«Have you experienced abuse of power at your university?» we asked in a nationwide survey. Within a very short time, 180 people responded. Their accounts reveal a structural problem in academia.
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The Investigation at a Glance
- We have launched a nationwide survey on abuse of power at universities. Over the course of a few weeks, 180 people described their experiences to us.
- The participants’ accusations range from bullying and humiliation to discrimination, sexual harassment and assault. An overwhelming majority describe psychological problems resulting from the abuse of power, the most common being depression, sleep disorders, anxiety disorders and panic attacks.
- Doctoral students are the most affected: they are dependent on their professors in several respects – as supervisors, advisors and examiners.
- Hardly anyone felt sufficiently supported by their university. Although some of those affected received good advice from internal support services, there was little they could do to help.
- One reason for this lies in structural problems: steep hierarchies, fixed-term contracts and university self-governance enable abuse of power and make sanctions more difficult. Many affected individuals do not dare to report incidents. And even when they do, consequences for professors are rare.
A professor who yells at her doctoral students for no reason.
A professor who runs his research laboratory as if it were a cult.
A conference guest who sexually harasses a doctoral student.
These three examples illustrate a systematic problem within Swiss academia.
REFLEKT asked members of all Swiss universities to share their experiences of abuse of power. Within five weeks, 180 people responded.
We then conducted personal interviews with 38 affected individuals. They described in detail how they had been harassed, bullied, systematically disadvantaged, humiliated, or pushed to their psychological limits. You can read the testimonies of twenty of them on this page, by clicking on their quotes.
«He yelled at me for an hour and a half.»
I had already worked together with this professor for a few years and he had always said that he valued my work. Suddenly, without reason, something changed. He asked me to come to his office, where he read to me a list of things that I had allegedly done to harass and undermine him. On this list was one incident, where I printed out the thesis of a student for him to correct. Apparently, he hadn’t wanted me to print it out. It was a simple misunderstanding. All of these allegations were groundless, some bordering on the absurd.
He told me to apologize and show empathy towards him. He hit the black board, where he had written the word «empathy» and he shouted: «I want empathy!» When I said I was sorry, he said that it didn’t count because I didn’t mean it. It was a very menacing atmosphere. He shouted at me for an hour and a half without giving me the chance to explain myself or clear up misunderstandings.
I felt powerless and unfairly treated. He showed this list of allegations to other people in the lab, qualified me as a narcissist that he wanted to remove from his life and went to HR. He also accused me of scientific misconduct but dropped these allegations later.
HR put me on paid leave just a few days later, allegedly because of inappropriate behavior and bad communication. They said that the decision had already been made. They didn’t investigate the allegations. I had to pack up my office just a few days later and was told I would lose access to all accounts. My professor went on to send defamatory emails to several people at the university, portraying me as both a scientific fraud and a racist.
I asked for help from several support services, as well as the vice president. Their responses all felt performative – as if they wanted to give the impression of institutional accountability without really offering protection or justice. Serious reports are routinely dismissed or swept under the rug.
Victims remain isolated and without the opportunity to defend themselves. Just a small fraction of cases ever become public, usually when victims turn to the media after experiencing years of denial at the university.
The experiences of these individuals differ, as do their backgrounds. Both Swiss nationals and foreign academics came forward. They study, pursue doctoral degrees and conduct research in a wide variety of disciplines at almost all Swiss universities.
What unites them is that they feel abandoned by their universities. Many never turned to internal support services – out of fear of negative consequences or lack of trust. And even when relevant authorities were informed, little or nothing was done.
Instead, many of those affected report that they have given up their dream of research – and that they still suffer from the psychological consequences of what they experienced, months and even years later.
Our research shows that abuse of power at Swiss universities is much more widespread than the reporting on sensational individual cases in recent years would suggest.
And it raises the question: Why are universities failing to better protect their students and staff?
«The professor said: 'You have beautiful curves’.»
In order to receive our master’s degree, we had to take part in a three-week excursion. This was jointly organized by various universities every year. A professor from Germany was in charge. A luminary in his field.
It was common knowledge that he harassed women and crossed boundaries on these excursions. On my excursion, for example, he said: «Please take a photo of your breasts instead of the plants, that would be much nicer» and «you have such beautiful curves», while staring at a woman’s behind.
