Prof. Dr. Susan Thieme

Appointments

• Since January 2023: Co-director of the Institute of Geography with Prof. Dr. Jean-David Gerber
• since August 2017: Professorship, University of Bern, Geography and Critical Sustainability Studies
• 2015 – 2017: Professorship, Freie Universität Berlin, Humangeography, Globalisation, Transformation, Gender
• 2008 – 2014: Research group leader ‘Im/mobilities and Migration’ and senior lecturer, Geography, University of Zurich, Switzerland
• 2005 – 2008: Post-doc, Humangeography, University of Zurich
  • 2001 – 2005: Research and teaching assistant in Human Geography, University of Zurich
  • 2003: Consultant for International Labour Office (ILO) Geneva (part-time)
• 2000 - 2001: German Development Cooperation (GIZ) Germany and Bangladesh
• 1999: Penang Heritage Trust, Penang, Malaysia (ASA Scholarship Carl Duisberg Society

Education

• 2014: Unternehmensgründung und –führung, venturelab.ch, ETH and University of Zurich
• 2012: Habilitation and Venia Legendi, University of Zurich, Switzerland
• 2005: PhD in Human Geography, University of Zurich, Switzerland
• 2000: M. Sc. in Human Geography, Sociology and Political Science, University of Potsdam, Germany (incl. Erasmus Semester University of Plymouth, UK)

Visiting Fellowships

• 2011: American University Central Asia (AUCA) | Bishkek | Kyrgyzstan
• 2010: Institute of Social Studies (ISS) | De Hague | NL
• 2006/07: University of Sussex Centre for Migration Research | UK

Outreach

• Since 3/2023: collaboration with HELVETAS and Museum Ballenberg on their joint exhibition ‘Weltweit unterwegs: 2024’ (Globally on the way), invited residency on “migration, climate change &in/justice” as part of research project “EcoArtLab”
• 2020: Major contribution to MOOC Massive Open Online Course ‘Partnering for Change: Link Research to Societal Challenges’, Principles, processes, and applications of transdisciplinarity. Co-created by td-net, Commission for Research Partnerships with Developing Countries, Swiss TPH, Swiss Universities of Basel, Bern and Geneva, Universities of Applied Sciences Northwestern Switzerland and Luzern, ETH Zurich, University for Teacher Education Zug.
• 2020: Host and jury member of Switzerland finals of famelab: a worldwide science communication competition, hosted by Inst. of Geography, University of Bern. Organiser: British Council.
• Since 2018: Co-director Global Science Film Festival (with Samer Angelone, Zurich and Mirko Winkel), https://www.sciencefilm.ch/, Bern edition on October 28th/29th 2023
• “Wissenschaft auf Leinwand”, Radio RaBe, 22.11.2021.
• “Vorhang auf für das Wissen”, BernetBlog, 28.10.2021.
• “Vom Elfenbeinturm in den Kinosaal”, Berner Zeitung, 12.11.2019.
• “Global Science Film Festival zum ersten Mal in Bern”, Uni Bern Media, 5.11.2019.
• 2017: Foundation of the mLAB, Geography, University of Bern (since 2018 co-lead with Carolin Schurr and Mirko Winkel)
• 2011-2014: Policy advice for Swiss Development Cooperation (SDC) & HELVETAS
• 2008: Documentary "the other silk road" (with Panos South Asia)
• 2003-05: Empowerment of Nepali labour migrants in India (with South Asia Study Center, Delhi)
• 2003: Consultancy for International Labour Organisation (ILO), Geneva, Switzerland

Memberships

• Bern Society for Geography (Berner Gesellschaft für Geographie)
• Scientific Advisory Board td-net Network for Transdisciplinary Research Swiss Academies of Arts and Science
• Advisory Board Animating the Commons https://www.animatingthecommons.com/
• Swiss Science Film Academy https://www.sciencefilm.ch/swiss-science-film-academy
• Passagen - Crossings: Researching Intersections of Migration and Gender (http://www.passagen.ch)
• Board member National Committee of the International Geographical Union
• Mentor Swiss Study Foundation, https://www.studienstiftung.ch/
• Mentor (one-to-one) Swiss Young Academy (part of Swiss Academies of Arts and Sciences)
• 2010-2014: Swiss Commission for Research Partnerships with Developing Countries (KFPE)

