Campus Stories
What makes UZH special are the people who learn, teach, research and work here. Discover how committed individuals at UZH foster a sense of community and keep the university running behind the scenes.
“When I started my PhD, Swiss culture and my role as a PhD candidate were new to me. CareerElixier was the first group that actively approached me and invited me to attend its monthly lunches. Those meetings helped me a lot to clear up basic questions such as how the professorial chair system works, for example. The dialogue with other members of the group was inspiring and helped me to develop a well-defined research proposal right from the outset of my PhD.
“I now am the co-CEO of CareerElixier. We help our members to get their research published, to acquire grants, to balance professional and family life, and to improve their teaching skills. Our annual program includes on- and offsite writing retreats that give members time and space to concentrate on their research papers without any distractions. Each year we additionally organize two workshops aimed at honing professional and interdisciplinary skills. A workshop on preparing oneself for the job market was recently held, for example. The next one is dedicated to presentation speaking skills training.
“My main task is organizing events and keeping track of our activities while my co-CEO Mingxuan Ma is in charge of the budget. I concentrate mainly on coordinating our members and on connecting them with key people whenever the need arises. Many of the abilities that I acquire through CareerElixier – be it time management, organizational or communication skills – also are very beneficial to my PhD studies.
“During one writing retreat, a former doctoral candidate recounted to me how on her first retreat, other members encouraged her to continue her PhD even though she was struggling with family obligations. Today, she is a successful assistant professor and has received major research grants. Her story brought home to me just how valuable events of this kind can be to our career development.”
Drazen Aulic-Baumgartner works in User Services in the History, Culture and Theology Department of the University Library. Urs Müller is liaison librarian for Latin, Greek Studies and Medieval Latin. Together, they keep the UZH library running smoothly and regularly interact with students and teaching staff.
Urs Müller: “As Liaison Librarian, I maintain the holdings of the University Library (UB) for Greek and Latin Studies. I keep an eye on new releases in our field and purchase the books that are relevant to us. At the same time, I maintain close contact with the students, researchers and teaching staff in my subjects. I receive their queries and requests, and I advise them on matters related to information and library science.”
Drazen Aulic-Baumgartner: “I work in media/user services in the field of history, culture and theology. I process customer orders and take care of their concerns. In addition, I index the media acquired by the libraries in our department, particularly in the fields of archaeology and Eastern European history.”
Urs Müller: “There are two hectic periods over the course of the year. One is about two weeks before the lecture period starts. That’s when teaching staff send me their lists for the course reserves – that is, the reading lists for their courses. I then check which media are already available in the University Library or Zentralbibliothek Zürich. When something’s missing, I order it and this may also include obscure library media, such as a photo book published by a Czech publishing house I’ve never heard of before.”
Drazen Aulic-Baumgartner: “This is where I come in. I prepare the books in the Greek Studies and Latin University Library so that they’re ready for the students. But the course reserves are more than a simple collection of printed literature: on Swisscovery, reading lists can be accessed and shared, including electronic collections.”
Urs Müller: “Once the semester has started, I give introductory courses in information skills. Students learn how to use different tools and databases, and how to find their way around an academic library. Because the courses are often coordinated with events in the field, there is close cooperation with teaching staff.”
Drazen Aulic-Baumgartner: “In user services, we’re always kept busy at the beginning of the semester because the new students in particular have several questions with which we can help. Then towards the end of the semester, we notice that students urgently need books to complete their work. After that, all the books come back in one go and we put them back in their correct place.”
Urs Müller: “Drazen and I work hand in hand and help each other out when things get busy. I like that we librarians are working closer together ever since the UB was founded. It has created opportunities for new services – in the past, for example, members of the teaching staff had to find the books for the course reserves themselves. Now we do that.”
Drazen Aulic-Baumgartner: “Yes, there is actually more cooperation, because you’re in closer contact with your colleagues and the workload can be coordinated more easily. This was made possible with the establishment of the University Library.”
“When I was a Bachelor’s student, I once tutored another student in physics in the Lichthof. Later, several people who had seen us asked me which module I needed help with. They all automatically assumed that I, the woman, was the one in need of tutoring. It was experiences like this that prompted me to get in touch with the Gender Equality Commission of the University of Zurich Student Association (VSUZH) and get involved in university politics.
For me, however, equality goes beyond the issue of gender. Education for everyone, regardless of their background, is very important to me. This is one of the topics I champion as student delegate in the Extended Executive Board of the University (EUL), the Senate, the UZH Accessible steering committee and various VSUZH committees. I also co-founded the feminist philosophy collective in Zurich and am co-president of the Society for Women* in Philosophy Switzerland (SW*IP CH). I believe that taking an intersectional approach to equality is crucial, that is, considering the issue from a variety of angles, including disabilities or social background, for example.
I have a Bachelor’s degree in English language and literature and a second Bachelor’s degree in physics and philosophy. Now I’m pursuing a Master’ degree in philosophy and gender studies. Reaching this point in my academic journey was far from a given.
