News
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The first 125 years
Domiciled at UZH, Switzerland’s largest department of geography is celebrating its 125th anniversary. As Director Jan Seibert explains, no other discipline offers greater variety.
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2020 WDS Data Stewardship Award
The award by the World Data System is related to a collaboration of Ethan Welty with the WGMS. Ethan's sound knowledge in glaciology and information technology and his personal commitment allowed the release of a new version of the Glacier Thickness Database.
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«Expedition 2 Grad» gewinnt den Bundespreis Ecodesign
«Expedition 2 Grad» wird mit dem diesjährigen Bundespreis Ecodesign ausgezeichnet, die höchste staatliche Auszeichnung für ökologisches Design in Deutschland.
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UZH signed the “Climate Alliance Declaration to G20 Leaders“
The 37 signatories „strongly encourage world leaders to ensure that all COVID stimulus measures maintain their countries’ commitments under the Paris Agreement and work toward a net-zero emission plan.”
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Boost for polar research
The University of Zurich will become a new member and funder of the Swiss Polar Institute from 1 January 2021. The collaboration further boosts polar and remote high-altitude research.
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On the river
A poetic-experimental film about a river in honor of the Mercator Prize winners Barbara Strobl and Simon Etter. The film was presented at the 3rd Global Science Film Festival on November 6-8, 2020.
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Würdigung der «Teachers of the Hour»
Am Tag der Lehre am 4. November 2020 wurden die «Teachers of the Hour» durch Prof. Dr. Gabriele Siegert, Prorektorin Lehre und Studium, in einer digitalen Ansprache gewürdigt, darunter auch vier Dozierende des Geographischen Instituts.
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Risk guidelines for glacial hazards in the Indian Himalaya
Due to the warming climate, the potential for glacial lake outbursts in the Indian Himalayan regions is rising. GIUZ researchers supported the Indian government to develop guidelines for the management of glacial hazards and risks.
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Transnationale Altenbetreuung im Lockdown
Die Situation von osteuropäischen Altenbetreuer*innen in Schweizer Privathaushalten ist prekär, besonders während der Corona-Pandemie. Karin Schwiter beantwortete Fragen für Radio SRF4 und den Tagesanzeiger.
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Glaciers are retreating unabated
The volume of Swiss glaciers continues to decline in summer 2020. Although it is not an extreme year, the decline remains significant and is drastically changing the image of the Alps.
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"Reversing the Gaze": A new research project in Political Geography
How can scientific concepts and theories, developed in the Global South, help us understand phenomena in the Global North? This is the main question that guides the four-year research project co-led by Benedikt Korf.
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Environmental Data from Space
Geoinformatics expert Reik Leiterer specializes in remote sensing, and drew on his expertise to develop a business idea that culminated in the foundation of the spinoff company Exolabs in 2017: A portrait in the UZH Journal.
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Wenn die «Stimme des Berges» warnt
Permafrost - das ist der Kitt, der Berge im Innersten zusammenhält. Doch er taut langsam auf, die Berge werden instabiler. Daher suchen Forscher nach einer Methode, wie sich Felsstürze besser vorhersagen lassen.
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Honorary professorship at University of Nottingham to Christian Berndt
Christian Berndt was appointed as Honorary Professor of Economic Geography at University of Nottingham. Congratulations!
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Eminent Ecologist 2020: Bernhard Schmid
The British Ecological Society announced that Bernhard Schmid is the Eminent Ecologist award winner for 2020. Congratulations!
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GIUZ alumna is the new SDC director general
The Federal Council appointed GIUZ alumna Patricia Danzi as the new director general of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC). She took up her post on 1 May 2020.
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Erwärmung des Permafrosts in der Schweiz
In den letzten Jahrzehnten hat sich der Permafrost in der Schweiz erwärmt. Die meisten Blockgletscher bewegen sich deutlich schneller. Das zeigen Langzeitmessungen des Schweizer Permafrostmessnetzes PERMOS.
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“We’re pioneers in Switzerland”
The goal of the Graduate Campus is to create the best possible framework for junior researchers. Ulrike Müller-Böker, Professor Emerita of Human Geography, was Director of the Graduate Campus until July 2020.
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Precision Predictions for Hydropower Plants
The UZH spin-off ExoLabs has developed a model that can predict snowmelt and help hydropower operators generate energy more efficiently.
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On Thin Ice
Our glaciers are melting. Glaciologist Michael Zemp believes that a reduction in air travel among the scientific community is inevitable.
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“Giving people room for creativity”
Encouraging interdisciplinary collaboration, streamlining regulations, and giving people the freedom to research: These are some of the goals Michael Schaepman hopes to achieve as new UZH President.
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1.5 Billion People Will Depend on Water from Mountains
In 30 years, almost a quarter of the world’s lowland population will strongly depend on runoff from the mountains. Only sustainable development can ensure the important function of mountain areas as Earth’s “water towers”.
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How can local populations be won over to protected areas?
A new SCNAT fact sheet - co-authored by Annina Michel from the Department of Geography - summarises the existing scientific findings on the acceptance of parks and protected areas, provides recommendations for practice and identifies research needs.
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Alpine-wide observation of glacier mass loss from space
Glaciers in the European Alps lost between half and one meter of ice thickness between 2000 and 2014. With this, 17% of the remaining ice volume were lost.
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Teachers of the Hour
Four lecturers from the Department of Geography were nominated by the students as "Teachers of the Hour" for their particularly successful digitisation of teaching during the Corona crisis.
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ValPar.CH - Values of the ecological infrastructure in Swiss parks
A new interdisciplinary research project examines the benefits and added values of the ecological infrastructure in parks of national importance. The GIUZ is involved with several research units and in charge of the overall coordination.
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Teaching award nomination for Hendrik Wulf
Hendrik Wulf from the Remote Sensing unit was nominated by the students for the final round of the UZH Teaching Award 2020. Congratulations!
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Sustainable Research, Teaching and Operations
This year's meeting of the university network U21 focused on the topic of sustainability and was hosted by UZH. Michael Schaepman met with Thomas Stocker.