Current research projects

• Since 2023: EcoArtLab: Transdisciplinary Approaches to Climate Change, SNSF-funded collaboration between the Institute for Practices and Theories of the Arts at the Bern Academy of the Arts HKB and our mLAB

• Since 2023: Professionelle Kompetenzentwicklung durch videobasierte Fallarbeit in der Lehrpersonenausbildung, collaboration with the University of Teacher Education Bern

• Since 2022: Healthcare unbound: A transnational perspective on the future of the world of work in health care, University of Bern

• 2020-2021: Circulations of Deportation: the Control of Migration and Populations in Translocal Perspective, IDGrant University of Bern

• 2019-2023: mLAB: Where science and digital media meet, Strategic funds of the Faculty of Science, University of Bern

• 2018-2022: Employment and Social Differences in the Health Sector: An Institutional Perspective on a Swiss Hospital, with Carole Ammann (since 2023 ETH Zurich), Marina Richter (HES-SO Wallis), Foundation Homo Liberalis

Completed research projects

• 2014-2021: Internationalisation of Higher Education: Educational Consultants in South Asia. (See also book Universities as Transformative Social Spaces: Mobilities and Mobilizations from South Asian Perspectives)

• 2013-2018: Unemployment as crisis – youth in crisis? Insights from recent labour migration from southern Europe to Switzerland. (with Sara Landolt, University of Zurich)

• 2013-2017: Alumni Study: Tracking former scholars from developing and transition countries at Swiss universities. (with Emma Lindberg and in collaboration with Swiss Federal Commission for scholarships for foreign students ESKAS)

• 2012-2014: Integrated Analyses of Human Dimensions and Policy Implications of Cross-Border Migration on Vector-Borne Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) in the Andes-Amazon Region. (in collaboration with Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute (TPH) Basel)

• 2010-2014: Migration, knowledge and development: the role of knowledge and skills in the migration process in South & Central Asia. (NCCR North-South)

• 2010-2012: Analysis, Visualization and contextualisation of quantitative migration data of different scale. With giCentre, City University London; Geocomputation, University of Zurich

• 2011-2012: Mobility and migration: confusing terms, varying regional relevance, conflicting policies? (NCCR North-South)

• 2007-2008: “the other silk road”, documentary, Panos South Asia and NCCR North-South 

• 2006-2010: Sustaining livelihoods in multi-local settings in South and Central Asia. With Panos South Asia.

• 2003-2005: Two projects addressing migrant’s needs in Delhi, India. Collaboration with the NGO South Asia Study Center (SASC), SNSF&SDC, NCCR North-South 

• 2001-2005: Social Networks and Migration: Nepal – India labour migration.

Current main supervisor of the following Phds

Paschen, Johanna (Since 2023): Transdisciplinary Research in Art and Climate Science Collaborations: Methodologies, procedures and practices for a just knowledge co-creation between artists, scientists, society, and the more-than-human collaboration in the context of Switzerland. 'EcoArtLab' in collaboration with Dr. Yvonne Schmidt (PI, SNSF project),  Bern Academy of Arts, BHK

Hoppler, Jöri (Since 2023): Professionelle Kompetenzentwicklung durch videobasierte Fallarbeit in der Lehrpersonenausbildung. University of Bern and Dr. Matthias Probst, University of Teacher Education Bern 

Tschiderer, Luca (Since 2022): Reclaiming Work and Care as Commons: Investigating the Role of Cooperatives, Autonomous Management, and Labour Agency for a just and sustainable Health-Care Sector. University of Bern

Completed

Trechsel, Lilian (2021): Learning for Sustainable Development in Higher Education and Beyond: Finding and Shaping Transformative Spaces. University of Bern.

Graf, Samuel (2018): Transnationally tied: Social, economic and political linkages of the Eritrean diaspora in Switzerland and how they can influence change in their home country. University of Zurich.

Pörtner, Ephraim (2018): Encountering asylum-seekers: Politics of mobility at the margins of the State. University of Zurich.

Hatcher, Craig (2014): Law, Space and the City: A legal geography of urban change in post-socialist Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. University of Zurich.

Samanchina, Jarkyn (2014): The influence of educational migration on the development of inter-state relations between Kyrgyzstan and Turkey. Bishkek Humanitarian University, Kyrgyzstan. (In collaboration with Prof. A. Elebaeva, Academy of Science, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan)

Activities

Media Coverage (selection)