Cross-cutting themes

KPM is committed to and interested in sustainable development in various ways. Below, we highlight some of our key activities in this area. The management of KPM, represented by Claus Jacobs, actively supports and leads these efforts. If you have any questions or would like more information, please do not hesitate to contact him.

• Swiss Governance Forum 2023: "Quo Vadis Energieversorgung"
  This event focused on the future of energy supply and the challenges of transitioning to sustainable energy sources. Experts discussed innovative solutions and strategies for securing energy supply while meeting environmental goals.

• Swiss Governance Forum 2021: "Welchen Staat braucht die nachhaltige Entwicklung?"
  The 2021 forum explored the role of the state in driving sustainable development. Panel discussions addressed how government policies can support long-term sustainability and foster inclusive growth in both the public and private sectors.

With the endowed professorship "State and Market," the KPM makes a substantial contribution to research on energy services of public enterprises as well as sustainable development. The endowed professorship was established in 2014 and is located at the KPM. It combines an entrepreneurial orientation with an administrative science component. The holder of the endowed professorship is Prof. Dr. Doina Radulescu. Her research within the professorship is highly relevant and current, both for science and for society, particularly in relation to the Energy Strategy 2050. Professor Radulescu is also a member of the Oeschger Centre for Climate Change Research (OCCR).

Through the regularly held guest lectures, the KPM offers its staff and interested individuals the opportunity to learn about and discuss relevant topics. For example, in the field of sustainability, Dr. Marius Christen and Dr. Basil Bornemann from the University of Basel gave a lecture on "Sustainabilization of the State."

Past Projects:

The KPM is committed to equal opportunities for all its staff and students, regardless of their social or ethnic background, gender, sexual orientation, religious affiliation, etc. We provide working conditions that allow researchers to balance academic work with family commitments.

We use the following support instruments and initiatives to assist early-career researchers in their career development.

The COMET Career Program is part of the university's strategy for early-career support and is specifically aimed at female postdocs and habilitants.

WISO-Mentoring is an early-career support program from the Faculty of Business and Social Sciences and offers a diverse, individually tailored program that helps early-career researchers successfully pursue their careers.

Another early-career support program of the Faculty is the Competitive Funding Program for Early-Career Researchers with Care Responsibilities. This program is aimed at early-career researchers who have caregiving duties for children or other family members.

Below you will find additional information on early-career support, various funding sources, and funding opportunities:

• For Doctoral Students
• After the Doctorate

You can find the current course program from the Equality Department at the University of Bern here.

As part of the University of Bern's Digitalization Strategy 2030, the KPM contributes to the digital transformation in research, teaching, and operations.

Digitalization is one of the key areas of focus for researchers at the KPM. This includes examining digitalization in the public sphere, its impact on interactions between the state and citizens, the digitalization of the judiciary, and e-democracy across various research projects. To study digital democracy, the KPM, in cooperation with the Politools Association, developed the Swiss online voting aid "smartvote."

In the seminar "Public Sector Digitalization," Srinivas Yerramsetti also incorporates this topic into teaching. The seminar was recognized by the university for its interdisciplinary approach and global perspective.

Quality assurance and development (QSE) in teaching, continuing education and research are of great importance at the KPM. The concept for quality assurance and development (QSE) of October 21 2014 of the Competence Center for Public Management (KPM) of the University of Bern regulates the processes and responsibilities.

As a center of the Faculty of Law and the Faculty of Economics and Social Sciences, the quality assurance and development of the KPM is closely linked to that of these two faculties.