Women in Science: Experiences of Academics in Switzerland

Women in science face particular challenges, such as structural inequalities, highly competitive work environments, and at times toxic cultures. This collection conveys the experiences of women academics in Switzerland, featuring insights from twelve scholars across various universities and disciplines. Each contributor shares their unique journey in pursuit of a professorship, illustrating the rich diversity of the Swiss scientific community. This volume offers hope for those struggling with finding their place in science, emphasizing the joys and privileges that can be found in an academic career and the passion and perseverance of those pursuing it.

Annalisa De Cia is an astronomer at the European Southern Observatory (ESO, Germany). Previously, she was an assistant professor at the University of Geneva leading the Interstellar One research group. Her scientific interests gravitate around the evolution of galaxies, using facilities such as the Very Large Telescope and the Hubble Space Telescope.

Sara Hellmüller is a research professor at the Geneva Graduate Institute. She is a peace researcher, focusing in particular on UN peace missions in various world orders, the role of norms in peace promotion, local and international peace building (especially in Syria and DR Congo), as well as knowledge production on peace and conflict. She is deeply committed to transformative science by combining in-depth empirical research with the application of her expertise in support of peace processes.

Elizabeth Mesok leads the Gender, War and Security Research Group at Universität Basel. A feminist theorist of gender, war, and security, she completed her PhD in American studies at New York University and postdoctoral training at Harvard University. Since relocating to Switzerland in 2016, she has taught at Universität Basel and the Geneva Graduate Institute.