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WGMS contributing to European State of the Climate 2019
One of the headline climate indicators of the European State of the Climate Report are glaciers and sea level rise. The WGMS is the responsible data and information provider for glacier distribution and changes.
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Additional e-media for geography
Some publishers provide simplified or even completely open access to their content during the corona crisis. Several providers could be interesting for geography.
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Neuer CrowdWater Kurs online
Möchten Sie wissen, wie Sie mit Beiträgen bei CrowdWater zur Forschung beitragen können? Oder sind Sie bereits bei CrowdWater dabei und möchten erfahren was man dank Ihren Beiträgen erreichen kann?
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COVID-19: Information for students
Cancellation period, student assessments, presentations, military service: All relevant information for our students is available on the website.
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Public events cancelled until 31 May 2020
Public events of the Department of Geography have been cancelled until 31 May 2020. Digital alternatives are being sought for some events.
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Risks in the tropical Andes
The tropical Andes are one of the regions most affected by climate change. Holger Frey worked as a researcher for the Proyecto Glaciares in the Santa Teresa region of Peru and reports in an interview on the scientific background of the natural hazards that the population faces every day.
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Mercator Award for Simon Etter and Barbara Strobl
They convinced the jury with their innovative and original research: Simon Etter and Barbara Strobl from the Department of Geography and their Citizen Science project "CrowdWater".
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New Assistant Professorship in Social and Cultural Geography
Hanna Hilbrandt started her position as an Assistant Professor for Social and Cultural Geography on 1 March 2020. Her research focuses on urban development and planning, informality and housing marginalization as well as on socio-spatial inequalities in the context of globalizing financial markets.
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«Wir bräuchten eine Greta Thunberg für die Biodiversität»
Der Artenverlust sei mindestens genauso bedeutsam für den Menschen wie der Klimawandel, sagt Cornelia Krug, eine der Organisator*innen des Welt-Biodiversitätsforum in Davos. Über 500 Forschende diskutierten Strategien zur Bewältigung des Artenverlusts.
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The Underestimated Threat
While the threat posed by climate change is well recognized, the loss of species diversity is less so. The neglected issue takes center stage, however, at the World Biodiversity Forum in Davos.
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Disappearing glaciers: UZH media highlight 2019 comes from GIUZ
UZH researchers’ answers to the burning questions of the day made international headlines in 2019. The list of the top ten is led by a release from the Department of Geography.
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Swiss polar expeditions
The first took place in 1912 and crossed Greenland. The collected data are still of great importance for glacier research today.
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The "Geographie Alumni UZH" society: a platform for people interested in Geography
Since January 2020 the newly established society Geographie Alumni UZH (previously Geographisch-Ethnographische Gesellschaft Zürich GEGZ) has been a member of UZH Alumni.
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Swiss Data Cube at the WEF in Davos
The Swiss Data Cube delivers a unique and near real-time capability to track various environmental changes: climate, vegetation, water quality, urbanization, cropland, natural habitats. The GIUZ Remote Sensing Laboratories are part of this cooperation.
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New unit "Space, Nature and Society"
Research and teaching of this unit focuses on spatial and social aspects of nature and landscapes.
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GIUZ experts for the federal administration
The Swiss Federal Council elected several GIUZ members to extra-parliamentary committees for the period 2020-2023. These committees support the federal administration in areas that require specific knowledge.
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Saving the World
The focus of the new UZH Magazin is on saving the world – ideas from UZH researchers for a bright and sustainable future.
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WGMS Letter of Concern to COP25
Glacier-mass changes are a reliable indicator of climate change. The worldwide network of glacier observers urges parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change to boost international cooperation in monitoring these changes, and to include the results in the Paris agreement’s global stocktake.
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Alexander von Humboldt: Trailblazer of Science
Historical role model, ideal-typical scientist, courageous expedition leader: five UZH researchers tell why they value Alexander von Humboldt as a person and researcher and how relevant his findings are to this day.
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Grassroots ideas to halt biodiversity loss
The platform «Policy Kitchen» crowdsources innovative ideas on how to tackle the biodiversity crisis – and other pressing policy challenges. Selected proposals were recently discussed with experts and professionals from science, government and NPOs, among them Maria Santos, Professor of Earth System Science at the GIUZ.
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To space and back again: mapping Earth to save it
A collaboration between NASA in California and the Remote Sensing unit at the GIUZ will help scientists better understand how the Earth and its climate are changing.
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The world's highest mountains hold vital climate change lessons
Glaciologist Christian Huggel talks to swissinfo.ch about the effects of the climate crisis on high mountain regions, lessons learned between affected countries and the physical and existential impacts of melting glaciers on locals.
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GIUZ treasures on Swiss television
Measuring instruments of the Swiss Arctic researcher Alfred de Quervain are among the historical treasures of GIUZ. They were featured in the "Sternstunde Philosophie" on Swiss television.
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Problematic 24-hour care at home
Home care arrangements for elderly people are becoming increasingly important, in particular 24-hour services by migrant workers from Central and Eastern Europe. Blog post and radio interview about Karin Schwiter's research on live-in care.
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Fertile Ground
We have to make use of the abundance of nature, says Bernhard Schmid from GIUZ. He is calling for more biodiversity in agriculture, as crop mixtures produce better yields and are more sustainable than monoculture farming practices.
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Biochar could be the solution to crop burning in India
Reducing crop burning by producing biochar instead means cleaner air and more productive soils - and it contributes to carbon sequestration. Researchers from our Soil Science and Biogeochemistry unit have conducted field trials in India for over a decade.
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Why your tweets can really matter in a natural disaster
Retrieving information from tweets during natural disasters can save lives. PhD student Kiran Zahra collaborates with linguists and international organizations to develop the appropriate methods.
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Local experts for global reports
Climate change and its consequences pose even greater challenges to developing countries than industrialized countries. But these countries are severely underrepresented in bodies assessing the relevant science. A training program for early career researchers at GIUZ takes counteraction.
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Blogging political geography
This blog makes space for insights that happen within a researcher‘s job, but might fall through the cracks of more conventional academic writing. Issues are politics of resource extraction, power and identity, and much more.
