VAUZ FAQs

VAUZ is the abbreviation for "Vereinigung Akademischer Mittelbau der Universität Zürich".

VAUZ was founded on July 11, 1968 as an association of 106 former mid-level faculty members to represent their academic and professional interests at UZH and in public. It is an officially recognized association of the University of Zurich and at the same time the representative body of junior researchers.

The body of junior researchers includes

• Auxiliary assistants
• Assistants
• Senior assistants
• Doctoral students (with and without UZH employment)
• Postdoctoral researchers

The rights and obligations of  VAUZ are regulated in a service agreement with the UZH.

The Executive Board of the VAUZ is made up of members of the junior academic staff and is elected at the VAUZ Annual General Assembly every year.

The Extended Board of the VAUZ consists of the delegates who are elected at the official UZH election of delegates.

VAUZ

1. offers participation in university politics and is the participatory body of the UZH mid-level faculty. All members of the mid-level faculty are welcome to become involved in VAUZ. 
2. advises members of UZH mid-level faculty regarding employment, duties and rights.
3. enables UZH mid-level faculty to collectively represent academic, professional, university and educational policy interests at the University of Zurich and in public.
4. organizes the election of delegates and thus enables co-determination in research, teaching, services and university self-administration.
5. arranges statements on university policy issues in general and in particular on those concerning the University of Zurich.
6. regularly informs the members of the body about university and university policy issues.
7. organizes events for professional and social networking.

You

1. would like to help shape UZH as your employer by participating in university committees and commissions.
2. are interested in supporting UZH and the UZH mid-level faculty in university politics.
3. would like to support junior academics.
4. would like to help ensure the quality of UZH.
5. want to be informed and networked.

1. VAUZ represents the university and educational policy interests of UZH junior researchers in accordance with its statutory tasks and those defined in the statutes within the university and vis-à-vis authorities and the public at cantonal, regional, national and international level. With the signing of the service agreement, VAUZ is considered an association of the University of Zurich within the meaning of $ 27 para. 2 UniO.
2. VAUZ ensures and coordinates the legal co-determination of the members of  junior researchers. It conducts the elections of delegates of junior researchers to UZH bodies.
3.  VAUZ is the addressee for consultations on university legislation and other university projects, insofar as the members of the body of junior researchers it represents are affected or may be affected.
4. VAUZ provides suitable information on university and higher education policy issues for the members of the body it represents.
5. VAUZ prepares a publicly accessible annual report for the attention of the University Executive Board.