A professor from Switzerland who was there simply laughed it off. To me it seemed like everyone was aware of this behavior but tolerated it. So I never officially reported it to my university because I thought nothing would be done anyway.
The female students warned each other. The participants from the previous year gave the following year’s participants tips: «Spray yourself against ticks and sunburn, check the tent for spiders and never be alone with the professor.»
Many of the affected individuals report superiors who regularly humiliate their staff. «If someone presented results that didn’t support my supervisor’s narrative, he would tear that person apart in front of the whole team. Grown men who are used to giving speeches at large conferences sat on the floor crying before showing him their latest data,» says one person. A young researcher reports: «Time and again, our professor would yell at people in meetings and bang on the table or wall.»
About the survey
The survey does not focus on individ
ual problematic cases, but rather aims to illustrate the extent of experiences with abuse of power in academia. We looked for recurring patterns in the reports and used these to derive our analysis. Unlike usual, we did not publish the names of individuals or institutions affected by the allegations, nor did we confront them. This allowed those affected to tell us about their experiences anonymously without fear of negative consequences. The survey is not representative.
By 14 July, around 180 people had come forward and reported in writing about their experiences with abuse of power and how their university dealt with it. We assessed 142 of the accounts as cases of abuse of power, interpreting the written responses ourselves. We categorised bullying, systematic discrimination, belittlement, threats, discrimination and sexual harassment or assault by persons in higher positions as abuse of power.
We considered descriptions of a lack of support, micromanagement and exploitation to be situations of abuse of power in the broader sense. Participants in the survey often mentioned several such categories at the same time. We spoke to 38 people, who also described their experiences in detail to us verbally. We are publishing 20 of these testimonies on this page. We have verified the identities of these individuals and their connection to the university.
The majority of those who came forward stated that they were pursuing or had completed a doctorate. Some are or were postdocs or students. The individuals suspected of abuse of power were mostly primary supervisors and full professors. The universities mentioned were Bern, Lausanne, Zurich, Lugano, Geneva, Basel, Lucerne, Neuchâtel and Fribourg, as well as ETH and EPFL.
Over a third of respondents stated that they had not reported the experience to any university-affiliated contact point. Most of those who had contacted them were unhappy with the experience. A handful of respondents were satisfied. Some gave mixed responses, stating that they were listened to but that they would have liked further action to be taken.
Almost a third of respondents stated that they had given up their scientific career or were considering doing so. Several of those affected reported that they had changed jobs or even fields as a result of their experiences. Many also described a loss of motivation and psychological problems as a result of what they had been through. Sleep disorders, depression and anxiety disorders were frequently mentioned.
Some women report sexist comments from superiors and systematic discrimination at work as soon as they have children. Several describe experiences of sexual assaults at work. One member of the mid-level faculty recounts: «One of the participants in the conference, a renowned professor in my field, sexually harassed me. I felt very uncomfortable and didn’t respond to it. Later, I received further inappropriate messages from him on social media and in emails.»
Watch the video on our investigation
Other individuals recount racist remarks, such as a young former researcher: «My professor kept telling me that I could never really be good at my subject because I came from a different culture – my genetics would never allow it.»
Those affected frequently complain of a pressure to perform that pushed them to their mental and physical limits. One person recalls: «I was told that if I couldn’t work 80 hours a week, I might not be cut out for academia. I developed stress-related cognitive problems and am now being treated for burnout symptoms.» Others describe being regularly assigned assistant duties that were not actually part of their job.
«My professor prevents us from ever publishing anything.»
My professor is unpredictable. One day he tells his doctoral students and postdocs that we’re geniuses – the next day he insults us and says our work is total crap. He loses his temper too often. He puts a lot of pressure on us.
One colleague of mine had holiday plans and had already prepared everything for a grant proposal that she had to write that was due during her vacation. He then pushed her to cancel her vacation and all her bookings so she could incorporate his last-minute comments.
We are constantly working on the weekends too. When we don’t receive a grant, he says it’s our fault. If we do receive one, he says that it is thanks to him, even though we wrote all the grant proposals.
He also prevents us from ever publishing anything, by asking for endless rounds of revisions. We’re thus never able to build a portfolio. For four years no one in our group has published an empirical paper.
He also made several inappropriate, sexualized comments. I feel so uncomfortable in his presence that I ask other people to stay close to his office when I have to meet him there, just to feel safe.