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Crossing Borders
Celebrated alumni look back at their time at UZH. Social geographer Michael Hermann has made a name for himself as a political analyst.
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Talk show «Zoom Persönlich»: Working Mom
In the talk show «Zoom Persönlich», full-time moms and working moms discussed the compatibility of work and family life. One of the scientific guests was economic geographer Karin Schwiter.
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Forscher simulieren auf dem Klausenpass den Ernstfall
Am Klausenpass untersuchen Wissenschaftler in einem multidisziplinären Projekt den Wasserabfluss nach Starkniederschlägen und die Verdunstung der Pflanzen. Im Zuge des Klimawandels soll dies nützlich werden.
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Scientifica 2019: Science Fiction – Science Facts
Die Scientifica findet vom 30. August bis 1. September 2019 statt - mit zahlreichen Beiträgen des GIUZ!
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1894–2019: 125 years of internationally coordinated glacier monitoring
The 125 year jubilee of the World Glacier Monitoring Service (WGMS), located at the Department of Geography, attracted considerable media attention. The General Assembly was split into three regional meetings which were held in Zurich, Switzerland, Almaty, Kazakhstan and El Calafate, Argentina, respectively.
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Monitoring the Matterhorn with Millions of Data Points
A unique project is linking in-situ measurements with natural hazards research. For the past ten years, a network of wireless sensors on the Matterhorn’s Hörnli ridge has been constantly streaming measurement data on the condition of steep rock faces, permafrost and prevailing climate.
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Reise bis zum Ende der Eiszeit
Andreas Linsbauer untersucht, wie schnell die Schweizer Gletscher schmelzen. Mit einem 3-D-Erlebnis will er die Menschen aufrütteln.
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GEO 401: Integrative Project in the "Berner Seeland"
Over the past 160 years, water corrections transformed the swampy and peaty landscape of the "Berner Seeland" into the main vegetable producer in Switzerland - and resulted in a drastically shrunk of soils. With this integrative project, students have now the unique opportunity to collaborate in planning the future of this region.
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Conflict Minerals, Inc. – Transnational Regulation, Fragmented Authority and Violent Resource Networks in Eastern Congo
The highly prestigious Swiss Network for International Studies (SNIS) Award for the best thesis in international relations was attributed to Christoph Vogel’s PhD Thesis on conflict minerals.
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At a Glacial Pace
Even though glaciers react relatively slowly to rising temperatures, Switzerland will have to adjust to a future without these magnificent ice masses. We will manage – but the challenges facing Asian countries are far greater, says Andreas Linsbauer.
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Fostering permafrost research and scientific exchange
The Executive Committee of the International Permafrost Association (IPA) met on June 17 at GIUZ for a one-day strategy meeting. Dr. Isabelle Gärtner-Roer serves as Vice-President of IPA.
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Four Scientific Institutions will Monitor Switzerland from Space
The Swiss Data Cube (SDC) is an innovative technology that gathers all available satellite images from the American Landsat program and the European Sentinel 1 and 2. UNEP/GRID-Geneva, the University of Geneva (UNIGE), the University of Zurich (UZH) and the Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL) have entered a new cooperation agreement to foster the use of Earth Observation data for environmental monitoring at national scale.
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Klimaindikator Gletscher
Rai Südtirol hat das World Glacier Monitoring Service (WGMS) besucht, eine Hochburg der internationalen Gletscherforschung, und die Arbeit von Philipp Rastner und Holger Frey dokumentiert.
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Land Talks
As part of the Land Change Science course, students interviewed a person they know about observed land changes at different locations in Switzerland and produced a video.
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Ideal Backdrop for Projections
At the entrance to the Department of Geography, set against a burgundy wall, a white plaster relief sculpture of Switzerland commemorates the history of the discipline. In the past, a lesson without this kind of relief construction was unthinkable.
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Liberale Kräfte geraten ins Kreuzfeuer
Die Anschläge auf Kirchen und Hotels am Ostersonntag haben Sri Lanka erschüttert. Die Radikalisierung der islamistischen Attentäter hat weniger mit dem globalen Dschihad zu tun als vielmehr mit der Identitätspolitik des Landes, schreiben Benedikt Korf und Christine Schenk in der FAZ.
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Struggling for the golden mean
Gold mining in Colombia is deeply entangled with decades of internal armed conflict. Various interests clash. PhD student Christoph Kaufmann is researching sustainable solutions.
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Sri Lanka, Muslims and violence
On the occasion of the devastating bomb attacks in Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday 2019, Wiley Publisher has made the paper available free access that S.H. Hasbullah and Benedikt Korf wrote on Muslim politics, inter-Muslim violence and Islamization in Kattankudy.
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Scientific Image Competition: Distinction for "Rainfall Simulation in the Alps"
The picture taken by Florian Lustenberger, MSc student and teaching assistant at the Department of Geography, won a distinction in the Scientific Image Competition of the Swiss National Science Foundation. It shows the artificial rainfall simulation on the 1990s moraine of the Stein-Glacier near the Susten pass in the Bernese Alps.
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Global warming is shrinking glaciers faster than thought
The study recently published in "Nature" by an international research team led by Michael Zemp, director of the World Glacier Monitoring Service at the Department of Geography, generated a large media response worldwide.
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Dangerous glacial lakes across Tibetan Plateau
The flood danger posed by glacial lakes across the Tibetan Plateau has been assessed in the most comprehensive study of its kind so far. Simon Allen, member of the international research team, was interviewed by BBC.
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Den globalen Zusammenhang vermitteln
Umweltthemen zielgruppengerecht vermitteln, das macht Andreas Linsbauer als Ausbildner zukünftiger Lehrpersonen und als Wissenschaftler am Geographischen Institut. Heute wird die von ihm geleitete Ausstellung «Expedition 2 Grad» im Nationalparkzentrum Zernez eröffnet.
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Auch die Betreuerin braucht mal Pause
Frauen aus osteuropäischen Ländern kümmern sich in Schweizer Haushalten um Betagte. Ihre Tätigkeit ist gesetzlich kaum geregelt. Wie fair die Bedingungen sind, hängt von den Betreuungsagenturen und den Angehörigen ab, die sie beschäftigen. Wirtschaftsgeographin Karin Schwiter erklärt, was beachtet werden muss.
