More than 6,000 of us bring the University of Geneva to life every day, serving our 18,000 students, our researchers, and more broadly, the community that hosts and supports the University. In an institution as rich and diverse as ours, internal communication is an essential factor for greater cohesion. This new monthly newsletter aims to contribute to that cohesion by providing a privileged channel for information between the Rectorate and UNIGE employees, while shedding light on the strategic issues shaping our academic community.
Among these, the place of women at the University remains a major issue, situated at the intersection of our history, our present responsibilities, and the ambitions we hold for the future. Equality Week, currently taking place until March 10th, offers an opportunity to deepen this reflection by acknowledging the progress achieved — notably a proportion of women among the professorial staff (35.2%) that exceeds the national average (30.8%) — while also recognizing the distance still to be covered.
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First Call for Projects, Strong Response: A High-Impact Launch for the Fondation pour l'Université de Genève
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In 2025, during its first year of existence, the Fondation pour l'Université de Genève (FUNIGE) provided support to several outstanding projects. Among them were Neurocampus (10.8 million CHF), a major neuroscience research hub located at Campus Biotech, and the Centre for Life in the Universe (2.1 million CHF), dedicated to interdisciplinary research in astronomy and fundamental sciences.
The Foundation also supported initiatives with strong societal impact, such as the Histoire et Cité festival (150,000 CHF for 2026) (outreach) and the Télémaque project (650,000 CHF), aimed at strengthening students’ access to healthcare.
The first call for projects, which closed in December, generated significant interest, with 21 applications in the “Major Projects” category, 56 “Support” projects, and 6 “Equipment” projects.
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Research collaboration or service mandate agreements: secure your projects, protect your rights, and ensure institutional compliance before any signature
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Before concluding any collaboration agreement related to research or service mandates, you must contact the competent services of the University. Below you will find the required procedure, the list of the competent services, as well as an outline of the most common risks. Do not enter into any agreement without going through our services; the risks for both yourself and the institution are too great.
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Preparing for Retirement: Information Sessions
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The Human Resources Division, in collaboration with its institutional partners, is offering a series of sessions designed to support retirement planning. This programme is open to all staff and is particularly intended for employees aged 50 to 65.
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- How to Prepare for Retirement – by the Geneva State Pension Fund (CPEG) | Thursday, 26 March 2026 | 2:15 – 4:15 pm | U600, Uni Dufour
- The AVS Bridging Pension – by the Human Resources Division (DIRH) and the Post-Retirement Activities Catalogue – by the University of Seniors (UNI3) | Thursday, 9 April 2026 | 2:15 – 4:15 pm | U300, Uni Dufour
- AVS Retirement Pension – by the Geneva Cantonal Social Insurance Office (OCAS) | Thursday, 23 April 2026 | 2:15 – 4:15 pm | U300, Uni Dufour
- Retirement: Tax Implications in the Canton of Geneva – by the Cantonal Tax Administration (AFC) | Thursday, 30 April 2026 | 2:15 – 4:15 pm | U300, Uni Dufour
- AVS Benefits Abroad – by the Central Compensation Office (CdC)Thursday, 21 May 2026 | 12:15 – 2:00 pm | U259, Uni Dufour
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Teaching Practices for Students with Special Needs: Listening to Your Experience
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To improve support for students with special needs, a survey is being conducted among teaching and research staff as part of the Master’s program in Special Education (MESP), in collaboration with the Student Health Service.
The aim is to better understand the experience of the students concerned, as well as the teaching practices implemented and the challenges encountered. Your participation is essential to help refine existing measures and promote inclusive practices that are fully compatible with academic standards.
The questionnaire is anonymous and takes approximately 10 minutes to complete.
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E-administration: simplifications for users
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The Decision-Making Task Force is continuing its efforts to make the Purchasing Information System (SI-Achats) and the Financial Information System (SI-Finances) simpler and more accessible for the university community. Two new developments are now available.
For SI-Finances, five new video tutorials—each under four minutes—provide clear and practical answers to basic questions such as: How do I log in? How can I check a fund balance? How can I verify whether invoices have been paid? A new guide explaining the essential concepts is also available.
Within the PUMA system, the item database has been streamlined and the purchase order creation process optimized. In addition, improvements to the PUMA interface are currently being rolled out and will be completed by the end of March.
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The Transformation Office Supports You in Your Project Management
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As part of its mission to support the institution’s strategic developments, the Transformation Office (BT) provides a range of resources to strengthen your project management practices. It offers training sessions to familiarize you with UNIGE’s methodological standards, as well as dedicated materials, guides, and document templates for project management. Office hours are also held every Tuesday and Thursday from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. in room 229 at Uni Dufour, offering personalized support for your initiatives. In addition, a podcast features UNIGE project managers sharing their experiences, and a quarterly newsletter keeps you informed about news, tools, and reflections related to transformation within the institution.
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Fire Prevention: Lithium Batteries and Call for STEPS Fire Safety Team Members
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Following the tragedy in Crans-Montana, the STEPS Service would like to remind you of best practices in the event of a fire. Point of attention: Lithium batteries — found in many everyday devices (mobile phones, laptops, electric bicycles and scooters, portable tools, etc.) — can present risks of overheating, fire or explosion, particularly during charging. For your safety, it is essential to follow proper handling, storage and maintenance practices, and to know how to respond in the event of an incident. In particular, you are strongly advised not to leave chargers plugged in unattended.
In this context, prevention also involves a major operational challenge: building evacuation capacity. At several sites, the minimum number of designated fire safety team members has not been reached, which can complicate the transmission of information to emergency services and slow down their response. The STEPS Service is therefore actively seeking volunteers. Become an active contributor to fire safety and play a concrete role in protecting our community.
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of the University’s 6,624 staff members are women — a figure that underscores the central role women play within the institution.
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of the professorial body at the University of Geneva are women, compared with an average of 30.8% across Swiss universities
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of teaching and research staff are women
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of administrative and technical staff (PAT) are women
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- Employment certificates and payslips for staff paid through public funds (DIP-OPE) are now available online via the HR portal. More information >>
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- From 16 to 20 March, the Library is organising Zero plagiarism Week. Targeted training sessions, awareness stands and a Copyright Bingo will provide opportunities to deepen, test and share key academic skills. More information >>
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- First Aid Awareness Day will take place on Wednesday, 11 March 2026, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., in the Uni Mail Hall. Programme >>
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