News

Stefan Brönnimann from the PALAEO-RA project of the Institute of Geography (palaeo-ra.unibe.ch) has released an e-learning tool for weather reconstructions. On www.weather-reconstruction.org, students and anyone interested can learn step-by-step how historical manuscript data can eventually lead to complex climate information such as hazard maps. The tool focuses on sources of uncertainty and the application of reanalysis data and other data products in a meaningful way. Data can be downloaded for analyses in statistical software and visualization tools. The sections Climate Data, Global Reanalyses and Downscaling and Applications each starts with a very short text and the video followed by 2–4 subsections, typically with an exercise.

In addition, introduction videos give a concise overview of each section:

In March, the GIUB Equal Opportunity Commission conducted a survey among all employees on working conditions and care responsibilities during the Covid-19 emergency. The results show that GIUB employees have to reconcile the burden of work and caring responsibilities, which results in extraordinary burdens and stressful situations. Employees are also concerned about the impact of the crisis on their career. The Institute Council makes recommendations to help working groups and researchers in this situation. The results and recommendations are published on this page.

For his project “Is environmental justice necessary for human well-being? Comparative analysis of certification schemes, inclusive business, and solidarity economy strategies (COMPASS)”, Christoph Oberlack of CDE and GIUB, University of Bern, has been awarded a European Research Council (ERC) Starting Grant. The project examines the role of environmental justice in enabling certification systems, inclusive business models, and solidarity-economy strategies to enhance the well-being of smallholder producers. In particular, it investigates the value chains of coffee and cocoa in Peru and Switzerland.

CRED Post Doc researcher Dr. Marcin Rataj shares his research with Swedish Entrepreneurship and Small Business Research Institute. In an interview he talks about the importance of social capital for entrepreneurship in rural and peripheral regions. He also addresses how recessions – such as the corona crisis – expose the need to balance support for incumbent firms on one hand and nascent entrepreneurs on the other hand. The former already provide jobs the latter can bring new activities into regional economy. Link to interview.

Dr.-Ing. Mathias Jehling (Leibniz Institute of Ecological Urban and Regional Development, Dresden)
Berner Humangeographisches Kolloquium
«Participatory Methods in Geography»
(12:15 – 13:45, lecture hall 001 & Zoom/Link, GIUB)
For participation in the lecture hall please contact claudia.pfister@giub.unibe.ch until Thursday before the event.
(Number limited to 30 listeners according to the protection concept)

Organized by the Units:
Social and Cultural Geography / Economic Geography /
Critical Sustainibility Studies /
Political Urbanism and Sustainable Spatial Development

Dr. Santos Gonzalez (University of Bern)
Colloquium in Climatology, Climate Impact and Remote Sensing
(14:15 – 15:15, seminar room 116, Mittelstrasse 43 / University Mittelstrasse)
Zoom Room: Link

Mia M. Bennett (Hongkong)
Sustainability Forum 2020: Ecological Transformations in Eastern Europe
Unit Critical Sustainability Studies and Swiss Library of Eastern Europe (SOB)
(18:15 – 19:45, lecture hall 001, GIUB)