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Der Permafrost in der Schweiz erwärmt sich wieder
Nach einer kurzen Pause von ein bis zwei Jahren setzte sich die Erwärmung des alpinen Permafrostes im hydrologischen Jahr 2017/18 wieder fort. Das zeigen die neusten Messungen des Schweizer Permafrostmessnetzes PERMOS. Das Geographische Institut ist einer der sechs Partner des Messnetzes.
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Tauender Permafrost: Eine tickende Zeitbombe
Über Jahrtausende hinweg war die Erde in der russischen Taiga gefroren. Doch jetzt taut der Untergrund aufgrund der Klimaerwärmung. Die Auswirkungen sind massiv, auch auf die Menschen und ihre Lebensgrundlage, erklärt Christian Huggel vom Geographischen Institut.
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Panta rhei - everything flows
In high alpine regions, ice keeps loose debris masses together. Alessandro Cicoira computes the influence of climate on rock glaciers as part of his PhD thesis.
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Our research page now in a new look
The multi-faceted and interdisciplinary research done at our department is now bundled into three thematic clusters.
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Universität studiert die Katzenseen
Forschende der Universitäten Zürich und Lausanne haben untersucht, welche Bedeutung Landschaften für das Wohlbefinden haben. Unter den fünf Studienobjekten sind auch die Katzenseen, Naherholungsgebiet am Stadtrand von Zürich.
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Science Info Day 2019
Interested in studying Geography or Earth System Science? Visit the Science Info Day on March 9, 2019 at Irchel Campus.
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Old and alone in Nepal
Field research in dying villages: One of Sarah Speck's pictures was published in "horizons", the Swiss research magazine.
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Listen to the landscape
What is the contribution of sounds to the way people perceive landscapes? Using automatic text analysis methods, Olga Koblet tries to answer this question in her PhD thesis.
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Gender and Space
The summer school "Gender and Space" - co-organised by several GIUZ members - gathered 100 students and lecturers around a number of activities and themes for taking stock of the trajectories and directions of feminist geographies. One of the activities inspired a blogpost on gender and space in the neoliberal academy.
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Farewell to Prof. Ulrike Müller-Böker
A great many colleagues, collaborators and friends shared the moment of farewell with Prof. Ulrike Müller-Böker. Through their speeches and greetings they made this an impressive and memorable event.
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Mountain glaciers: Vanishing sources of water and life
For the purpose of the UN Climate Conference (COP24) this week in Katowice, Poland, a team of scientists from various institutions - including GIUZ resarchers Christian Huggel and Samuel Nussbaumer - developed a communication campaign on the effects of shrinking glaciers on ecosystems, people and economy.
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Training fürs "Bio-Navi"
Schluss mit blindem Vertrauen in elektronische Pfadfinder: Forscherinnen und Forscher des Geographischen Instituts tüfteln an einem Navi, das zugleich den Weg weist und den Orientierungssinn trainiert.
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HILLSCAPE project: Movie about the 2018 fieldwork
The multidisciplinary HILLSCAPE project had its first field season at the Sustenpass. A movie about their work is out now.
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GIUZ-Alumnus Ruedi Haller wird neuer Nationalparkdirektor
Die Eidgenössische Nationalparkkommission hat Dr. Ruedi Haller als neuen Direktor des Schweizerischen Nationalparks gewählt. Ruedi Haller promovierte am Geographischen Institut der Universität Zürich. Er ist der erste Geograph seit über hundert Jahren, der diese Stelle mit grosser Sichtbarkeit übernimmt.
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Ein fliegender Wächter für die Ökosysteme der Erde
Am Anfang stand eine grosse, fast verwegene Idee: Könnte man auf einem Satelliten ein Messgerät installieren, das die Biodiversität auf dem gesamten Planeten Erde fortlaufend kartiert und überwacht? Forscher der Universität Zürich arbeiten zusammen mit der Nasa an der Umsetzung dieser Vision.
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Boost to UZH’s Climate Research
Thanks to its far-reaching and interdisciplinary research and teaching in the area of climate change, UZH has been chosen as a climate action hub. This distinction is awarded by the United Nations Academic Impact on the occasion of United Nations Day.
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Ein Jahr der Extreme für Schweizer Gletscher
Im Hitzesommer 2018 verzeichneten die Gletscher massive Verluste. Ohne die riesigen Winter-Schneemengen wäre die Schmelze noch viel dramatischer ausgefallen.
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Zum Klimabericht tragen viele bei
Anfang Oktober haben sich Mitglieder des europäischen Copernicus Erdbeobachtungsprogramms im Höhenforschungsobservatorium „Schneefernerhaus" auf der Zugspitze getroffen. Ihre Daten liefern wichtige Grundlagen für den Bericht des Weltklimarats IPCC. Mit dabei war Philipp Rastner vom Geographischen Institut und World Glacier Monitoring Service (WGMS).
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«Es sind mehrere Gründe, die zur Ablehnung führten»
Die Kantone Graubünden und Tessin gaben bei der Universität Zürich eine Studie über die Ablehnung des Nationalparks Adula im Jahr 2016 in Auftrag. Norman Backhaus, Professor für Humangeographie und Studienleiter, spricht im Radiointerview über die wichtigsten Erkenntnisse.
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«Das Nachtleben bietet eine Gegenwelt zum Leistungsdruck»
Die Humangeografin Sara Landolt forscht seit vielen Jahren zu Jugendlichen im öffentlichen Raum. Im Interview spricht die Forscherin der Universität Zürich darüber, was Jugendliche an solchen Orten reizt und wie die sozialen Medien ihr Nachtleben verändert hat.
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Variety from above
Using a new airborne method, remote sensing expert Michael Schaepman will investigate the diverse interactions of ecosystems, species and genes over large areas. This method could help to understand global biodiversity. His research project is supported by the NOMIS Foundation.
