"We do care": New event series for university staff with caregiving responsibilities
ETH Zurich and the University of Zurich are launching a joint event series for students and staff with caregiving responsibilities. The focus will be on professional inspiration, orientation, and exchange with experts and with each other.
In addition to their studies, research, or careers, many university members also have special responsibilities in their private lives: They support elderly parents, accompany partners or children with health restrictions, or care for relatives from afar. These tasks can be rewarding, but at the same time pose significant organisational, emotional, and time-related challenges for caregivers.
Greater visibility and support
With the new event series "We do care – Insights for university members with caregiving responsibilities," ETH Zurich and the University of Zurich (UZH) are creating a framework to raise awareness of these topics and offer practical support. The input addresses various questions – from legal and technical aspects to psychological relief and options for organising care across distances.
The series is aimed at all students and employees of both universities who already care for relatives or who would like to prepare for such a potential situation. Supervisors should also be sensitized to the special challenges faced by caregivers.
In addition to providing concrete expert input, the event series also focuses on strengthening community and mutual support: The events offer opportunities to exchange experiences and learn from one another. The aim is to demonstrate that caregiving responsibilities do not have to greatly conflict with studies, research, or careers – but that structures and knowledge are needed to sustainably combine the two.
Kick-off in October 2025
The event series will kick off with the "Day of Caring for Dependants" on October 30, 2025, with an online presentation by Bettina Ugolini (Head of the Counselling Center "Leben im Alter", UZH). Titled "Caring for You and Considering Me - Relationships Between Caregiver and Supported Person," the event will address the diverse stresses and changes in the relationship between the person caring and the person being cared for – and how caregivers can ensure balance and relief for themselves. This will be followed by further events that offer different perspectives on the topic:
- January 29, 2026: Tools, tips and tricks: Needs-based technology in care and support to try out (Josef Huber, Lecturer, Ostschweizer Fachhochschule, in German)
- March 31, 2026: Who decides when I can no longer do it? – Living wills and powers of attorney explained simply (Leonhard Sigel, Occupational Medicine, ETH Zurich, in German)
- June 2, 2026: Taking care from a distance – When ill or elderly family members need help around the globe (Iren Bischofberger, researcher at the TransdisciplinarityLab, ETH Zurich, in English)
- October 27, 2026: Having to keep everything in mind: What mental load means for scientists with care responsibilities (Inken Lind, Professor of Psychology and Gender Studies, TH K?ln, in German)
The events will take place online or in-person and, in addition to expert input, offer space for exchange and dialogue.
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