The heads of the institute know all about this, but thus far they only organized one mediation, between him and a post-doc whose contract was later not renewed. Another member of the institute’s leadership advised us to change research groups.
But that would mean that we would lose all of our work. We are totally dependent on him because we need his signature and his approval to finish our dissertation. That’s his lever. I’m thinking about leaving science. It is more misogynistic and abusive than the private sector.
«A renowned professor sexually harassed me.»
I was at an informal get-together after an academic event. Everyone was drunk. One of the participants, a renowned professor in my field, sexually harassed me. I felt very uncomfortable and didn’t respond to it. Later, I received more inappropriate messages from him on social media and in emails.
When I cautiously indicated my discomfort to my superior, my feelings were downplayed. After all, no one is obliged to participate in such events, they said. But informal events are particularly important for an academic career. Many women go to them less often to protect themselves. They end up with less of a professional network.
I didn’t dare to tell my supervisor the whole story because I was afraid it would have a negative impact on the grading of my dissertation.
Instead, I turned to the university’s counseling center. I had a positive experience there that validated my perception. The counsellor just listened and offered to support me if I wanted to take the case further. I decided against it because I didn’t believe that it would change anything. After all, the center has no power over the perpetrator.
«My professor said my genetics would prevent me from being truly good at my subject.»
My professor kept telling me that I could never really be good at my subject, because I come from a different culture – my genetics wouldn’t allow for it. When a family member died and I wanted to change my working days for the funeral, he asked: „Do you have to go there?“
He also several times made fun of the fact that I had difficulties affording longer research stays abroad. Later, he kept me in the dark for months about whether my contract would be renewed or not. It was only at the last moment that I learned from the HR department that he wasn’t going to renew it.
In the end, he ignored my repeated requests to issue me an employment reference. Everyone, from other professors to librarians, knew how difficult he was, but they just turned a blind eye and did nothing. The whole thing led to a depression and reduced self-esteem for me. Despite being perfectly qualified, I’ve completely lost all interest in academia.
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Most often, those affected describe being systematically prevented from advancing in their research and career by their supervisor. One young researcher says of her professor: «He demands endless rounds of revisions so that we can’t build up our list of publications. No one in our department has published anything for years.»
We also learned of cases in which supervisors allegedly stole their employees‘ research work, gave their doctoral students little or no support, threatened them or made inappropriate comments about their private lives.
Conditions that make people sick
Experiences vary widely. Not all of those affected describe individual boundary-crossing incidents. Some report a general behavior that they describe as «manipulative», «exclusionary», «toxic» or «demeaning».
«Abuse of power can be a continuous process», says Bontu Guschke, who wrote her doctoral thesis on the subject of abuse of power in academia and works as an anti-discrimination consultant. «In the beginning, people are often isolated or made dependent. These are factors that enables abuse of power later on».
Almost all those affected report psychological consequences, some of which are severe. A member of the mid-level faculty recounts: «I developed an anxiety disorder and needed one to two years of therapy to be able to cope with it.» A young researcher says: «To this day, I struggle with the scars of this experience. Switzerland and my university were once my big dream destination. Today, I am deeply disappointed and advise foreign researchers not to come here.»
«I didn't consent to my supervisor touching me.»
I took part in a seminar that was closely tied to the practical portion of my studies, so we worked with people who are professionals in the relevant field. I had a supervisor who works both in my field and at the university. We worked on projects together. I also supported him in his work.
After an aperitif at the end of the semester, some of us went for drinks together. Everyone ended up getting drunk, including me.
My supervisor, who was also involved in grading my work, flirted with me the whole time. I was fine with it at first. At some point we went outside, away from the others. Then we kissed. He began to touch me under my shirt and in my pants. I was very drunk at that point and it was already morning. I did not consent to him touching me. Then he said to me: You can’t tell anyone about this.
The next morning, I was filled with feelings of shame. I thought I had done something wrong, something really bad. I knew he had a partner. It took me a long time to realize that he was the one who overstepped his boundaries and abused his power. He’s ten years older, a seasoned and well-known professional in our field and also my academic advisor.
After that night I met him once in the city by chance. I immediately had to throw up. I didn’t turn to any support services at the university because I didn’t even know there was such a thing at the time. Later I saw that the person who would have been responsible for an internal investigation is his superior, so he’s not really independent.
«Every interaction carried the risk of being targeted.»