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Tackling global problems together
The environment is changing and glaciers, for instance, are melting faster. This forces people to adapt. But how? Answers to these and other questions are provided by a SUDAC project sponsored by swissuniversities and led by Christian Huggel from the Institute of Geography.
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Im Zeppelin auf der Suche nach Plastik
Ganze Abfallberge von Plastiksäcken und -flaschen treiben auf der Meeresoberfläche. Doch wieviel Plastik tatsächlich unsere Meere verschmutzt, ist unklar. Ein Schweizer Forschungsteam mit Philip Jörg und Rogier de Jong vom Geographischen Institut will nun darüber Klarheit schaffen und testet Messgeräte mit ungewöhnlichen Methoden.
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Tango into the abyss
No investors, cancelled subsidies, massively rising prices: Argentina is threatened by a major crash. Christian Berndt, economic geographer at the University of Zurich, answers the most important questions.
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Professor Shahul H. Hasbullah (3 September 1950 - 25 August 2018)
_small.jpg "SH Hasbullah")
We have to announce the sad news that Shahul Hasbullah, Professor emeritus, Department of Geography, University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka, has passed away on 25 August 2018.
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NASA lands at UZH
UZH had the honor of welcoming Thomas Zurbuchen, Associate Administrator for the Science Mission Directorate at NASA. He was able to gain an impression of current aviation and spaceflight projects that are being carried out at the UZH Space Hub. These include a variety of earth observation projects led by Michael Schaepman, professor of Remote Sensing at the Department of Geography.
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Sarah Speck receives the 2018 BioOne Ambassador award
Sarah Speck, a PhD candidate at the Human Geography Unit, Department of Geography, received the 2018 BioOne Ambassador award. This award honors early-career researchers who have best communicated their specialized research beyond their immediate discipline and to the public at large. Sarah's award-winning research project explores older people’s lives and livelihoods in contemporary Nepal.
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Scientists set out to explore microbial life in glacier streams
A team of scientists will spend at least the next four years studying some of the world’s biggest glacier-fed streams. By collecting microorganisms from the streams and extracting their DNA, they hope to better understand how these creatures have adapted to their extreme environments. Michael Zemp, a research associate at the Department of Geography, will provide his expertise in glaciology.
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The Alpine Journey - Live from Grindelwald
The Grindelwald Glacier used to be impressive, but to this day it has retreated considerably. Hike and report by Samuel Nussbaumer, a glaciologist at the Department of Geography.
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GIUZ Open Doors Event
Für unser Open Doors Event am 13. September 2018 haben wir ein attraktives und vielfältiges Programm zusammengestellt. Wir stellen Ihnen Forschungsprojekte aus unseren drei thematischen Clustern vor.
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Charcoal: Major Missing Piece in the Global Carbon Cycle
Most of the carbon resulting from wildfires and fossil fuel combustion is rapidly released into the atmosphere as carbon dioxide. Researchers of the Department of Geography at the University of Zurich have now shown that the leftover residue, so-called black carbon, can age for millennia on land and in rivers en route to the ocean, and thus constitutes a major long-term reservoir of organic carbon. The study adds a major missing piece to the puzzle of understanding the global carbon cycle.
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IPA Lifetime Achievement Award to Wilfried Haeberli
Last week Wilfried Haeberli received the Lifetime Achievement Award of the International Permafrost Association (IPA). The award was presented at the 5th European Permafrost Conference in Chamonix.
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Malerberuf im Wandel
War der Malerberuf früher traditionell in Männerhand, schliessen heute in gewissen Kantonen sogar mehrheitlich Frauen die Lehre als Malerin ab: In der Innerschweiz sind es 62 Prozent der Lehrabsolventen. Die Schwyzer Wirtschaftsgeografin Karin Schwiter nimmt im Interview dazu Stellung. Sie untersucht die geschlechtertypische Berufswahl bei Jugendlichen.
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How the Alps inform polar research
At first glance, Switzerland might seem like an odd location for a summit on polar studies. But as a nation with high mountains, it is part of what researchers refer to as the “third pole” after North and South. This week the mountain resort of Davos welcomed 2,200 international scientists and decision makers for the POLAR2018 conference.
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Greater Zurich Area – a Center of Competence for Geographic Information Display
When seeking directions towards a new restaurant or the quickest connection to the office, people will retrieve their smartphones and navigate towards the destination almost effortlessly. However, does the ease with which we can now find our way come with a price? Will the use of such technologies lead to a decrement in the spatial abilities of the users? Read more in Tyler Trash's contribution for the "Greater Zurich Area Blog".
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Towards an operational glacier monitoring service: Europe’s Copernicus Climate Change Service
A Blog post by Isabelle Gärtner-Roer on the contribution of the World Glacier Monitoring Service (WGMS) - located at the Department of Geography - to Europe’s Copernicus Climate Change Service.
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In the Engine Room of the World
Can poverty be tackled by systematically influencing the behavior of those affected? Or does that just perpetuate it? Christian Berndt and Guilherme Lichand discuss the effects of social intervention.
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First UZH Space Hub Research Flight Campaign
Research goes airborne: The UZH Space Hub is holding its first research flight campaign from 11 to 13 June, 2018. Researchers of the Departement of Geography use a blimp to investigate how to discover plastic in water from above using special image sensors. This could help to detect plastic pollution in the world’s seas.
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How Pizzas Went Online
Celebrated alumni look back at their time at the University of Zurich. This time, we hear from Andrej Vckovski, CEO of Netcetera and former PhD student at the Department of Geography.
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Virtual cities
As part of the IT Days 2018, you are invited to visit the Virtual Reality Lab of the Geographic Information Visualization and Analysis unit at GIUZ on 1 June 2018.
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Eine Ausstellung auf Reisen
Die Citizen-Science-Ausstellung des Graduate Campus der UZH wurde erstmals im Ausland gezeigt – an zwei Hochschulen in Indien. Barbara Strobl, Doktorandin am Geographischen Institut, reiste mit und berichtete in Indien über Citizen-Science-Projekte an der UZH.
