2020
News list
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The first 125 years
Domiciled at UZH, Switzerland’s largest department of geography is celebrating its 125th anniversary. As Director Jan Seibert explains, no other discipline offers greater variety.
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2020 WDS Data Stewardship Award
The award by the World Data System is related to a collaboration of Ethan Welty with the WGMS. Ethan's sound knowledge in glaciology and information technology and his personal commitment allowed the release of a new version of the Glacier Thickness Database.
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«Expedition 2 Grad» gewinnt den Bundespreis Ecodesign
«Expedition 2 Grad» wird mit dem diesjährigen Bundespreis Ecodesign ausgezeichnet, die höchste staatliche Auszeichnung für ökologisches Design in Deutschland.
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UZH signed the “Climate Alliance Declaration to G20 Leaders“
The 37 signatories „strongly encourage world leaders to ensure that all COVID stimulus measures maintain their countries’ commitments under the Paris Agreement and work toward a net-zero emission plan.”
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Boost for polar research
The University of Zurich will become a new member and funder of the Swiss Polar Institute from 1 January 2021. The collaboration further boosts polar and remote high-altitude research.
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On the river
A poetic-experimental film about a river in honor of the Mercator Prize winners Barbara Strobl and Simon Etter. The film was presented at the 3rd Global Science Film Festival on November 6-8, 2020.
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Würdigung der «Teachers of the Hour»
Am Tag der Lehre am 4. November 2020 wurden die «Teachers of the Hour» durch Prof. Dr. Gabriele Siegert, Prorektorin Lehre und Studium, in einer digitalen Ansprache gewürdigt, darunter auch vier Dozierende des Geographischen Instituts.
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Risk guidelines for glacial hazards in the Indian Himalaya
Due to the warming climate, the potential for glacial lake outbursts in the Indian Himalayan regions is rising. GIUZ researchers supported the Indian government to develop guidelines for the management of glacial hazards and risks.
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Transnationale Altenbetreuung im Lockdown
Die Situation von osteuropäischen Altenbetreuer*innen in Schweizer Privathaushalten ist prekär, besonders während der Corona-Pandemie. Karin Schwiter beantwortete Fragen für Radio SRF4 und den Tagesanzeiger.
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Glaciers are retreating unabated
The volume of Swiss glaciers continues to decline in summer 2020. Although it is not an extreme year, the decline remains significant and is drastically changing the image of the Alps.
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"Reversing the Gaze": A new research project in Political Geography
How can scientific concepts and theories, developed in the Global South, help us understand phenomena in the Global North? This is the main question that guides the four-year research project co-led by Benedikt Korf.
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Environmental Data from Space
Geoinformatics expert Reik Leiterer specializes in remote sensing, and drew on his expertise to develop a business idea that culminated in the foundation of the spinoff company Exolabs in 2017: A portrait in the UZH Journal.
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Wenn die «Stimme des Berges» warnt
Permafrost - das ist der Kitt, der Berge im Innersten zusammenhält. Doch er taut langsam auf, die Berge werden instabiler. Daher suchen Forscher nach einer Methode, wie sich Felsstürze besser vorhersagen lassen.
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Honorary professorship at University of Nottingham to Christian Berndt
Christian Berndt was appointed as Honorary Professor of Economic Geography at University of Nottingham. Congratulations!
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Eminent Ecologist 2020: Bernhard Schmid
The British Ecological Society announced that Bernhard Schmid is the Eminent Ecologist award winner for 2020. Congratulations!
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GIUZ alumna is the new SDC director general
The Federal Council appointed GIUZ alumna Patricia Danzi as the new director general of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC). She took up her post on 1 May 2020.
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Erwärmung des Permafrosts in der Schweiz
In den letzten Jahrzehnten hat sich der Permafrost in der Schweiz erwärmt. Die meisten Blockgletscher bewegen sich deutlich schneller. Das zeigen Langzeitmessungen des Schweizer Permafrostmessnetzes PERMOS.
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“We’re pioneers in Switzerland”
The goal of the Graduate Campus is to create the best possible framework for junior researchers. Ulrike Müller-Böker, Professor Emerita of Human Geography, was Director of the Graduate Campus until July 2020.
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Precision Predictions for Hydropower Plants
The UZH spin-off ExoLabs has developed a model that can predict snowmelt and help hydropower operators generate energy more efficiently.
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On Thin Ice
Our glaciers are melting. Glaciologist Michael Zemp believes that a reduction in air travel among the scientific community is inevitable.
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“Giving people room for creativity”
Encouraging interdisciplinary collaboration, streamlining regulations, and giving people the freedom to research: These are some of the goals Michael Schaepman hopes to achieve as new UZH President.