As a former care leaver, I’m among a very small group of people – just one percent – who successfully complete higher education. Care leavers face structural hurdles, social stigma, and often remain invisible in the system. This is something I’m committed to changing.
It’s all too easy to forget in everyday university life that our structures aren’t neutral, and that not everyone has the same opportunities. I notice this particularly when I campaign for the rights of students with disabilities. Specific suggestions that could improve educational equality here at UZH are often met with resistance. Teaching staff then often argue that ‘this is how it’s always been done’ and that things therefore shouldn’t change. But this is a logical fallacy known in philosophy as argumentum ad antiquitatem. How long something’s been in practice doesn’t necessarily say anything about the quality.
At first, I often felt out of place in university politics. Many people were unfamiliar with the issues I was raising, and people were often critical of the way I expressed my views. I’m sure this had a lot to do with my perspective – as a woman, care leaver and impaired person. It wasn’t an easy path, but I’m glad that I persevered and have been able to contribute to meaningful changes over the past few years. I have always taken criticism seriously, but I’ve also made a conscious decision to speak in my own voice and not conform on every point. I would like to encourage all students whose voices are currently still not heard enough to step up and get involved – your perspective matters!”
“I work as a floater in the cleaning service team on Irchel Campus. In other words, I help out wherever help is needed when someone is away on vacation or or off sick. There are 40 women in our team, and we make sure that Irchel Campus is clean, including the lecture halls, teaching rooms, toilets and offices.
During the semester break, we can give the lecture halls a particularly thorough clean, as they’re not being used all the time like in the semester. We make sure everything is ready when the new semester kicks off. My daily tasks also include bringing lost items to the information desk. We find things that somebody has left behind every day, including chargers, glasses, phones ...
My work starts at 6:30 in the morning and ends at 3:45 in the afternoon. I enjoy what I do very much. I used to work in a hotel, where I had to work most weekends. Since I joined the university, I can use the occasional long weekend to go visit my family in Italy.”
“As the coordinator, I am the main contact person for members of the UZH community and for the current interim user, the Kantonsschule Zurich North (KZN) upper secondary school. My job is to facilitate schools’ acclimation to the new environment and to protect the interests of the university. I am aware that the interim use of the Irchel Campus is being watched with a critical eye – that’s exactly where the challenge and allure of my job lie.
“Innovative teaching-learning projects provide an excellent basis for cooperation. To cite an example, a radio telescope is being installed on the roof of a building on the Irchel Campus – it will benefit both the students of the cantonal upper secondary school as well as members of the UZH community. Initiatives like the Brown Bag Lunches sponsored by the Department of Geography also promote networking and joint projects. At the same time, I create informal platforms to further invigorate dialogue, such as through a networking event for members of the university and upper secondary school communities. It particularly pleases me when participants get actively involved themselves: one highlight, for instance, was the joint poster event staged by the KZN and UZH chemistry students associations.
“An important part of my work is mediating between different interests. When specific problems such as noise or room utilization conflicts arise, I bring the parties concerned into direct dialogue to devise workable solutions and clear rules together. Some challenges, such as when school pupils use the elevators and delay UZH employees, aren’t always easy to resolve. My goal is to continually create a constructive foundation for communication and understanding.
“Cultural processes and the mindsets of different groups fascinate me. I view empathy, candor and a willingness to compromise as essential success factors in my work. It’s important to me to seek common ground and find the best possible solution in every situation, always with a willingness to stand back and take other perspectives into consideration.”
“Our campus houses facilities of UZH, University Hospital Zurich and ETH Zurich, as well as those of external partners from the Schlieren BioTechnopark. This diversity is also reflected in the Campus Council, which I have been assisting since its founding in 2023. The council convenes at least four times a year to plan projects and monitor their progress.
“The Schlieren Campus isn’t a classic student campus; it’s a highly specialized life sciences research site with a variety of laboratory facilities. In this environment, creating an interinstitutional social indoor area – a shared lounge space that promotes dialogue and exchange – is a central concern to us.
“One important mission is to bolster mutual understanding within and outside UZH and its institutions. Last year, we held the Faculty of Medicine’s faculty assembly here in Schlieren for the first time. Our maiden Open Day in September 2024 invited the public in Schlieren to gain insights into our research activities through guided tours and workshops for children.
“Although I am not a researcher, I find my work very satisfying because my job is to address interinstitutional concerns and to translate them into action. I consider fostering cooperation and well-being and improving the shared infrastructure a meaningful activity in this important environment for research on cancer, induced stem cell therapies and rare diseases.
“A well-attended networking apéritif party is held every month, and the activity lineup also features weekly yoga classes and will be expanded this year to include fitness training. One big improvement for students is the harmonization of cafeteria prices: starting this year, they will pay prices comparable to those at other UZH cafeterias in other locations. That facilitates people meeting one another in the cafeteria and benefits campus life. Small improvements like setting up tables and benches outdoors are also important. Actions of that kind contribute to making the Schlieren Campus a better place for everyone.”
