Key points regarding the academic career development at the UZH out of the press conference on 11 May 2022:

(Quote out of UZH News)

New career prospects for junior academics
UZH wants to improve the situation of junior researchers through a number of ongoing projects, for example by providing teaching and research assistants as well as PhD candidates with clear employment terms that set apart enough time for them to conduct research. UZH is also planning to establish an anonymous monitoring system that will make it possible to survey the job satisfaction of PhD candidates. In 2021, the University introduced a new mentoring award, which is presented annually to professors who do an excellent job of supporting and guiding junior researchers.

“We want to provide researchers who enjoy working in academia but aren’t necessarily pursuing a professorship with new career opportunities in between academia and university administration, for example in science or data management or in libraries,” says Elisabeth Stark, Vice President Research. In addition, more permanent positions that aren’t linked to any professorships are planned for non-professorial academic staff, with a focus on teaching or research. “This would enable us to reduce the burden on teaching staff and avoid a brain drain in research, while also creating long-term job prospects for advanced junior researchers,” says Stark.