Research on sustainable development topics

Several University Research Priority Programmes (URPP) and Centers of Competence as well as other research collaborations, groups and networks at UZH make specific contributions to achieving sustainable Development. 
On this site, we can only list research projects at unit, center or network level. This is because there is currently no overall survey of all individual endeavours on sustainable development topics at UZH.

Increasing economic and social inequality has become an important topic of discussion among the public and in academia. The United Nations has defined the reduction of inequalities as a Sustainable Development Goal (SDG 10). Since 2021, the URPP «Equality of Opportunity» has been researching which factors can lead to inequalities between population groups. The URPP combines three faculties. Researchers from the disciplines of economics, law, political science, history and philosophy work together on an interdisciplinary basis.

to the brief overview of the UFSP Equality of Opportunity
to the website of the UFSP Equality of Opportunity

URPP Financial Market Regulation (New: Center for Financial Market Regulation)

The URPP Financial Market Regulation began its work in 2013 and ran for 12 years. The activities of this URPP will be consolidated and continued from 2025 in the Center for Financial Market Regulation (CFMR).
to UZH News «The next crisis can’t be prevented through regulation alone»
to the website of the Center for Financial Market Regulation

URPP Global Change and Biodiversity

Since 2013, the URPP Global Change and Biodiversity has spent 12 years researching feedback mechanisms between biodiversity loss and global change at various levels. 
to UZH News «Biodiversity is our life insurance»
to the website of the URPP Global Change and Biodiversity

URPP LightChEC

The URPP LightChEC started in 2013 and ran for 12 years. The aim was to use innovative materials and processes to store energy from sunlight directly as hydrogen. 
to UZH News «Making the catalysers work for us»
to the website of the URPP LightChEC

URPP Social Networks

The URPP Social Networks started in 2013 and ran for 12 years. One focus was the promotion of sustainable behaviour in social networks. 
to UZH News Values and Sustainability
to the website of the URPP Social Networks

Founded in 2021, the CCC brings together experts from all seven faculties. It aims to play a leading role in promoting interdisciplinary research and disseminating scientific findings on how to overcome crises of all kinds. Crises jeopardize the sustainable development of society. Investments in crisis resilience therefore contribute to sustainable development. The basic prerequisite for such investments is a sound understanding of the nature of crises and ways of dealing with them. In the transdisciplinary project «Agora - Urban Crisis Competence», for example, the CCC promotes dialog between science, the city and the population.
to the CCC website (German)

Established in March 2009, the UZHR is a scientific network for the purpose of promoting and coordinating research, teaching and knowledge transfer in the field of human rights. It bundles and promotes existing competencies in interdisciplinary and interfaculty research, thereby contributing to the further development of existing knowledge and making it accessible to society as part of a transfer platform.

The UZHR contributes to the discourse on sustainable development through its research activities, services and public events. One focus is on regular exchange with the public and with decision-makers in business, politics and civil society. UZHR topics include responsible entrepreneurship, human rights in the chocolate industry, privacy and digitalization, human trafficking and prostitution in Switzerland and Switzerland's role in the UN Security Council.
to the UZHR website

Founded in 2020, the Competence Center of Sustainability is dedicated to interdisciplinary research in the field of sustainable finance. One of its core tasks is to communicate academic knowledge to the public. The center brings together research from banking, finance, computer science, geography, mathematics, law, psychology, philosophy and political science and promotes transdisciplinarity through regular meetings.
to the website of the Competence Center of Sustainability...

The CSZ is a joint initiative of UZH and ETH Zurich, supported by the Mercator Foundation Switzerland. The CSZ promotes the joint development and implementation of citizen science projects in all areas of science by involving researchers and citizens in various forms of participatory research.

The CSZ aims to harness the potential of citizen science for the implementation of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. It provides the methodology and tools for effective collaboration between science and society. In addition, the CSZ encourages all those involved in Citizen Science to expand their skills and acquire competencies for participatory research. The courses offered by the CSZ therefore cover a broad spectrum - from an introduction to Citizen Science to the development of specific skills required for the planning, implementation and evaluation of participatory Citizen Science projects.
to the CSZ website

The PSC is a competence center that connects and supports the plant science research community of the Universities of Zurich and Basel as well as ETH Zurich. The form and content of the PSC's activities are strongly linked to aspects of sustainable development. On the one hand, strong research partnerships and exchange with the public are promoted: 

• Promotion of research in plant sciences at all levels from molecular to landscape research
• Facilitating cooperation and strengthening research synergies at national and international level
• Initiating and supporting interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary research in order to open up new horizons
• Intensifying cooperation with business, politics and government
• Promoting dialog with the public through scientific perspectives on social, economic and political issues

On the other hand, the PSC also attaches great importance to high-quality education for young researchers:

• Securing future competencies in the field of plant sciences by providing excellent teaching and training programs for doctoral students
• Development of curricula in plant science education through innovative learning concepts, materials and courses

The work of the PSC also makes a direct contribution to the sustainable use of nature:

• Applying the results of plant science research and creating added value for ecosystem management, sustainable agriculture and environmental protection
• Supporting social transformation movements with scientific principles and tools, particularly in the areas of nutrition education and nature education.

to the website of the PSC

• AgroVet-Strickhof
• bioDISCOVERY
• Center for Child Well-Being and Development
• Center for Democracy Studies Aarau
• Center for Ethics
• Center for Religion, Economy and Politics
• Center for Responsibility in Finance
• EClim Research Group on Environment and Climate
• Initiative in Sustainable Finance
• Jacobs Center for Productive Youth Development  
• Network for Interdisciplinary Climate Research
• One Health Institute
• Sustainability Community der Digital Society Initiative
• World Glacier Monitoring Service
• Zurich Knowledge Center for Sustainable Development