Each interaction with my professor carried the risk of being targeted in a passive-aggressive manner. He often told me that my work was great. But out of the blue, he would also tell me that I was not a serious PhD-student, that he was investing too much time in supervising me; time, which would be better invested somewhere else. He wanted to be present, but by coming by several times a day asking about our progress, all that he achieved was to put us under a lot of pressure.
At the same time, he lacked real expertise in my specific research topics. But he still pushed his view on me and refused to listen to my ideas, because he was convinced that he knew better. He was very insistent that we implement his random ideas. He couldn’t bear being questioned.
I went to a person of trust at the university, which was a bit like going to a therapist. It was good to talk to someone but they couldn’t really help me. I had the impression that her job was to provide the support we needed to carry on working, rather than to bring about real change.
At one point there was a mediation between my professor and I. However, he didn’t see any fault on his side, so it didn’t go anywhere. Eventually, some colleagues and I filed an official complaint with the university administration. An external investigation was conducted, which supported some, but not all our allegations.
I think they issued him a warning. But the process was really opaque for us. No one asked us if anything had improved, or in general how we were doing, and we weren’t entitled to know what measures were being taken by the university in response to our complaint.
I developed anxiety and needed one or two years of therapy to treat it. I seriously considered leaving academia.
Confronted with the survey results, the umbrella association swissuniversities, writes: «The committees of swissuniversities intend to put the results of this survey on the agenda with the aim to classify the results and discuss possible conclusions.»
Every confirmed case of abuse of power contradicts the values of the universities, the statement continues, but currently there is no nationwide strategy for prevention and combating abuse. There is, however, a code of scientific integrity developed jointly by various organisations.
In recent years, Swiss universities have created structures to prevent and address abuse of power. ETH Zurich, for example, set up the «Respect Office» in 2020, a confidential point of contact for cases of discrimination, harassment and bullying in the workplace. In 2024, it added a «Clarification Office», which conducts mediation between conflicting parties. Finally, the external reporting office mandated by ETH can set in motion an internal complaints procedure and conduct initial assessments of the reported incidents.
«It felt like the message was: be a man and toughen up.»
After a devastating personal tragedy, I asked my superior for special leave in addition to all of my free days, to be able to spend time with my family and care for myself. I was in no state to work.
My superior denied my request and threatened that if I did take additional leave or sick leave, I would be punished and not promoted. Apparently I had shown that I wasn’t very motivated and I had put my family above my work. It felt like the message was: be a man and toughen up.
Even years later I was still made to feel that I couldn’t be a good scientist with this attitude. I reached out to the internal complaint office. They told me that if I took «fake sick leave» I would be fired. My motivation has largely disappeared and I’m no longer actively pursuing an academic career.
«My professor was often physically aggressive.»
The problems began with my first presentation at the institute. While I was speaking, my professor started mocking me loudly. She mimicked my facial expressions, made a grimace and hit the table. She suddenly confronted me with questions and told me I should end my presentation and do it again once I had a better presentation.
She treated all of us like this. She kept on screaming at people during meetings and hit the table or the wall while she was doing it. She was often physically aggressive.
She didn’t understand that we found this threatening. She told me that I should be happy that she pays my salary. I cried several times in her office. But this is normal here: a lot of people cry in the offices of their superiors.
The worst part was that she was so unpredictable. In one moment everything seemed fine, but one wrong word could set the professor off and make her aggressive.
We couldn’t reach out to the Ombudsperson, because they were a close friend of the professor. Another point of contact listened to several of our testimonies. When we followed up with them to check on the status, we found out someone new was working there.
Our testimonies hadn’t been documented, and the new person couldn’t reconstruct them. The testimonies of those who had already left the university were lost. Several people left the institution, and I no longer work there either.
«The short-term contracts gave my supervisor leverage.»
My contract was always extended for just six months – even though this contradicts university guidelines. These extreme short-term contracts gave my superior leverage.
After I had confronted him and reported this to the institute, he made sure I wouldn’t receive additional teaching hours, claiming that there was no additional funding for it. But in the end, he gave those hours to someone else.
I reached out to several people who were above me in the hierarchy and to the mid-level staff representatives. I was taken seriously but no one could help me. As soon as my contract runs out, I’ll be out.
An external investigation looking into the restructuring of our faculty concluded that my superior should be switched out, as he is the reason for the bad atmosphere at the institute and there are several allegations of bullying against him. This recommendation has not been put into action.
