Welcome to the Oeschger Center for Climate Change Research at the University of Bern OCCR.
In May 2026 I took over as President of the Oeschger Centre, an institution I have the privilege of serving in various roles for many years. The Oeschger Center encompasses the University of Bern’s extensive climate change research activities. Consisting of over 40 research groups and 270 researchers from five different faculties, it brings together experts from various disciplines to better document changes, understand climate processes, identify impacts on ecosystems, study the effects on society and health, anticipate the responses of the economic and political system and develop effective and sustainable mitigation and adaptation solutions. Addressing these challenges requires interdisciplinary collaboration, and the Oeschger Center provides an environment in which this collaboration can thrive.
A core activity of the Oeschger Center is its Graduate School of Climate Sciences, which offers a Master’s and a PhD program. Our students come from a variety of backgrounds and countries and form a close knit community. They are eager to delve into diverse subjects ranging from geology, climate physics, and plant sciences to history, economics, and political science, from archaeology and epidemiology to law and philosophy. After leaving the Oeschger Center, our students go on to serve society and academia and form a network for future scientific collaborations.
In a rapidly changing political and academic environment, the Oeschger Center must also constantly adapt. We have recently reorganized the OCCR into “Clusters” to encourage the generation of ideas and initiatives in a bottom-up way. New professorships in Climate and Health and Climate Law could be established, and several Oeschger Center members are involved in the new NCCR CLIM+. Further changes lie ahead, at the Center and the University. Above all, we face a challenging journey ahead in our efforts to limit climate change and its consequences. The Oeschger Center is committed to provide competences, expertise and services to navigate these challenges and pave the way towards a more sustainable future.
Prof. Dr. Stefan Brönnimann, President of the Oeschger Center
