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Institute of Evolutionary Medicine (IEM)
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Univer-Cities Inaugural Distinguished Annual Lecture 2026

Univer-Cities Inaugural Distinguished Annual Lecture 2026 by Prof Dr Bertil Andersson: Univer-Cities and Today’s Global Challenges

22.-23. February 2026, Zurich, Switzerland

We are pleased to host the Univer-Cities Inaugural Distinguished Annual Lecture 2026, given by Professor Dr Bertil Andersson, Nobel Foundation Trustee, Emeritus NTU President & Former CEO, and European Science Foundation Professor. His lecture will focus on the role of universal Univer-Cities in creating a new 21st century eco-system.

Patrons of the Univer-Cities Annual Distinguished Lecture Series:

  • Prof. Sir Leszek Borysiewicz, Emeritus Vice Chancellor of University of Cambridge
  • Prof. Bertil Andersson, member of the Advisory Board Univer-Cities, Nobel Foundation Trustee, Emeritus NTU President & Former CEO, and European Science Foundation Professor

Chairperson of the Inaugural Distinguished Annual Lecture 2026 Zurich:

Prof. Caroline McMillen, AO FAHMS, Emerita Vice Chancellor University of Newcastle, Former Chief Scientist of South Australia, Member Univer-Cities Advisory Council, Moderator UC-ADL Zurich 2026, Conference Host UC2016.

 

The 21st century is characterized by rapid changes in political, economic, and environmental conditions worldwide. This increasing pace of changes represents a challenge to countries, populations, and overarching organizations alike. Cities and universities represent entities at the edge of such changes, posing at the same time challenges and potential solutions.

The Univer-Cities Inaugural Distinguished Annual Lecture 2026 and the following discussion shall contribute to the definition of the role of Univer-Cities in the face of novel challenges and in the creation of a future eco-system for all populations.

Please find the program here. (PDF, 398 KB)

The organizers are:

  • Prof. Anthony S.C. Teo, former Adjunct Professor at Singapore University of Social Sciences, founder and Convenor & Editor of Univer-Cities Volume I-V. 

  • Prof. Dr. Dr. med. Frank Rühli, Dean Medical Faculty, University of Zurich, Director of the Institute of Evolutionary Medicine in Zurich. 

Speakers: 

  • Prof. Bertil Andersson, Advisory Board Univer-Cities & Trustee, Nobel Foundation, Stockholm
  • Prof. Caroline McMillen Emeritus Vice Chancellor University of Newcastle & Emeritus Chief Scientist of South Australia
  • Prof. Beatrice Beck Schimmer, Vice President Medicine Zurich, University of Zurich
  • Prof. Dr. Gianmaria Ajani, DIST, Politecnico e Università di Torino

Symposium management and registration:

Prof. Nicole Bender, Institute of Evolutionary Medicine, University of Zurich, nicole.bender@iem.uzh.ch.

Additional Information

Conference venue

The Univer-Cities Inaugural Distinguished Annual Lecture 2026 will take place at the University of Zurich, Switzerland. The University of Zurich is one of the leading research universities in Europe and is situated at the heart of the city, few minutes from the Zurich main station.

Address:  room RAA-G-01 (Little Aula), Rämistrasse 59, 8001 Zurich, Switzerland  

Einstein's PhD Diploma

The doctoral certificate of Nobel laureate Albert Einstein, conferred by the University of Zurich in 1906, is on display in the entrance hall of the university’s main building. 

Zurich

Zurich is the largest city of Switzerland with more than 400'000 inhabitants. First signs of settlement at the Zurich lake shore were dated 5000 years ago. The first mentioning of the name Turicum (latin for Zurich) was 57/58 BC. Today Zurich is a vibrant modern city with a high life quality and standard of living.

There are numerous guided tours, museums, parks, and other sightseeing possibilities in and around Zurich. Please visit the Zurich tourism website for a comprehensive overview: www.zuerich.com

Arrival by plane

Zurich International Airport (www.zurich-airport.com) has direct connections to 180 destinations and is only a 10-minute train ride from the Zurich main railway station in the centre of the city (trains are approximately every 10-15 minutes).

Follow the train signs in the airport to reach the train station; train tickets can be purchased at the counter or at self-service ticket machines («Zurich HB» as destination, and are valid on trains, trams, buses, funiculars and boats in the city).

Getting to the centre of the city by taxi costs about CHF 60.- (20-40 minutes, depending on traffic). In addition, tram 10 from the airport directly travels to the city centre in 40 minutes.

Arrival by railway

Zurich main railway station (ShopVille-Zurich main station) Intercity trains depart to popular Swiss destinations and some European cities as frequently as every 30 minutes. Also, most bus and tram lines run through main station.

To reach the conference venue you can take the tram Nr. 3 from the main railway station until the stop "Neumarkt".

Being mobile in the city

Zurich has the densest public transport network (online.fahrplan.zvv.ch) in the world: S-Bahn express trains run every 15 or 30 minutes throughout the Zurich region; buses and trams run every few minutes. Tickets for Zurich can be purchased at machines in the train station and at almost all local tram stops and are valid for all forms of public transport (including funiculars and boats). Most of the machines take credit cards, in addition to coins. You can switch the machine to English on the first screen.

Lodging

Zurich offers a variety of hotels at any price category. You can search for a hotel via Zurich Tourism (www.zuerich.com/en). Please make sure that you book your hotel including breakfast. 

Social events

The opening ceremony and conference dinner will be on February 22 (Speakers only). The location will be announced soon.

Lunch and closing ceremony on February 23 will be for all conference participants. The location will be announced soon. 

Contact

For further information please contact the Conference Manager Nicole Bender, nicole.bender@iem.uzh.ch

Sponsors

Swiss National Science Foundation (SNF)

UZH Hochschulstiftung

Univer-Cities (In 4 Volumes)

More about Univer-Cities (In 4 Volumes)

The Univer-Cities series serves as a reference for academic leaders and graduands who seek to understand the symbiotic role of universities and cities in our disruptive world. This series calls for the university leadership to tap on their research capabilities for community advancement, urban planning, innovation systems and regional economic growth.

Volume V will be released soon!