1. Bern University of Applied Sciences
  2. About BFH
  3. Management, Organisation + Legal foundations
  4. Associations
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Associations

Unions and associations ensure that the concerns of key interest groups at BFH are listened to.

Alumni Association

Alumni BFH is the umbrella organisation for graduates of the Bern University of Applied Sciences. Since 2012, this overarching body has served as a hub for all former students and alumni networks (associations, interest groups and members of Alumni direct). Alumni BFH fosters multidisciplinary knowledge exchange, supports lifelong learning, and provides valuable networking opportunities.

The umbrella organisation Alumni BFH

  • Is dedicated to establishing and enhancing alumni relations while maintaining strong ties with former students.

  • Promotes synergy between member associations and interest groups, delivering support in both communication and administration to meet their specific needs.

  • Provides the “Alumni direct” membership scheme, a networking option for BFH lecturers, research associates or former students who cannot find a (suitable) alumni organisation in their division.

  • Offers its members a diverse array of services.

  • Hosts the annual Alumni BFH networking night alongside the popular semi-annual event series “Knowledge and pleasure”.

  • Manages the CRM database, ensuring the contact details of former students remain accurate and up to date.

Contact

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Former students benefit from attractive benefits and discounts. They are invited to the annual "BFH Alumni Networking Evening" and other alumni events, and receive the "Alumni aktuell" newsletter four times a year. In the BFH Alumni community on Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram, they can connect and exchange ideas with former fellow students. On the online career portal, they can find attractive job vacancies, information on continuing education programmes at BFH, and insights into the university’s salary survey.

Alumni Interest Groups

Direct membership

Alumni organisations

Student Association

Bern University of Applied Sciences Student Association (VSBFH) officially represents students matriculated at Bern University of Applied Sciences (BFH). Along with its sub-associations, it enables students to get involved in issues relating to the university, academia and society.

Students who are matriculated at BFH are automatically members of the Association.

Representing interests

The VSBFH is a public entity. It represents the educational, professional, social, business, material and cultural interests of the students in dealings with university management and law-makers.


VSBFH

  • Encourages contact, collaboration and the flow of information between the university management, the departments, their degree programmes and sub-associations
  • Represents the interests of around 7,000+ students on the University Board
  • Has a seat on the Appeals Committee at BFH, which handles e.g. cases where students feel their exam performance has been unfairly graded
  • Is an active member of the VSS (Association of Swiss Student Unions) at cantonal and national level

Contact

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More information

The VSBFH and its subsections offer a wide range of events and services. Many of the offers take place in the respective department. Information on upcoming events and other services is available via the social media sites of the subsections as well as through the VSBFH. A particular highlight is the start-of-term party “Planet BFH”, which is organised by the VSBFH and takes place at the beginning of the Autumn Term.

www.planetbfh.ch

If you want to find out more about the work of VSBFH or are interested in university politics, you are very welcome to come along to a VSBFH board meeting. Motivated and committed students who are interested in standing up for their fellow students or helping to organise events are welcome to put themselves forward for a role within VSBFH. Board members receive CHF 1,000 per year.

  • SHEPPS - Health Professions
  • SOLIBRI - Social Work
  • UELI - Business
  • FSEHSM - Sport
  • SHAFL - School of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences
  • SWIMMING POOL - Architecture
  • BAUSTELLE - BCivil Engineering
  • VS-HOLZ - Wood
  • VSI - Engineering and Information Technology
  • KULTURESK - Arts

Membership of VSBFH costs CHF 15 per semester. This is automatically debited along with your tuition fees at the beginning of each term.

If you do not want to be a member of VSBFH, you must write to the President’s Office within a month of your start date, stating your first name, surname, department and a brief reason for your decision. You may email the President’s Office to withdraw your membership, provided you include the details listed above. The deadline for withdrawing your membership is one month after the semester begins.

More information about withdrawing your membership:

Lecturer Association

The lecturer association at BFH is profhesbe.

profhesbe

  • Represents the interests of lecturers
  • Coordinates between the departments’ individual lecturers and the BFH divisions
  • Represents the interests of the Association in business, politics, culture and society and takes part in public consultations
  • Encourages lecturers to exchange professional experiences and maintain friendly relations
  • Collaborates with other professional associations.

profhesbe attends consultations on human resources policy or regulations affecting lecturers’ work. The President has a seat on the University Board at BFH. Bern Association of Public Employees (BSPV) is a political partner of the Association at cantonal level. At federal level, profhesbe is a section of the Swiss Association of University Lecturers FH-CH.

Contact

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More information