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CrowdWater: An App for Flood Research
UZH researchers and citizen scientists are collecting data on water levels of rivers and streams, as well as on soil moisture. An app makes it possible to capture hydrological data for any river or location in the world. The aim of the CrowdWater project, developed by doctoral candidates from the Department of Geography of the University of Zurich, is to improve water management and forecasts in regions with a sparse or inexistent network of conventional measurement stations.
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Summerschool on Governance at the Edge of the State
The Political Geography unit co-organises the 5th summerschool on Governance at the Edge of the State around the theme of "Resources - Materiality - Governance" this year.
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Creative, bold, innovative
This year's annual report portrays 16 top researchers at UZH who have been granted coveted European Research Council grants in the past 10 years. One of these is Sara Irina Fabrikant, Professor at the Departement of Geography.
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Pictures of research
In the Scientific Image Competition of the Swiss National Science Foundation, researchers present science in a surprising light. Sarah Speck, PhD student at the Department of Geography, has photographed a group of elderly people in Nepal. They are waiting to register with a bank that will pay out their pensions in the future.
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WGMS contributed to European State of the Climate report
The first edition of the European State of the Climate report has been published and presented to the European Parliament in Brussels. The World Glacier Monitoring Service (WGMS) - located at the Department of Geography - contributed glacier data and analyses.
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Short break in the warming of the alpine permafrost
For the first time since 2009, the warming trend of alpine permafrost was temporarily interrupted in debris slopes and rock glaciers. This is shown by the latest results of the Swiss permafrost measurement network (PERMOS), in which the Department of Geography is an active partner.
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Geochronology Summer School
The next Geochronology Summer School will take place from September 2-7, 2018 in Klosters, Switzerland. Registration is possible till April 30, 2018.
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Was Landschaften leisten, wird nicht immer respektiert
Landschaften leisten einen wesentlichen Beitrag zum Wohlbefinden der Menschen, aber auch zur Standortattraktivität. Eine Studie des Geographischen Instituts der Universität Zürich beschreibt die Wirkung von Landschaften unter verschiedenen Aspekten.
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Frequently cited comment on glacier mass loss
In response to a study published in Nature Climate Change on glacier mass loss, GIUZ researcher Tobias Bolch was asked to comment on these results as an expert. His comments were taken up in numerous media articles, amongst others in the NZZ.
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Interdisciplinary Master's thesis topics
Interested in doing an interdisciplinary Master's thesis at the Department of Geography?
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Wie ein Dübendorfer Experiment zur Internationalen Raumstation geflogen ist
Der Flugplatz Dübendorf soll zu einer europaweit einmaligen Basis für die Luft- und Raumfahrtforschung werden. Nun wird der Info-Pavillon des Innovationsparks eröffnet, doch Wissenschaft wird hier schon seit einiger Zeit betrieben.
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Summer school "Gender and Space"
This year’s Human Geography Summer School will be held on the topic «Gender and Space» from 10 to 14 September 2018 near Zurich in Switzerland.
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New Assistant Professorship in Earth System Science
Maria J. Santos has been appointed as Assistant Professor with tenure track for Earth System Science, effective per 1 February 2018. This professorship allows the University of Zurich to boost its research into human-induced global change.
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“The state functions according to its entirely own logic”
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When Olga from Poland takes care of grandpa
Their names are Olga or Maria and they come from Poland, Slovakia or Romania. They appear as angels in a difficult situation, when grandpa suffers from slight dementia and can no longer take care of himself. They are called 24-h-carers, because they move in with grandpa and care for him 24 hours a day. In a guest commentary for the newspaper Bote der Urschweiz Karin Schwiter explains her research on this new form of labour in private households (in German). Bote der Urschweiz
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“The army plays a double role”
More than 120 rebel groups cause instability in eastern Congo. A recent attack killing 15 UN Blue Helmets was blamed to Islamist militia. But is this true? Christoph Vogel was interviewed by the German news website Spiegel Online on this topic (in German). Spiegel Online
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Sara Fabrikant and former PhD Student Marco Salvini win Breheny Prize
Sara Fabrikant and her former PhD student Marco Salvini were awarded the Breheny Prize for the best paper published in 2016 in Environment and Planning B: Urban Analytics and City Science for their paper "Spatialization of user-generated content to uncover the multirelational world city network". UZH news
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Second issue of the Global Glacier Change Bulletin series
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Volunteer work in Guarda
Yvonne Ehrensberger, a master student in human geography, was interviewed in the radio broadcast “Heroes of everyday life” by Radio SRF1 about her master thesis on volunteer work in Guarda (in German). Radio SRF1
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Digital pathfinders
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What Swiss landscapes need to be worth to us
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Nature protection in times of climate change and globalisation
Norman Backhaus and Annina Michel gave an interview – at the 6th congress for protected areas in Salzburg – in the Austrian Radio Ö1 and Deutschlandfunk about the reasons and difficulties of nature protection.
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Mapping Functional Diversity of Forests with Remote Sensing
Productivity and stability of forest ecosystems strongly depend on the functional diversity of plant communities. Our researchers from the Remote Sensing Laboratories have developed a new method to measure and map functional diversity of forests at different scales – from individual trees to whole communities – using remote sensing by aircraft. Their work paves the way for future airborne and satellite missions to monitor global plant functional diversity. UZH News
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Mysterious underground streams in the Ybrig mountains
Which underground pathways do the surface streams follow that disappear in the Ybrig mountains? And where do they reappear as springs?
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Online course on water in Switzerland
A new public online course of the Department of Geography teaches in German how the element water shapes the daily life in Switzerland. Join in! UZH News (in German)
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Machine-Vision Drones Monitor Animals in the African Savanna
To avoid overgrazing, land managers of the Kalahari must ensure that the number of grazers is matched to the availability of food.
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Warning of rockslides due to research
The societal relevance of high mountain research becomes evident when rocks fall in inhabited areas. Andreas Vieli and the project xsense2 in SRF Rundschau (in German)
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The rockslide of Bondo and the global warming
Natural hazards in high mountain areas have become more predictable through intense research. Our Geographers have been consulted in the news coverage of the rockfall of Bondo.