Every Swiss university now has some kind of reporting system in place, although these vary significantly from one institution to another. The universities in Lausanne and Lucerne, for example, also operate anonymous whistleblowing platforms. At some universities, such as Fribourg, professors serve as confidants or ombudspersons, while others employ independent, specialized staff for this role.
However, the evaluation of our survey shows that all these models seem to serve their purpose only to a limited extent.
Support services: An inadequate mechanism
About a third of those affected stated that they had not reported their experiences at all for fear of the consequences it would have on their careers. One doctoral student says: «I was afraid to defend myself because I was dependent on my professor for my grade.»
Reports like this make it clear that professors hold the key to the future of young researchers. On the one hand, they decide whether the mostly fixed-term contracts of their employees are extended. On the other, they write letters of recommendation, assign grades and provide networking opportunities.
«The lack of support was more painful than the incident itself.»
As a student assistant, I helped organize a conference. One of the invited professors tried to talk to me again and again. At the end of the event, he asked me to accompany him to the airport.
There, right in front of the security check, without asking, he kissed me full on. I was completely overwhelmed and later wrote him that it wasn’t what I wanted and that he should know that I don’t want anything like that to happen if we meet again. He replied that he didn’t believe me, that it was clear that I couldn’t admit the truth.
The day before, I had told him that I was in a relationship. He had then assured me that he wouldn’t flirt with me in any way.
I told the organizer to warn others. She called in her boss who then called in the head of the institute. These two professors insisted on having a conversation with me, even though I felt uncomfortable about it.
They wanted to know how I could put myself in such a situation. Why did I have a drink with him? Because it was completely normal for everyone to talk or keep hanging out after dinner. Why did I accompany him to the airport? Because I was told that guest relations were part of my job at the conference.
There was no official complaint because he wasn’t employed at my university. Nevertheless, the professors still work with him. That wasn’t the only time that the lack of support from the institute was more painful than the incident itself. At some point, too much piled up, and I gave up my assistant position and withdrew from academia for years.
«The dean said: 'You don't want to make enemies in the academic world'.»
During my doctorate, I experienced a very painful personal loss and developed depression as a result. I went to therapy but my poor condition was made much worse by the behavior of my primary supervisor. She told me: «Other people have problems too. You have to prove that you’re made for research.»
I had to be hospitalized after a few months because my condition had deteriorated further. At this stage, my second supervisor decided that he would not renew my contract. The official reason he gave was: «The student does not wish to continue his doctorate.»
But that wasn’t true. I turned to the dean. He advised me not to take legal action. He said: «You don’t want to make enemies in the academic world.» That felt like a threat to me. I also contacted an ombudsperson. He organized a mediation session, but it didn’t achieve much.
In the end, this person told me it was an unfortunate situation, but that I had simply fallen through the cracks, «like through the holes of a Swiss cheese» and he couldn’t do anything. I also turned to the Vice-Rectorate and said I felt discriminated against because of my mental illness. I was told that there was no discrimination at this university.
I was unemployed for three years afterwards and I still struggle with the scars of this experience today. Switzerland and my university were once my big dream destination. Today, I’m deeply disappointed and advise foreign researchers not to come here.
«I was afraid to defend myself because I was dependent on his grade.»
During my PhD, my professor and supervisor asked me to prepare a project proposal. He said that if we got the funding, I would get a postdoc position later. He assured me of this in writing. I worked during weekends and evenings – the work on the application was unpaid, but it paid off: We ultimately got the money.
Suddenly, however, my professor tried to push me out of the project. At one point he said that I didn’t have the necessary qualifications. At that time, I hadn’t even defended my dissertation yet – so the final grade was still pending. I was afraid to resist the maneuver because I was dependent on him for my grade.
The ombudsman sided with the professor during a mediation. However, an external legal consultant confirmed to me that it wasn’t legal for him to break the written agreement. I was finally able to prevail with the university administration and still got the position.
Nevertheless, the whole experience still weighs on me today and I’m thinking about changing jobs, even though I had always hoped for a career in academia. I went to therapy during this conflict and afterwards. My mental health suffered greatly, and the situation still affects me.
Without this support, building a career is nearly impossible. In science, entire fields of research are often shaped by just a few individuals.
This makes it particularly difficult to defend oneself against possible abuse of power.
Those responsible at the universities are aware of this. Many offer ways to report incidents anonymously. However, several of those affected report that their anonymous reports often come to nothing.
