Student Life

In addition to the Students' Committee and the Arts Council, information about student life in Bern can be found here

We are a group of students who serve as official representatives of all students in the in the Department of English. We maintain regular contact with academic and admin staff, as well as with other university departments and the SUB. Among other things, we hold General Assemblies where all English students (majors and minors alike) can meet and discuss topics of general concern. It is also our responsibility to assist you in any study-related matters and so we organize information meetings, workshops and reading groups. Please check the notice boards as well as our social media profiles (see below) for announcements.

We are one of the most effective, coordinated feedback mechanisms working on your behalf. You can always contact us if you need any kind of assistance concerning your studies. We meet regularly (often in the tea corner) to keep up to date with what is going on. If you have suggestions or concerns, please contact us at any time by email (fsanglistik@sub.unibe.ch). We always welcome new members to the Students’ Committee, so please don't hesitate to approach us if you are interested in getting more involved in the life of the department.

Facebook: @StudentsCommitteeUniBe (no Facebook account required)

Instagram: eng_sc_unibe

WhatsApp: https://bit.ly/2DACLqS (info group)

Are you a student at the Department of English at the University of Bern? Do you have a project idea for a play, poetry slam, reading, photo exhibition, or any other kind of project related to the arts? Are you looking for financial and/or advisory support?

If you can answer the above questions with 'check, check and check!', then visit the Arts Council's website.

On a fairly regular basis, a small number of BA and MA students are offered part-time appointments in the department working as student assistants (for a professor) or tutors (for an instructor). These positions are usually filled by people who have made a positive impression through their exceptional participation in class or through a professional work ethic in their thesis projects. The positions are rarely advertised formally and hiring is done at the discretion of the individual professor or instructor.

If you think you might be interested in becoming a student assistant or a tutor, we recommend that you indicate your interest to your professors or instructors.

The CGS is an institutional sponsor of the IWL (Institute for World Literature). The IWL is a 4-week summer school that takes place alternatingly in Harvard and different universities across the globe, devoted to exploring the study of literature in a globalizing world.

Our institutional membership enables two (sometimes more) of our students to take part in the IWL for only half the fees (USD 900 instead of 1.800). We will try to provide the other half with funds from the CGS. The deadline for application is 1 February for the upcoming IWL, which usually takes place between the end of June and the end of July. It offers a unique possibility not only to meet renowned faculty, but also for academic networking. After returning, the participants are asked to provide a short report of their experiences.  The 2016 IWL will take place in Harvard again.

For further information on the IWL, such as future venues and application procedure, please consult its webpage. If you would like to apply for further IWL Summer schools, please get in touch with Prof. Thomas Claviez, who is responsible for the cooperation with the IWL.