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The Oberaarglacier's bleak future
The source of the river Aare could be completely uncovered from ice within fifty years from now. The natural hazards that might result from the global warming are uncertain to prospect.
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New Assistant Professorship in Remote Sensing of Water Systems
Alexander Damm has been appointed by the University of Zurich as Assistant Professor tenure track for remote sensing of water systems, effective per 1 August 2017. The joint professorship between University of Zurich and Eawag allows the University of Zurich to broaden its competence in this interdisciplinary and relevant research field.
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Deglaciation in Switzerland
He observes the melting of glaciers worldwide and knows that the resources of ice an snow in the Alps continue to decrease rapidly. Michael Zemp was interviewed in Pro Natura Magazin (in German)
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Identification of forest vegetation
Fabian Schneider and Felix Morsdorf determine the structure of the vegetation and the reflection of light in the woods of Lägern and Borneo with airborne data from laserscanning and spectrometer.
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The five most beautiful projects for hobby researchers
Crowdscience: when lay people collect data for researchers. The Project Crowdwater is considered as one of the most beautiful Citizen Science projects in the field of natural science. TA (in German)
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Michael Schaepman named Vice President
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Alumna Andrea Scheller profiled
The UZH Journal profiled Andrea Scheller, Director of the Statistical Office of the Principality of Liechtenstein, former Director of the Statistical Office at the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) in Luxembourg and graduate of our Department.
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Mapping for remote places
On May 8th a Mapathon took place at Irchel campus for the first time ever. Missing Maps is an open, collaborative project in which the participants can help to map areas where humanitarian organizations are trying to meet the needs of vulnerable people.
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Asian glaciers - water source for millions of people
Glacier melt of the Himalayas is a key water source for agriculture during dry periods in central and south Asia. Most major rivers originating in high-mountain Asia pass through different countries.
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How language shapes our sense of place
How do people describe landscapes and express their sense of place in words? Flurina Wartmann investigates the cultural values people assign to landscape through the prism of language.
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Climate data for countries of the global south
Decisions concerning strategies on global climate change must be founded on high-quality and long-term information. However, developing and emerging countries often lack the basis to systematically gather climate-relevant data.
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Medical tourism: Critically ill africans undergo medical treatment in India
Many of the international patients that travel to India for medical treatment, come from poor countries. They often don't have a choice, says Heidi Kaspar in Jeune Afrique (in French).
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Lack of snow in winter season 2016/2017
Many people use to go skiing during the spring break. This year this might be a problem. In some ski regions, the seaon has already finished due to acute lack of snow. Isabelle Gärtner-Roer in ZDF (in German)
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No more lonely cowboys
Male body awareness, men in "female" professions, and the return of traditional male rolemodels – these were the topics of a panel on men's studies with Karin Schwiter. UZH News (in German)
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Distinguished dissertation
Irene Garonna won one of the three prestigious Mercator Awards for her thesis on the use of satellite records for plant phenological research.
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The underrated engagement of teaching staff
Good education at universities highly depends on the motivation of the teaching staff. A big part of the teaching is undertaken by non-professorial academic staff.
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A tipping point for Greenland and its ice caps
Before 1997 the ice caps of Greenland remained stable. After 1997 this situation changed dramatically. Mass loss in the interior no longer compensated mass loss at the margins.
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Bacteria, deadwood and climate change
An international group of researchers under the lead of Markus Egli investigated to what extent the forest floor serves as a carbon sink and how bacteria and fungi interact in this context.
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EU funding for a GIUZ research project
As one of five UZH researchers Sara Fabrikant has received a grant of the European Research Council worth 2.5 Mio. euros. The project GeoViSense examines the parameters, which influence the decision making, the cognition of space and the spatial behavior while navigating with mobile devices. UZH press release (in German)
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Just being like everybody else
Unaccompanied minor refugees long for normality. PhD candidate Barbara Bitzi has regularly visited young immigrants in a cantonal center for minor refugees over a period of three years.
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“Our object of interest is about to melt away”
The World Glacier Monitoring Service (WGMS) is looking back at more than a century of collecting data of glacier fluctuation worldwide in a new short film
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Migration in Val Müstair
Within the Bachelor’s seminar in Human Geography, our students interviewed local residents and immigrants in the Val Müstair on their perception of migration and integration in the Engadin valley.
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Alumna Maria Lezzi profiled
The UZH Journal profiled Maria Lezzi, Director of the Federal Office for Spatial Development and Alumna of our Department. UZH Journal 2017/1, S.13
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Precipitation radar in the Peruvian Andes
For a better understanding of the impact of rain or snow on the Peruvian glaciers and water resources, an international team has installed a precipitation radar in the highlands of Peru.
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Glacier change data as climate indicators
Changes in glaciers provide some of the clearest evidence of climate change. The latest global mass balance data indicate continued strong ice losses. Isabelle Gärtner-Roer explains the World Glacier Monitoring Service (WGMS), hosted at our Department, in a blog post of the World Data System (WDS).
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Alpine permafrost continues to warm up
The trend of the warming alpine permafrost is unbroken. This is shown by the latest results of the Swiss Permafrost Measurement Network (PERMOS), of which our Department is a partner.
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Make the invisible visible
Spectral analysis of satellite images is used e.g. in urban planning, forestry or water observation. Devis Tuia has proposed an algorithm that automatically finds the most optimal hyperspectral setting and combination of filters.
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Trupchun Valley on the cover of the journal Methods in Ecology and Evolution
An article on imaging spectroscopy in the Swiss National Park by Anna Schweiger, Mathias Kneubühler, Michael Schaepman and others makes it to the cover of the scientific journal Methods in Ecology and Evolution. MNF news article
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Innovative teaching concepts approved
The UZH has created the "Teaching Fund", a new instrument to support innovative teaching projects. In the first call, 16 out of 41 project proposals were approved. Among them “Calibrated Peer Reviewing” and “Decision Lab” submitted by Sara Fabrikant, Martin Müller and Yvonne Scheidegger Jung.
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Global center for biodiversity research
The International Project Office of bioDISCOVERY supports global research projects on biodiversity and aims to progress global policy in the field of biodiversity.