According to a spokesperson, the ETH support services also take action in such cases. They employ various methods to determine whether a problem truly exists, enabling confrontation while preserving the anonymity of the reporting person at the same time. They often work behind the scenes, though students might not always be aware of their efforts, the spokesperson says.
A lack of trust
Several affected people report that they were not informed of additional steps after making a report or a complaint to their university. Expert Bontu Guschke also criticizes this: «You’re left on your own.» During this period of uncertainty, those affected should receive guidance and support, which should continue afterwards: «You can explain to those affected why a certain measure was taken or not taken and what options there are to report again if the behavior continues.»
In addition, there is another problem: support services and diversity departments have only limited options for intervention. For example, they can offer further training, give tips on how to deal with conflicts, inform other departments or, if possible, conduct mediation. The latter does not always serve its purpose: «Mediation took place between me and the professor», reports a young scientist. «But he didn’t see that he had done anything wrong, so it didn’t help.»
«She said: Stop crying, we're wasting time!»
During a presentation of mine at a conference, I didn’t mention that I was inspired by my professor. That led to harsh emails from her: She wrote that I was ungrateful, said who do you think you are.
She humiliated me several times in front of other people. She constantly compared me to colleagues. It went on like that for four years. One time, she came to my office and started screaming out of nowhere.
Another time, I was sitting in her office and was really desperate and started crying, because I was unsure if my contract would be extended. She yelled at me: Stop crying, we’re wasting time!
One time I wanted to apply for a grant for women with children. She refused to sign the recommendation letter, saying that it was something I needed to go through. She said that I should perform exactly like a man, that I was strong and didn’t need any help.
Everyone knew how difficult she was. But no one ever intervened. I reached out to an external advisor connected to the university. She told me she couldn’t do anything for me. At least that was honest. She told me that she could only help me to survive.
I had anxiety every time I opened my inbox. My professor even wrote emails to me in the middle of the night. The rectorate doesn’t have any real power, they are too far removed. HR also doesn’t have real power, they can’t make any decisions.
Professors are given free rein with their huge salaries and can do whatever they want. I’m afraid of them and avoid them most of the time. This will eventually become a big problem for me.
«My salary was below the minimum wage.»
I moved to Switzerland from another continent to start my doctorate here. I was told that my salary would be 27,000 Swiss francs for a full-time position, which is higher than what I would have gotten in my home country but lower than my colleagues’ salary.
When I was asked to sign my contract during my first week of my doctorate, I found out that my salary was significantly below the minimum wage stipulated by the university. Before I arrived, I had no idea how little 27,000 Swiss francs was in Switzerland.
I was confused and upset and sought help with Human Resources. I said I didn’t understand why my professor had done this and communicated my confusion with personal comments. These comments were passed on to my professor, who contacted me by email shortly afterwards. We had never met in person at that point. He wrote that if that’s what I thought of him, he would terminate the contract immediately and told me that I should leave the country.
I sought help from an old professor of mine. He told me I had to apologize to him so that I can work there. I did, but it was humiliating. This and other personal experiences of abuse of power have been very disempowering and are turning me away from academia. My motivation has dropped significantly and I am considering leaving academia if abusive behavior continues to go unpunished.
«A professor disparaged me in a group email after I had testified against their colleague.»
In an internal investigation, I testified against the supervisor of my friend because I had witnessed how much pressure she put on my friend. After this, the director of my research unit started to sideline me and put me down constantly. She sent me threatening messages and tried to intimidate me. She was very, very influential at my university.
The strained relationship came to a head several years later. After an appointment procedure, she wrote a group email to several professors, including my supervisor, accusing me of disrupting the legal procedure. She wrote that I had influenced the committee and that I had taken part in discussions when I wasn’t allowed to. None of it was true – I had evidence and witnesses to prove it.
Luckily my supervisor supported me, because he immediately understood the situation correctly. He sent a reply-all email putting the professor in her place. A lawyer told me, that her mass email met the criteria for defamation and that I could take legal action. I decided against it. It would have been too expensive and too time-consuming. We didn’t talk anymore after that. I finished my dissertation and left the university.
Ultimately, as many of the affected individuals perceive, support services are an inadequate instrument to combat abuse of power, as steep hierarchies and strong dependencies make their work more difficult. They also have limited ability to hold professors accountable. As a result, trust in support services is low. A former student who observed the abusive behavior of a professor told REFLEKT: «I never officially reported the incident at my university. Because I thought nothing would be done anyway.»
