This week, the remaining members of the group in History and Philosophy of Science at the University of Bern, Switzerland, have issued an urgent call for international support as the Rector of the university and the Dean of the Faculty of Science have declared their intention to close this very successful programme, whose origins apparently go back to the 1930s.
Please read on…
Here is an excerpt from the email sent out by Kärin Nickelsen, Assistant Professor of History and Philosophy of Science at Bern:
QUOTE
Dear colleague
Research and teaching in History and Philosophy of Science at the University of Bern, Switzerland, are in danger of being abolished.
The University Rector’s Office and the Faculty of Science of the University of Bern have announced decisions to stop contributing funds to the interfaculty chair of History and Philosophy of Science. These decisions were made after Gerd Graßhoff (holder of the chair from 1999 to 2010) accepted a call to Humboldt University, Berlin. They affect a full professorship as well as several full-time research and teaching positions that were attached to the chair. A major consequence of these decisions is the discontinuation of several highly successful HPS degree programs.
Our appeals against these decisions have been unsuccessful. We therefore turn to you and ask for your help. With a letter to the involved parties you may be able to bring about a reconsideration of the issue.[...]
We would deeply appreciate your support!
The members of HPS at the University of Bern
Kärin Nickelsen
Tilman Sauer
Raphael Scholl
Adrian Wüthrich
UNQUOTE
Please help the HPS group and the degree programmes they offer from being slashed by the university administration. If you are uncertain about whether HPS Bern is worth saving, read this factsheet.
Here is a sample letter in English, which should be sent to these addresses.
Thanks!
