swissuniversities PgB Project: Enhancing Postdocs’ Working Conditions and Career Development

The University of Lucerne aims to sustainably improve the working conditions and career prospects of postdocs. This initiative responds to the growing debate on precarious employment in the academic middle tier and the national petition “Ending Precarity at Swiss Universities” (2021). The report by Haering/Leimgruber (2023) highlights that the postdoc phase is particularly marked by uncertainties, even though precarity in Switzerland is still less pronounced than in other countries.

The strategy is based on the “Early-Career Development Strategy (Postdoc Focus)” report by BCP Business Consulting Partner AG (2025), as well as national studies and interviews with postdocs and professors. It identifies key areas for action, including supervision, career development, autonomy, networking, visibility, equality, and work-life balance. Its goal is to ensure that postdocs can work under reliable and transparent conditions, have clear development perspectives, and are introduced to alternative career paths at an early stage. The strategy serves the university leadership, faculties, professorships, and central units as a basis for planning, decision-making, and coordinated implementation.

Universitäre Nachwuchsförderungsstrategie mit Focus auf die Postdoc-Phase
Eckwert-Bericht, Massnahmen-Bericht (German only)

If you have any questions, the project manager, Sarah Kaiser, will be happy to assist you.