The specialist services deal with specific key topics, thus also supporting the work of the committees.
The specialist service Bilingualism and Multilingualism is part of the office of the same name, supporting it in its mission to develop bilingualism and multilingualism at the BFH. It is responsible for coordinating the tasks and activities of the Committee and provides advice and support in bilingualism and multilingualism issues.
Bern University of Applied Sciences views equal opportunities as an important aspect of its corporate culture.
The Equal Opportunities Office advises the UAS management and the individual departments on all political, strategic and operational issues relating to equality and equal opportunities. It advises the UAS on the implementation of the regulations on gender equality and coordinates the equal opportunities action plan. It provides advice in cooperation with specialised institutions.
The specialist University didactics + E-learning office offers continuing education and support for all teaching staff at Bern University of Applied Sciences. It promotes quality teaching across all departments and helps inspire ongoing development. It provides support with questions concerning teaching and media-based learning.
It offers methodological training, workshops, counselling and coaching, publications and events. The specialist office also provides support for the use of e-learning platforms (Moodle and Mahara) and other digital media technologies and trends.
The Research Committee develops strategies and guidelines for applied research and development at Bern University of Applied Sciences (BFH) and oversees their implementation.
The Committee encourages the transfer of knowledge and technology in teaching and practice and maintains relationships with partners in business, social, cultural and public institutions. Part of its remit is to coordinate and promote research activities throughout BFH. Its goal is to position BFH as an established and recognised research partner on the national and international stage.
The Teaching Committee supports teaching at Bern University of Applied Sciences.
It deals with the national and international development of university teaching, addresses the concerns of groups that have a stake in teaching within the university and encourages an exchange of experience and mutual support. The Committee supports the departments in delivering targets that affect teaching and advises them on curriculum development. It also develops a regulatory framework for the university’s study programmes and recommendations for department-specific regulations.
Bern University of Applied Sciences provides an exciting range of sports activities and events for its students and staff. The specialist University Sport office develops, expands and communicates programmes in collaboration with the departments and external partners.
Office opening hours:
Mon–Thur 9 am–noon/2 pm–4 pm
Fri 9 am–noon
The International Relations Office is the centre for international affairs at Bern University of Applied Sciences (BFH). The specialist office ensures the participation of BFH in international education programmes, supports the departments in implementing internationalisation and promotes staff and student mobility at BFH.
The International Relations Office informs and advises students, lecturers and staff at BFH and its partners in Switzerland and abroad regarding internationalisation and mobility.
As part of its strategy, BFH has set itself the goal of consistently observing the principles of sustainable development in its teaching, research and operational management. As a practice-oriented university, BFH aims to place even stronger emphasis on equipping its students with the tools to help shape a sustainable future.
The Sustainable Development Office coordinates the tasks and activities of the specialist service of the same name and advises and supports on sustainability issues if necessary. It leads the support platform BFH SUSTAINS, the Certificate of Engagement in Sustainability (CES) as well as various projects, such as the development of the sustainability reporting for the BFH. In addition, BFH is responsible for the organisation of the Sustainability Day at the three Bern universities.
BFH has a specialist office for the implementation of the National Open Science Strategy. The focus is currently on the development of an Open Science Strategy for the BFH and the elaboration of measures for its implementation.
The specialist office is a point of contact for questions concerning Open Science.
The specialist service Quality Development supports the activities of the Quality Development Committee and represents the BFH's concerns at swissuniversities on behalf of the Committee.
The specialist service works on the further development of the framework concept for quality development at the BFH and is responsible for carrying out and analysing evaluations for the attention of the Quality Development Committee.
The Data Protection Office provides advice on all legal questions related to data protection, particularly when it comes to producing data protection-related contracts and developing processes that involve managing personal data.
It provides support for any analysis and concepts required for the introduction of new IT and telecommunications technology, and maintains contact with the cantonal data protection office. The Data Protection Office is also part of the Ethics advisory group set up at BFH, which can be contacted to clarify ethical issues for research projects. In practical terms, the Head of the Data Protection Office performs the tasks of a data protection officer/advisor.