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1.5 Billion People Will Depend on Water from Mountains
In 30 years, almost a quarter of the world’s lowland population will strongly depend on runoff from the mountains. Only sustainable development can ensure the important function of mountain areas as Earth’s “water towers”.
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How can local populations be won over to protected areas?
A new SCNAT fact sheet - co-authored by Annina Michel from the Department of Geography - summarises the existing scientific findings on the acceptance of parks and protected areas, provides recommendations for practice and identifies research needs.
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Alpine-wide observation of glacier mass loss from space
Glaciers in the European Alps lost between half and one meter of ice thickness between 2000 and 2014. With this, 17% of the remaining ice volume were lost.
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Teachers of the Hour
Four lecturers from the Department of Geography were nominated by the students as "Teachers of the Hour" for their particularly successful digitisation of teaching during the Corona crisis.
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ValPar.CH - Values of the ecological infrastructure in Swiss parks
A new interdisciplinary research project examines the benefits and added values of the ecological infrastructure in parks of national importance. The GIUZ is involved with several research units and in charge of the overall coordination.
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Teaching award nomination for Hendrik Wulf
Hendrik Wulf from the Remote Sensing unit was nominated by the students for the final round of the UZH Teaching Award 2020. Congratulations!
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Sustainable Research, Teaching and Operations
This year's meeting of the university network U21 focused on the topic of sustainability and was hosted by UZH. Michael Schaepman met with Thomas Stocker.
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WGMS contributing to European State of the Climate 2019
One of the headline climate indicators of the European State of the Climate Report are glaciers and sea level rise. The WGMS is the responsible data and information provider for glacier distribution and changes.
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Additional e-media for geography
Some publishers provide simplified or even completely open access to their content during the corona crisis. Several providers could be interesting for geography.
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Neuer CrowdWater Kurs online
Möchten Sie wissen, wie Sie mit Beiträgen bei CrowdWater zur Forschung beitragen können? Oder sind Sie bereits bei CrowdWater dabei und möchten erfahren was man dank Ihren Beiträgen erreichen kann?
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COVID-19: Information for students
Cancellation period, student assessments, presentations, military service: All relevant information for our students is available on the website.
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Public events cancelled until 31 May 2020
Public events of the Department of Geography have been cancelled until 31 May 2020. Digital alternatives are being sought for some events.
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Risks in the tropical Andes
The tropical Andes are one of the regions most affected by climate change. Holger Frey worked as a researcher for the Proyecto Glaciares in the Santa Teresa region of Peru and reports in an interview on the scientific background of the natural hazards that the population faces every day.
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Mercator Award for Simon Etter and Barbara Strobl
They convinced the jury with their innovative and original research: Simon Etter and Barbara Strobl from the Department of Geography and their Citizen Science project "CrowdWater".
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New Assistant Professorship in Social and Cultural Geography
Hanna Hilbrandt started her position as an Assistant Professor for Social and Cultural Geography on 1 March 2020. Her research focuses on urban development and planning, informality and housing marginalization as well as on socio-spatial inequalities in the context of globalizing financial markets.
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«Wir bräuchten eine Greta Thunberg für die Biodiversität»
Der Artenverlust sei mindestens genauso bedeutsam für den Menschen wie der Klimawandel, sagt Cornelia Krug, eine der Organisator*innen des Welt-Biodiversitätsforum in Davos. Über 500 Forschende diskutierten Strategien zur Bewältigung des Artenverlusts.
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The Underestimated Threat
While the threat posed by climate change is well recognized, the loss of species diversity is less so. The neglected issue takes center stage, however, at the World Biodiversity Forum in Davos.
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Disappearing glaciers: UZH media highlight 2019 comes from GIUZ
UZH researchers’ answers to the burning questions of the day made international headlines in 2019. The list of the top ten is led by a release from the Department of Geography.
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Swiss polar expeditions
The first took place in 1912 and crossed Greenland. The collected data are still of great importance for glacier research today.
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The "Geographie Alumni UZH" society: a platform for people interested in Geography
Since January 2020 the newly established society Geographie Alumni UZH (previously Geographisch-Ethnographische Gesellschaft Zürich GEGZ) has been a member of UZH Alumni.
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Swiss Data Cube at the WEF in Davos
The Swiss Data Cube delivers a unique and near real-time capability to track various environmental changes: climate, vegetation, water quality, urbanization, cropland, natural habitats. The GIUZ Remote Sensing Laboratories are part of this cooperation.
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New unit "Space, Nature and Society"
Research and teaching of this unit focuses on spatial and social aspects of nature and landscapes.