A recent article published by Franziska Meister on the Wochenzeitung analyses the current situation on promotion of junior and senior researchers who make up the largest part of mid-level academic staff and mentions actionuni and our position paper.
Please follow this link to the article.
Category Archives: Position papers and press releases
actionuni responded to the consultation on the SHK ordinance on the coordination of higher education teaching
The ordinance focuses on higher education at all three types of universities, defining which types of academic diplomas and certificates can be issued, how many ECTS are associated to each kind of study program and which sort of institutions is allowed to offer third-cycle programs such as doctorates.
Our main feedback point as actionuni is that UAS and PH should, similarly to cantonal universities and federal polytechnics, be also allowed to develop and offer their own third-cycle study programs, provided a rigorous quality control procedure be put in place to ensure quality standards comparable to those of existing third-cycle programs.
Read our full response here (in Italian).
actionuni responded to the consultation on the Federal Act on International Cooperation and Mobility in the Field of Education (SR 414.51)
The new law is in effect a legal formalization of policies on cooperation and mobility which are already in place. This topic is clearly central to academic and professional training.
Our main feedback points were the following:
- we recognize the need for the Confederation to be able to manage its programmes more autonomously
- we support the establishment of a national agency with a specific executive mandate concerning the instruments of implementation of the policies presented by the law
- we welcome the opening to non-European educational realities
- we stress the need for the Confederation not to distance itself too much from the cooperation and mobility programmes linked to the European Union.
Read the full letter here (in Italian).
New bulletin from swissfaculty-INFO-18
The latest information bulletin INFO-18 from our partners at swissfaculty is now online. It features an article written by former actionuni co-president Salome Adam on why we need structural improvements for mid-level staff employed at Swiss universities.
actionuni responded to the consultation on the new law for the Swiss Federal Institute for Vocational Education (EHB)
The new law suggests that the Swiss Federal Institute for Vocational Education is being recognized and accredited as a University of Teacher Education.
Our main feedback points were:
- The new law shall include a paragraph on securing the autonomy of the institution.
- Not only EHB will be active in vocational education, but shall do so in synergy with existing offers at existing Universities of Teacher Education.
- A paragraph on proper participation rights for staff and students of EHB must be introduced.
Read the full Vernehmlassungsantwort (German).
«Er deutet damit an, dass es an der ETH Zürich einen Kulturwandel geben wird.»
Salome Adam, co-president of actionuni, recognizes the positive intentions of ETH-president Joël Mesot in a recent interview with züriost. Joël Mesot publicly apologized “to those affected by the unprofessional conduct of their supervisors” and presents a set of measures to improve prevention, leadership and the handling of conflict situations.
Read the full article here (German only).
«Die komplexen Abhängigkeiten begünstigen Ausbeutung extrem»
Salome Adam, co-president of actionuni, was invited to comment in the Zürioberländer News on the recent cases of mobbing and plagiarism at EMPA, the independent materials, science and technology research institute of the ETH domain.
Salome states that the complex dependencies of young researchers from their professors aid to cases of exploitation. At EMPA, two professors are being accused of mobbing, inexplicable cases of dismissal of employees, and copying of material from Phd-theses for publication under their own name without citing of the original author(s).
Read the full article here (German only).
Les doctorants de Suisse réclament de meilleures conditions de travail
Maximilien Stauber, secretary general of ACIDUL, University of Lausanne, got interviewed on the recently released position paper of actionuni.
Maximilien claims that “It’s hard to get into a job if you know that potentially, in a year, or even three years, it will be over. These are unstable and often shifting positions. It is necessary all the time to move, one pushes you to do it for criteria of excellence. It’s complicated to manage.”
Read the full article at RTS (French only).
actionuni responded to the consultation on the new ETH legislation
actionuni has given feedback on the new ETH legislation. Our main points are:
- criticism on the plan to increase the flexibility concerning contract duration for PostDocs and Assistant Professors. A minimum of four years in the first contract should be ensured.
- salary equality within ETH needs to be ensured by the ETH-Rat, also in case of private third party funding.
- professors may be employed beyond retirement age. However, we demand a new (young) professor must be employed nevertheless.
- participation must be ensured and voting rights for delegates of the Hochschulversammlung sustained.
- if a new HR information system is being introduced, data must not be used for any other purposes (e.g. research) without consent of the employees.
- video surveillance data must not be used for other than its intended use.
Read the full Vernehmlassungsantwort (German).
actionuni in SRF Kontext – Forscherkarriere: Gefahr für Gesundheit und Wohlbefinden?
Salome Adam, co-president of actionuni, participated in a discussion with Prof. Aguzzi from University of Zurich on the misuse of power and mobbing at universities. Some real cases are reported but also ways are discussed of how pressure in research can be mitigated without compromising scientific quality.