Upcoming events

We are thrilled to announce the launch of our biannual newsletter at the end of the Spring 2026 semester. Bulletin d’Initiative Afrique is a newsletter dedicated to keeping all members and partners regularly informed about Africa-related activities taking place both within and beyond the University of Bern. For this first issue, we welcome contributions such as reports on academic activities (research, workshops, seminars etc.) and publication reviews.

We kindly invite you to submit your contribution to afrique.research@unibe.ch

Introduction

The University of Bern has been strongly committed to promoting science in Switzerland and fostering global research networks, including with partners in Africa. Since the University of Bern's membership in the network The Guild of European Research-intensive Universities (The Guild) and the Guild’s collaboration with the African Research Universities Alliance (ARUA), the partnerships of the University of Bern with African universities are not only expanding but also consolidating. These exceptional partnerships are reflected in the Initiative Afrique, jointly set up by the Vice-Rectorate for Research and Innovation and the Vice-Rectorate for International Affairs and Academic Careers. The Initiative Afrique is a vehicle for pooling all Africa-related activities and facilitating networking within and beyond the University of Bern, based on its partnership with the African continent. It promotes, deepens, plans, structures and coordinates relationships between the University of Bern and partner institutions from the African continent in education, research and innovation. To fulfil this mission, Initiative Afrique undertakes various activities, e.g.:

• Maintain and establish international research collaborations with African partners and Africa-related teaching topics, notably through: The Guild of European Research-Intensive Universities (The Guild), the African Research Universities Alliance (ARUA), and the European University Alliance ENLIGHT, as well as through national institutions, such as the Swiss Society for African Studies (SSAS).
• Outreach on all activities related to its members through:
  1. A podcast series about Initiative Afrique community members.
  2. A webinar series.
  3. A biannual Newsletter covering all activities and research outputs.

The Biannual Newsletter: Bulletin d’Initiative Afrique

As illustrated by the members of its Executive Board, the Association All-Africa Ubuntu and the Community, Initiative Afrique organises activities that cover in a comprehensive way all the faculties and institutions of the University. It is, therefore, necessary to establish a Newsletter dedicated to keeping all these actors and stakeholders regularly informed about related activities happening within and outside the University of Bern. For this reason, we are launching a biannual Newsletter published online at the end of every semester, with the following objectives:

• To inform actors and stakeholders within and outside the University of Bern about activities related to Initiative Afrique.
• To inform the community about the activities of its members and all Africa-related projects at the University of Bern.
• To inform about the academic activities of the Africa-Europe Clusters of Research Excellence.  
• To serve as a platform for academic publications and communication (papers, reports, interviews, calls for conferences and scholarships, etc.) for Initiative Afrique and its members.

Content and sections  

Based on these objectives, the Bulletin d’Initiative Afrique is composed of various sections:

• Editorial

This section summarises the overall content of the current edition of the Newsletter, and recalls how the mission, vision and values of Initiative Afrique are expressed in its daily work at the University of Bern.  

• Communications and Updates

This section reports on updates and other relevant information for the community.

• Events and Outreach  

This section covers current and past events organised by Initiative Afrique, its members, and partner organisations.

• Partnerships, Academic Exchanges and Training

This section highlights the academic activities of the Africa-Europe Clusters of Research Excellence, as well as those of the members and partners of Initiative Afrique. Topics linked to training and education will also be reported here.

• Community and Members

In this section, readers will be informed about the activities of the Executive Board, the Community, and the semestral Community Meetings. It also gives an overview of the podcast episodes that Initiative Afrique published during the semester and highlights the main messages of each interview.

• All-Africa Ubuntu

This section informs readers about the main activities of All-Africa Ubuntu during the semester ­ꟷ the association of the African community at the University of Bern.

• Publications

This section gives an overview of the recent publications by Initiative Afrique’s partners and members.  

Contributions and Authors

Contributions from all employees, academic staff, and students at the University of Bern are welcome in the Newsletter. Authors are free to write in the language of their choice (English, German, or French). Contributions will not be translated. For each contribution, authors are requested to provide a suitable picture or other illustrative material, clearly stating the copyright and any other legal considerations related to authorship, according to the regulations of the University of Bern.

Language of publication

English is the main language of the Newsletter, but contributions will be published in the author’s preferred language –German, French, or English– without translation.   

Format and frequency

The Newsletter will be published twice a year online with the support of the Communication and Marketing service of the University of Bern’s central administration. It will be available at the end of every academic semester.

Copyright

The copyright policy of the Initiative Afrique Newsletter aligns with the University of Bern's regulations. Every picture or illustrative material published in the Newsletter will include copyright information and any relevant legal details regarding authorship.

Contact

For any further information, contact Dr. Djouroukoro Diallo, Head and Coordination Initiative Afrique, Hochschulstrasse 6, 3012 Bern.

Email: Djouroukoro.diallo2@unibe.ch

We kindly invite you to submit your contribution to afrique.research@unibe.ch.  

Where: Bernisches Historisches Museum, Helvetiaplatz 5, 3005. Bern

When: May 26th, 2026. 6:30 PM

More information coming soon!

The global debate on the restitution of collections with colonial provenance has long since reached Switzerland. By the end of 2026, it will gain new momentum from Bern: The Bern Historical Museum (BHM) is currently preparing an exhibition on the Usakos Railway Workers’ Collection, which will open in September 2026. The exhibition focuses on re-examining the ethnographic collection of the Swiss couple Victor and Marie Solioz, which was assembled between 1903 and 1905 in the context of the genocide in Namibia. Following the exhibition in Bern, the collection will be repatriated to Namibia. The exhibition preparations are being supported through a collaborative project between the BHM and the Chair of Modern General History at the University of Bern. The aim is to initiate a debate on the opportunities and challenges of collaboration between academia and collection institutions, such as museums, and to deepen the dialogue among universities, museums, and the general public in Switzerland.

The Department of Clinical Research (DCR), University of Bern, in collaboration with the Insel Gruppe, Universitäre Psychiatrische Dienste Bern (UPD) AG, Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine (ISPM) Initiative Afrique, University of Bern Faculty of Medicine, University of Bern, invites you to the Global Health Symposium, a symposium about pressing global health challenges.

Date: Thursday, 28 May 2026
Time: 4:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Location: Auditorium Ettore Rossi, Freiburgstrasse 19, 3010 Bern

This symposium will bring together researchers, clinicians, and policy experts to discuss key issues in global health.

More information coming soon!