Science–policy training

Reatch helps students and researchers put their expertise to work for democracy.

Science is essential to political decision-making, but scientific expertise does not automatically find its way into policymaking.

Anyone who wants to get involved successfully needs to understand how politics and public administration work, which actors are involved, and how scientific findings can be tailored to different political contexts.

We empower researchers to bring their expertise purposefully into political processes and to engage in constructive dialogue with political decision-makers and public administration, so that they can help shape changes and institutions that benefit society as a whole.

gain a practical understanding of how the Swiss political system works.

learn what roles researchers can play in policymaking.

identify relevant people in parliaments, public administrations and other institutions, and know when and how to contact them.

learn to present scientific findings for different audiences in political and public debates.

develop strategies for engaging constructively with policymakers.

Our courses build practical skills for working at the interface between science and policy. Participants:

We combine an in-depth understanding of the Swiss or EU political system with practical exercises and real-world examples.

These include structured case studies on participants’ own research topics and simulations of political decision-making processes or hearings in parliamentary committees. This allows participants to apply what they have learned directly to their own research and to concrete situations.

The training programmes are aimed at researchers of all career stages and disciplines, as well as at interface actors such as research managers, knowledge transfer officers or science communicators. They are offered in German, French and English.

Since 2022, more than 500 researchers have taken part in our science policy courses and workshops in Switzerland. Our partners include the Swiss National Science Foundation, the University of Bern, CUSO and the Young Academy of Switzerland.

What participants say

«Ich würde diesen Kurs jedem wärmstens empfehlen! Es war ein wunderbarer Workshop, der abwechslungsreich und so umfassend konzipiert war, dass man mit vielen Inspirationen und auch praktischen Ideen zur Umsetzung zurückkehrt. »

« Je ne pensais pas ressortir de ce cours avec des outils concrets et finalement j'ai été surprise du contraire ! Le programme était riche et intéressant, et l’étude de cas est très bonne. »

“An excellent overview of how politics and research interact in Switzerland.”

For researchers: Attend a training

There are two ways to take part in one of our science policy training programmes:

Through your university or institution: Most of our courses are delivered on behalf of universities and research institutions and are aimed at their researchers. In these cases, participation is usually free of charge for you, as your institution funds the course; at some universities, a participation fee applies. You can find out whether your institution is currently offering a course in our event calendar.

“From Research to Policy” – open course: We currently offer From Research to Policy, a format that is open to all researchers, independent of any institutional partnership. Participation costs are currently between CHF 50 and 150 per person. Delivery at such low course fees is currently made possible by the support of the Hasler Foundation.

If no open course is currently scheduled and your institution is not offering anything at the moment, please get in touch directly with Janik Mutter, and we will look for a suitable solution together.

Upcoming training courses

Contact

Janik Mutter

Training lead

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