Politics courses for researchers: How do I get my message to politicians and administrators?
Dialogue between researchers, the public, politicians and business has increased. How can you make your expertise heard in political circles and how do you find the right contacts in parliament and the administration?
Researchers and politicians have to work together constructively to overcome the challenges facing society. Making this a success will not only require politicians who are interested in science, but also researchers who know something about politics.
The SNSF is partnering with Reatch to offer courses that will strengthen your political skills as a researcher and get you into shape for constructive dialogue with Swiss politicians. The course will give you practical knowledge of how politics is done in Switzerland so that you can share your expertise based on a sound understanding of the politics and help shape changes that will benefit society as a whole.
Open to all researchers in Switzerland
The course is aimed not only at researchers funded by the SNSF, but at all researchers from all disciplines and at all career stages who work at Swiss higher education institutions. The English course is specifically aimed at international researchers with limited prior knowledge of the Swiss political system.
Participant numbers are restricted to 20. Please read the conditions of participation.
These courses are paid by the SNSF and are available free of charge to all researchers in Switzerland.
About the course
This one-day intensive training is designed as a first introduction to the Swiss political system and will provide international researchers with options for contributing to the policy- making process and the public discourse even if they do not speak one of the national languages. Participants will specifically :
- learn the basics of the Swiss political system;
- understand the distinct roles of researchers in the policy- making process;
- learn who relevant intermediary actors are between research and politics in Switzerland and globally;
- understand how to translate their research for the political and public discourse.
This course is for researchers at all career levels and from all disciplines. The acquired knowledge will be practisced in a case study evolving over the day.
The courses comprise a combination of presentations and discussions accompanied by interactive training units. All materials, presentations and training units are being prepared in partnership with experts from the relevant fields. Flexible quality and development monitoring will ensure that courses are rapidly adapted to new content and needs.
Time and place
The courses will be held at the SNSF premises in Bern between 8.45 a.m. and 5.15 p.m.
Course dates 2024
Politics course in German: 12 February
Politics course in English: 17 June 2024
Politics course in French: 4 November 2024
Conditions of participation
Your course registration is binding. Please note that participant numbers are restricted to 20. When allocating places, care is taken to ensure a balanced composition of participants according to specialism, institution and career level. Registrations are possible from 8 weeks before the course. Please use the registration form linked above (only available as long as registrations are possible).
Cancellations must be made at least 14 days before the course date by e-mail to snf-politikkurse@reatch.ch so that someone on the waiting list can attend the course instead.
In case of non-attendance on the course day without prior cancellation, you may be charged the course fees in full.