Faculty of Science
„It is the law, not the phenomena, that interests us“
(Stephen Weinberg, Nobel laureate in Physics)
The Faculty of Sciences is a large and varied organization. Over time, the five academic fields of mathematics, statistics and computer science; physics and astronomy; chemistry and biochemistry, biology, and geosciences have been expanded to include associated centers such as the Oeschger Centre for Climate Change Research (OCCR), the Centre for Development and Environment (CDE), the Albert Einstein Center (AEC) and the Center for Space and Habitability (CSH).
The faculty develops its research expertise in autonomous research groups that are linked with domestic and international research institutes and organizations. The faculty promotes interdisciplinary cooperation within its own organization and beyond the confines of the faculty itself through networks with other universities. The quality of its teaching, research and administration is of central importance to the faculty, which is why it continually seeks to optimize all aspects of its operations.
More than 80 professors and a large number of lecturers, assistants and other staff members in the institutes/departments for the faculty's academic fields are responsible for imparting to students the latest knowledge and insights gained from scientific research on uninhabited and inhabited regions around the world. The approximately 2,000 students in the Faculty of Science benefit from the faculty's high standards of research and teaching and also gain an insight into the variety of research fields at the faculty during their studies.
Organization and administration of the Faculty of Science
The faculty is organized on the basis of the faculty regulations (Regulations Governing the Organization of the Faculty of Science of the University of Bern from December 17, 1997, with amendments).
The Faculty Council is the highest decision-making body in the faculty. It is responsible for making all key decisions. The Faculty Council comprises all professors and associate professors, tenure track assistant professors and professors, and a lecturer delegate from each academic field. The interests of assistants and students are also represented in the faculty Council through the inclusion of one student/assistant delegate from each academic field.
The Dean serves as the Chair of the Faculty Council. In this capacity, he or she works with the Faculty Board to execute the decisions made by the council. The Dean represents the interests of the Faculty of Science vis-à-vis other faculties and the Executive Board of the University of Bern. The Dean also represents the faculty in university and external committees.
The regulations governing the organization of the Faculty of Science as well as the regulations governing the activities of the Faculty can be found under the follwing link:
Regulations
