Bern Hub, Switzerland
Bern Hub, Switzerland
WYSS ACADEMY FOR NATURE
Our First Year
The Wyss Academy for Nature at the University of Berne is a place of innovation, where research, business, policymakers and communities come together to co-design solutions for sustainable futures.
Our first Annual and Financial Reports are now available online. Look back with us at an eventful year marked by the Covid-19 pandemic – and discover how we are preparing our unique new institution for its coming role. Read more
From Knowledge to Action
Our mission is to transform scientific knowledge into action. We co-design and implement concrete projects across a swathe of regions and countries. This global structure facilitates replication of successes and learning. We currently operate Hubs in Central Europe (Bern, Switzerland), Southeast Asia, East Africa and South America
MISSION AND VISION
The Academy for Nature
Our areas of action increase and align human wellbeing with biodiversity protection, sustainable land use and climate-friendly societies. Our fundamental world view sees human wellbeing as dependent on nature and intact ecosystems. To support this case, we conduct research and co-design solutions involving everybody. Together, we test concrete solutions and develop scalable projects worldwide.
The next ten years are crucial to reversing climate change, biodiversity loss and degradation of natural resources. As impacts are being felt worldwide, it becomes even more important to address inequality and climate injustice. The Wyss Academy for Nature understands current global challenges as systemic. As such, they require action, the spread of ideas and reciprocal learning in ‘solution-scapes’ at local, regional and global levels.
CONTEXT-SPECIFIC INNOVATION
Theory of Change
By involving diverse people with a common goal and by translating scientific findings into practice, we create new pathways to sustainability. Our team consists of researchers, diplomats, entrepreneurs and innovators collaborating with the business community, policymakers, civil society and communities to co-create strategies and practical results.In creating pathways to transformation, research becomes knowledge diplomacy.
We turn knowledge into action by forging links among disciplines and spheres of activity: We break out of the silos. Solutions become tangible through testing in our incubators. Collaboration takes place beyond divides. Diverging interests are addressed through co-design. Large-scale change starts to manifest by engaging policy and decision-makers worldwide. Positive experiences spread and replicate through local, regional and global networks.
COLLABORATION IN OUR DNA
Invitations to Co-Inspire
Collaboration and learning are in our DNA. It follows that we seek to amplify and add profile to projects, people and ideas whose contributions to systems change are ongoing, awe-inspiring, material for debate, astonishing, provocative, heart-warming, and stem from a positive, change-is-possible mindset.
OP-ED
Innovative Community Leader and Scientist
Let us know if you have a story to share: an inspiration around creating impact, system change, biodiversity protection, the fight against climate change.
What is your capacity?
Your contribution?
PLANET EARTH
coming soon
Change Maker
Sustainable Investor
Let us know if you have a story to share: an inspiration around creating impact, system change, biodiversity protection, the fight against climate change.
What is your capacity?
Your contribution?
PLANET EARTH
coming soon
Impact News
Activist, Thought Leader, Father
Let us know if you have a story to share: an inspiration around creating impact, system change, biodiversity protection, the fight against climate change.
What is your capacity?
Your contribution?
PLANET EARTH
coming soon
Funders
Partners and Friends
CREATIVE COLLABORATIONS
Transformation through Art
Transformations to sustainability must address the whole human being. We believe that art, sensory and whole-body experiences of why change is both needed and possible add to our success. This is why we collaborate with artists and ‘sense-makers’ from all fields.
"Morphologies - A Tale of Two Suns"
Our current exhibition explores that moment of wonder towards nature, its forms and conditions, its beauty and strangeness, which can initiate science as well as poetry and art. Curated by Damian Christinger & Sonja Schenkel, you can discover the works by Badel/Sarbach, Donna Conlon, Mélanie Gugelmann, Elodie Pong and Andreas Züst.
The exhibition will be on view through the end of July (Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. continuously). It is located on the ground floor at Kochergasse 4 in Bern, Switzerland.