on offers, advisory centers and points of contact at the University, and on options for how to proceed. Learn more here. 

You can contact the equal opportunity coordinators if you experienced or witnessed any form of discrimination or harassment, if you have questions about the equal opportunity measures, or suggestions for new measures. They can also advise on other contact points.

Center for Space and Habitability & Space Research and Planetary Sciences Division (WP) of the Physics Institute

Prof. Dr. Susanne Wampfler
susanne.wampfler@unibe.ch

Learn more about Equal Opportunities at CSH here.

Faculty of Sciences

Isabel Perego
isabel.perego@unibe.ch

Learn more about Equal Opportunities at the Faculty of Sciences here. The Faculty of Sciences also offers a diversity grant for equal opportunity projects. Find out more here.

University of Bern

The University is committed to promoting equal opportunities and equality between women and men and all genders, strives to reduce barriers to entry and promotes the reconciliation of work and care responsibilities.

The Office for Equal Opportunities of the University of Bern (AfC) provides resources, courses, and personal consultations, including in cases of harassment and discrimination, for chronic illnesses and disabilities, and in LGBTIQ+ matters. You can also learn more about the University of Bern’s commitment to Equal Opportunities here.

Contact the AfC via info.afc@unibe.ch

The University of Bern’s Equal Opportunities plan can be found here, the plans for the faculties and centers here.

As part of its equal opportunities’ engagements, the University of Bern promotes a healthy work-life balance and strives to support its students, researchers and employees in their care duties.

University of Bern

Information on work-life balance, parenthood, dual career, etc. is available from the dedicated website here.

The University of Bern also offers the 120% Care Grant, which contributes to a better work-life balance for young researchers. It enables postdocs, assistant professors and lecturers who are employed 80%-100% to reduce their employment level to at least 60% for a maximum of 12 months and to employ a support person with an overlapping employment workload. The application deadline is four times a year (1 March, 1 June, 1 September, 1 December). Find out more here.

PhD Students and Postdocs funded by the SNSF (incl. NCCRs) may be eligible for the SNSF Flexibility Grant. You can check your eligibility here.

Faculty of Sciences

Additional to the university-wide support, the Faculty of Sciences also offers resources for those with care duties. The Child-Care/Care Costs Fund supports PhDs and Postdocs who need childcare during conferences. The Invited Collaborator Fund supports PhDs and Postdocs who want to invite a research partner as they cannot easily travel due to care obligations.

Family Rooms, Changing Tables, and Breastfeeding at ExWi and G6

A list of infrastructure (family rooms, changing tables, highchairs, etc) for parents is available on the dedicated website for work-life balance here.

Changing tables for babies and infants in ExWi and G6 are available in the ground-floor, accessible all gender restrooms. For breastfeeding and pumping, the emergency room on the ground floor at ExWi (at request, please get in touch with the caretakers) and the family room in G6 016 are available.

The G6 Family Room allows employees and Master students of CSH and SPACE/WP to bring a child or children to work in case they have no other childcare option. The room is equipped with a desk with screen as well as a small table with chairs for two children, a bean bag that can be used to sit on, rest on, and for nursing, a carpet to play on, as well as a variety of toys for children of different ages. Please contact the CSH Secretariat or the Equal Opportunities Officer if you have questions about how to book the family room.

Daycare

For daycare in Switzerland, check the KIHOB website here (available in German). The website includes offers for “Plan B” emergency care at home.

The mental health of university employees and students is important to the University of Bern, which strives to provide a healthy place to work and study, where the health of all is protected.

University of Bern

Information on Mental Health topics and resources from the University of Bern can be found here.

Free and confidential counselling for students and employees, including counselling for personal matters, irrespective of whether or not they are related to work, are offered by the Counselling Centre of the Bern Universities. The Centre also offers courses on various topics.

National Resources

If you would like to speak to someone anonymously, the volunteers of the Dargebotene Hand/Heart 2 Heart can be reached as follows:

Heart 2 Heart (English), Phone: 0800 143 000, 6-11pm daily

Dargebotene Hand (German, French, Italian), Phone: 143, around the clock, also e-mail and webchat

Switzerland also has the “How are you?” initiative, which raises awareness about Mental Health and provides resources and tips. For more information, check their website here.

The University of Bern does not tolerate discrimination of any kind and is committed to the protection of personal integrity. It strives to work towards a change in culture and to place the protection of university employees at the center. Find out more about the University of Bern’s efforts against discrimination here.

Confidential reports of discrimination can be made to: beratung.afc@unibe.ch

The CSH strives to be a research Center with a respectful, inclusive workplace culture in alignment with the values of the University of Bern. Our Code of Conduct applies to all employees, affiliates, students, members of the CSH committees and guests, and can be found here.

Sexual Harassment

The University of Bern fights against all forms of sexism (discrimination of people because of their gender) and sexual harassment. You can find more information here or on the university’s dedicated website against sexual harassment, Respekt.

For direct contact points, see here.

Racism

The University of Bern combats racism on a structural as well as on the institutional and individual level. The university takes relevant action based on the equal opportunities action plan and is thus committed to a discrimination-free culture. You can find more information here. 

Incidences of racism can be reported via e-mail to Gina Vega (gina.vega@unibe.ch) from the Equal Opportunity Office or anonymously using the webform.

Please note that while anonymous reports are extremely helpful for developing general measures and statistics, they normally do not provide a sufficient legal basis for acting on individual cases. Therefore, if you would like support in a specific case, please use the e-mail contact.

Empowerment @ UniBE

Empowerment @ UniBE offers safer and supportive spaces for university members (staff and students) with experiences of racism. The program enables exchange, self-empowerment, visibility, networking and community building. More information on the program can be found here. 