“Every day at the Irchel Campus information desk is different. People come to us when they’re looking for a lecture hall or when they’ve lost something. Sometimes people confuse Irchel Campus with City Campus. We then explain how they can get there. Others ask for directions to the Institute of Forensic Medicine because they’re on their way to do a paternity test. There are four of us in Customer Services at Irchel Campus. In addition to the information desk, we’re responsible for lecture hall technology, event management and parking services for the entire UZH. We also take care of the validation stations, put books in display cases, approve poster displays and issue parking cards for food trucks.
Another of our duties is taking care of the approximately 2,800 lockers that are available to students at Irchel Campus. We’re responsible for the keys, and during the semester break we clean the lockers that are to be allocated to someone new. Now and then, some students forget to hand in their keys. Because of this, we usually have to empty around 100 lockers every summer and replace the locks. When this happens, we store the items we find for six months. Sometimes we come across amusing objects in the lockers, including a coffee machine, a floorball stick and a bikini. But unfortunately, every now and then, we also stumble upon an old, forgotten sandwich.
The fact that more than 2,000 high school students have been attending school on our campus since the summer of 2024 has not changed our day-to-day life much, probably because we’re on the other side of the site. Every now and then, however, parents call us looking for things that their children have lost.
I like the fact that my work is highly varied and we’re a well-established team. We are part of Facility Management Irchel Campus and also have good relationships with colleagues from the other teams, for example the cleaning and locksmith services. I’m happy that we can support the UZH community and help keep the university’s operations running smoothly.”
“Since doing my PhD, the issue of accessibility in science has been a major concern for me. One principle that’s particularly close to my heart is open data. This means that data collected for research should be as freely available and usable as possible. That’s why I’m part of the Data Stewards Network. As a data steward, I bring different teams together and support them in prepping and storing data so that it can be used across different disciplines.
My own research is an interesting example, because it shows that things that sound good in theory can be a challenge to implement in reality. I am responsible for the scientific part of the SwissPrEPared program, in which a total of around 9,000 people receive a medication called PrEP. This drug prevents infections with HIV. The program is accompanied by a study where we evaluate other information such as the health data of the participants.
This data is highly sensitive and needs to be protected, which strongly limits the options for sharing it. In the Data Stewards Network, I learned that instead of the data itself, I can prepare and share descriptive information about it, also known as meta-information. This way, other researchers can at least find out what kind of data we have, and they can submit a request to us if they would like to use it. My contacts in the Data Stewards Network have been enormously helpful in teaching me how this kind of meta-data should be structured.
I have a pragmatic view of my own role as a data steward: When I'm in contact with other groups, I point them to the available support services. Many people aren’t aware, for example, that the Science IT team within Central IT offers free consulting and advice about how to handle data.
Originally, the network met up once a month, mainly with the goal of exchanging our knowledge of what resources were available and where. Now we meet every quarter, alternating between online and live meetings. I like the in-person meetings because they offer a good opportunity to deepen relationships. Normally, as researchers, we primarily operate within our own environment. Thanks to my involvement as a data steward, I have gained insight into many areas of the university that I was not familiar with before.
For me, my involvement is also a win insofar as it has made our group work more efficiently. We no longer had to reinvent everything ourselves, but could benefit from other people’s experience and knowledge. That’s my main argument when I want to convince other groups to make their data open and accessible. At the beginning, the effort might be considerable, but in the long run, it makes your work more efficient.”
“Ever since obtaining my doctorate, I have been a committed advocate of constructive cooperation and have been very involved in representing the interests of the bodies to which I belong. Since I by now am a member of the ATP, I represent that body on the Commission for Education and Student Affairs and can build bridges there with my experience as a former instructor and doctoral candidate.
“I am convinced that an organization cannot function optimally unless its members take on responsibility and get actively involved. It always takes people who see to it that the views of those whose work is affected get integrated into decision-making processes.
“My work on the commission was one of the main reasons why I have resumed working in the area of education and student affairs since last year. It allows me to gain early insights into strategic developments within the area of education and student affairs and fosters tight-knit networking through direct dialogue with the other members of the commission.
“Although discussions within the Commission for Education and Student Affairs are often shaped by the needs of students, teaching staff and professors, I take a stand to also make the perspective of the ATP visible. Unlike students, junior researchers or instructors, members of the ATP normally stay involved in teaching operations for the long run, play a major role in preserving institutional knowledge and thus make a valuable contribution to the stability and ongoing further development of the organization, which ultimately benefits everyone.
“In the discussion about the rules on the provision of plagiarism detection software, for example, I pulled in the views of my ATP colleagues, who regularly deal with this issue as study program coordinators or advisors. Together we advocated to allow students to use the plagiarism detection software provided by UZH autonomously. I found it very gratifying that the ATP’s point of view was endorsed by the majority of the commission.
“What I particularly appreciate about working on the commission is the constructive discussion culture and the deep commitment of everyone involved. However, there are many issues that do not center on the duties and interests of the ATP. In situations of that kind, tact is called for to exercise restraint and to contribute input only when it actually creates added value.”