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Lost talents
Swiss scholars have very good skills in maths, as the current PISA-study shows. Nevertheless the study shines light on a well known problem: Maths, physics and chemistry are male domains.
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The night’s liquid gold
Sara Landolt spoke at the NIGHTS 2016 - STADT NACH ACHT conference in Berlin about the manifold meanings of alcohol at young people’s nights out.
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Nature conversation in flux
Norman Backhaus was invited to a discussion about nature conversation concepts broadcasted by Radio SRF. Radio SRF 2 Kultur, 24.11.2016 (in German)
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Why microinsurances don't work as a private market
Private microinsurances are meant to protect peasants from crop shortfall and decrease farmers vulnerability to extreme weather. Unfortunately these insurances didn’t fulfill the expectations, as Leigh Johnson showed in her research at the UZH. Much effort is needed to explain the product to the peasants and the insurance premiums are high and will be rising as the effects of climate change become more severe for agriculture.
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Glacier stories from Grindelwald
The development of the glaciers of Grindelwald has been very well documented over hundreds of years. A shortly released book gives insights into the challenges glaciers are facing globally by the example of Grindelwald by means of current and historic pictures and statistic illustrations.
Samuel Nussbaumer and Hanspeter Holzhauser are two of the four editors and authors of this book, and Horst Machgut belongs to the authors.
Infosperber (German)
Berner Zeitung (German)
Bergliteratur.ch (German)
Haupt Verlag (German)
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The virtual butler
Digital assistants make life easier, but some human capacities get lost. The sense of direction of those who constantly rely on their navigation devices gets worse, says Sara Fabrikant in Sonntagszeitung (german).
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When passer-by search for traces
The CrowdWater project of Barbara Strobl and Simon Etter invites any passer-by to fill in a form a on the waterlevel and humiditiy of some spots at Irchel Campus and Sihlwald. The Limmattaler Newspaper highlights to research projects, which are based on Citizen Science.
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Taking stock of charcoal in the world's soil
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Internally displaced persons in Eastern Congo
There are 40 million people fleeing from violent regimes within their own country. Stephan Hochleithner examines the phenomena of internally displaced people in Eastern Congo.
UZH Magazin 9/2016 (German)
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The voice of the dark sides of the Olympic Games
A very frequently quoted critic of the Olympic Summer Games in Rio, Brazil, 2016 was Christopher Gaffney. Before he joined our Department, he lived in Rio for six years to study the impact of the World Cup 2014 and the Olympic Games on the urban center and its population.
Please find here a selection of the more than 80 interviews he gave:
Global Construction Review, 13.09.2016
Blick, 04.08.2016 (German)
BBC Video, 31.07.2016
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The ways cartographers create the illusion of depth on maps
The Swiss cartographers are historically the masters of terrain representation. They know that the human brain is easily fooled into confusing ridges and valleys on maps and satellite images unless the illumination comes from the northwest. The reason remains mysterious.
In a study published earlier this year, GIUZ Alumnus Julien Biland and Arzu Çöltekin showed terrain images with differing angles of illumination to 27 volunteers and came up with a remarkably precise estimate of the optimal angle for reducing this optical illusion: 337.5 degrees, just a bit to the north of the 315 degree northwest lighting cartographers have traditionally used.
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UZH launches Digital Society Initiative
The research initiative is aimed at pooling on UZH’s expertise for digitization of society and science. Consequently, UZH is assuming a pioneering international role and looking to develop new research fields in the next few years.
As examples serve research projects of founding member Sara Fabrikant and her GIVA group, which use 3D simulations to study how people under stress navigate around a space with a digital assistant.
The UZH Digital Society Initiative was launched on September 14, 2016 by President of the Federal Council Johann Schneider-Ammann und member of the governing council Silvia Steiner.
Press Release UZH, 14.09.2016
Video GIVA (in German)UZH Journal4/2016, page 5 (in German)
Tagesanzeiger, 14.09.2016 (in German) -
Medically disenfranchised people find hope in India
Private hospitals offer medical treatment of good quality at low prices. But the main clientele are not price-conscious Western Europeans or Americans. 80% of the patients come from the global south, from countries that lack medical facilities. For these patients India is the only affordable treatment and their last hope.
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Care Migration - A part of the family?
Is care migration a win-win-situation for the carer and the person in need of care? Interview with Karin Schwiter in Migros-Zeitung, 05.09.2016 (german)
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Prix Média for research on sponsoring at universities
The current Prix Média of the Swiss Academies of Arts and Sciences goes to our Alumnus Timo Grossenbacher and the Datateam of the SRF (Swiss Radio and TV) for their media dossier on connections of Universities and professors with private companies.
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WGMS Jubilee
What the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) is for the weather, is the World Glacier Monitoring Service (WGMS) for glaciers. Today, the WGMS looks back at 30 years of achievements and future challenges at the University of Zurich with a public Symposium.
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Animated graph shows rise of temperature
NASA vividly depicts how the global temperature is annually rising since 1880. Creator of the animated graph is Joshua Stevens, former fellow of our GIVA-group.
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Indigenous peasant organizations in Latin America
As part of the project on contested rural development, the study by GIUZ Alumna Monika Hess and Sabino Ruiz Flores on the interplay between the grassroots, indigenous peasant organizations and the state in Bolivia has now been published in spanish.
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War waste in greenland
Climate change could remobilize abandoned hazardous Cold War-era waste believed to be buried forever beneath the Greenland Ice Sheet.
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For smaller Olympic Games
Candidate cities for Olymic Games should negociate harder with the IOC and claim for smaller Games, Martin Müller in his Comment in the NZZ (in German)
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Max Maisch interviewed in the Glattaler journal
In the framework of the International Year of Geography, the journal Glattaler chose to interview local Geographers during the summer. One of them was our Professor Max Maisch, Glattaler, 22.07.2016 (in German)
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Rock glaciers crawl slowly down the slope
At the International Conference on Permafrost in Potsdam, Isabelle Gärtner-Roer explained the PERMASENSE network. Boeholes in rock glaciers allow to collect data on the temperature of the entire bore and therefore to explain the downward motion of the glacier.