Hate Speech and Online Harassment

The University of Bern condemns hate speech of any kind and helps its researchers take action against it. The university’s initiative “No Hate Speech” provides resources in case of online harassment of researchers, with a focus on researchers facing hate speech after press releases and media appearances (there are also resources like media trainings). You can find more information on the university’s dedicated website here.

In case of work conflicts, the University of Bern has established confidants within the faculties. The confidants are a first and low threshold point of contact for problems and conflicts that cannot be resolved in direct discussion with superiors and/or colleagues. All concerns are treated in strict confidence.

Confidants

Within the Faculty of Sciences, confidants were appointed for each institute. More information on confidants and the contacts for the Physics Institute can be found here.

Ombudspeople

The Ombuds Office mediates in the event of problems and conflicts in connection with employment relationships and academic careers. The Ombudspersons are independent of the bodies of the University.

Prof. em. Dr. Maja Steinlin
Prof. em. Dr. Hans Jörg Znoj
ombudsstelle@unibe.ch

More information on the Ombuds Office and its tasks can be found here.

The University of Bern does not tolerate impropriety in research. It has therefore issued regulations on scientific integrity and appointed independent Integrity Officers to deal with reports of (possible) breaches of scientific integrity.

Please refer to the CSH Code of Conduct for an overview of the Center’s values regarding scientific integrity.

Integrity Officers

Prof. em. Dr. Isabel Roditi
Prof. em. Dr. André Holenstein
integritaet@unibe.ch

More information on scientific integrity and the integrity officers can be found here.

Research Compliance and Good Scientific Practice

The University of Bern allows its researchers a great deal of freedom in the search for new knowledge. Nevertheless, researchers must be guided by ethical and moral values and comply with laws and regulations in order to maintain their scientific integrity and to handle the research funds entrusted to them responsibly. More information and resources on good scientific practice can be found here. 

Research Integrity Online Course

The University also actively promotes the transfer of knowledge in this area. In addition to training courses in degree programs and graduate schools, it offers everyone at the university the opportunity to take the online course "Research Integrity". The course is discipline-specific and can be completed with a certificate to serve as proof for funding agencies or journals of knowledge in the area of good research practice. More information can be found here.

The University of Bern fosters an open and respectful work and study climate – also in terms of sexual or romantic orientation or gender identity of university members. The University of Bern adopts measures for the promotion of equality of LGBTIQ+ people. More information and resources can be found here.

Restrooms for all can be found on the ground floors of the ExWi and G6 buildings.

Useful Information for LGBTIQ+ Students

The Student Association of the University of Bern (SUB) highly values diversity and is committed to ensuring that all people can study at the University of Bern free of discrimination. Here you will find an overview of useful information, links, tips and tricks for everyday life at university, put together by the SUB.

Name Changes

Students, doctoral students and employees of the University of Bern who are in a transition process (or have been through one) can have themselves registered in university systems with their everyday name wherever possible, in deviation from the official first name and gender entry. More information and resources can be found here.

If you would like to request a name change within the CSH (e.g. website staff page, office door label, etc.), please don’t hesitate to contact the CSH Secretariat.

Network Queer UniBE

Queer UniBe is a network of queer employees at the University of Bern. Queer UniBe campaigns for the interests of trans, non-binary, inter*, lesbian, bisexual, gay, asexual, agender and all queer members of the university. Learn more here.

Queerstudents (SUB)

The “queerstudents” are a LGBTIQ+ group of the SUB (student association of the University of Bern). They organize various meetings and are engaged for LGBTIQ+ issues at the university. Find out more here.

The University of Bern is committed to the elimination of disadvantages for people with disability or chronic illness and the reduction of barriers in studying and working situations at the university. The goal is to enable equal access and participation for students and employees with disability or chronic illness. Find out more here.

Accessible restrooms for all can be found on the ground floors of the ExWi and G6 buildings.

Access Arrangements

Students with disabilities or chronic illnesses have a right to Access Arrangements. An application must be submitted to the responsible office well in advance and requires some preparation. Students with disabilities or chronic illnesses are free to choose and pursue any study subject (admission requirements apply). However, it is important to clarify the modalities before starting your studies.

Information and resources can be found here.

Students of the Master’s Program Space Sciences and Astronomy should contact the Director of Studies for their access arrangements request.

In order to provide you with an optimal study and work environment, the University of Bern provides menstrual articles free of charge. A list of bathrooms with menstrual products for emergencies can be found here.

Bathrooms in G6 and ExWi

A dispenser is available in the accessible all gender bathroom on the ground floor of G6, in the women’s restroom on the second floor of ExWi, and in the women’s restroom on the B level of the ExWi annex near the B5/B7 auditoria.

Intermediate Staff Association (MVUB)

The MVUB is the professional association of intermediate staff members (PhD students, Postdocs, Technical Staff, Lecturers) at the University of Bern and represents, networks and advises them in their academic and professional interests to the university, non-university bodies and authorities.

Individual membership is free and includes benefits such as access to courses, emergency funds, counselling, and legal advice. Learn more here.

Student Union University of Bern (SUB)

The SUB represents the concerns and interests of the undergraduate (BA and MA) students of the University of Bern. As well as political representation, the SUB offers the students a comprehensive and varied range of services and advice, including student housing, a job platform, free admission to cultural events as well as legal and financial advice. Learn more here.

Note that a membership of either MVUB or SUB is also required for students applying for the SUB Social Fund in case of financial emergencies.

The University of Bern’s Portal for Junior Academics is the central hub for researchers from doctoral candidates to assistant professors. The portal offers comprehensive information on career development within and outside academia, transferable skills, funding, and advisory services. Learn more here.