Slow reform processes
In theory, individual institutes or departments should create a safe working environment. In practice, however, professors largely manage themselves and their staff. This guarantees academic freedom but also creates problems. «Professors don’t like to interfere with one another’s work – it’s all about specific expertise», says Janet Hering, professor emeritus and former head of the ETH Domain’s Eawag Institute.
They would also show this restraint when it comes to how their colleagues treat employees. In addition, although most professors lead large teams and oversee considerable budgets, they receive no training for these responsibilities. When professors are appointed, the focus is on academic achievement – not on leadership competence.
«I can hardly get out of bed in the morning.»
Since I am neither Swiss nor an EU citizen, I needed a new signature from my professor each year for my residence permit. For two years in a row she ignored me asking her multiple times to sign the document. In the end, people from the administration had to get involved so I didn’t lose my permit.
This was far from the only problem. She often yelled at me and accused me of things that were not in my control. At the same time, she didn’t answer my emails and let important project deadlines slip. She repeatedly made it hard for me to attend conferences and never explained why I wasn’t allowed to take part in them.
In the past ten years, all of her PhD students have abandoned their research projects. A person in a leadership position in the administration confirmed to me that this was a clear case of bullying.
This person advised me to look for compromise with my professor to get ahead. At least they were able to help me renew my contract and made sure that I don’t have to have meetings with her alone anymore.
Everyone knows how difficult she is. But no one ever really did something to hold her accountable. My motivation has sunken to the point where it’s hard for me to even get out of bed in the morning. I no longer wish to remain in academia; the environment has shown me that protecting my health must come first because this system is disgusting and only protects the people on the top of the hierarchy.
«I worked seven days a week.»
I had been feeling marginalized and belittled in my research group for a while already. But the situation escalated when a senior colleague screamed at me during a meeting and accused me – in front of everyone else – of not working hard enough.
Even though I had significantly advanced the research project during the few months that I had been there. I worked seven days a week and during every holiday.
After that incident I had a panic attack and started dissociating. Since then, the mental illness I was already suffering from got a lot worse. As a person on the autism spectrum and with an OCD-diagnosis, these kinds of aggressive outbursts and interruptions of my routine have a significant effect on me.
My symptoms got worse. I suffer from insomnia and heavy jaw grinding, so much so, that three of my teeth have broken. As I see it, the main problem is that, in academia, there is almost no understanding of neurodivergent people like me. But we are often very good scientists, who work a lot, and are creative and analytical.
Luckily, my supervisor supported me. But the working conditions and the lack of sensitivity are driving a lot of people with similar issues out of research.
I am also now seriously considering a career outside academia – in a field where there is more structural responsibility, better support for people with disabilities and a healthier work-life balance.
If colleagues at the institutes do not intervene and the options offered by support services have been exhausted, the university administrations are the last resort. They can impose binding sanctions and, for example, cut a professor’s budget or prohibit them from hiring new doctoral students. Many of those affected report that there were no consequences, even after taking the matter to the administration. One young researcher says: «Serious reports are regularly rejected or swept under the carpet. Victims remain isolated and unable to defend themselves.»
There are things that could be done
The hurdle for the highest level of escalation, dismissal, is high for full professors. In most cases, both the rectorate and the university council, the highest body, must agree and justify the termination. «The people who decide on such measures are not neutral», Hering says. «Sometimes they want to protect the institution with their decisions and not the people affected.»
The RELEKT survey also gave those affected the opportunity to make suggestions for improvement. In summary, many would like to see hierarchies dismantled and dependencies reduced. Support services must be more independent and problematic superiors must be held more accountable. In addition, professors should receive better training.
Reccommendations from experts and those affected
- Chair holders should not fill three roles at the same time and thus have all the power over their employees.
- Doctoral students and postdocs should not be employed by individual professors, but by institutes, so that power and responsibility are shared.
- Support services should be independent and located outside the university.
- There should be more permanent and well-paid positions in academia, not only for professors.
- Anonymous reporting centers are needed.
- A mechanism is needed to anonymously evaluate one’s own supervisor.
- Even before they apply for a position, prospective doctoral students should be able to find out which professors’ doctoral students constantly drop out.
- Chair holders should be obliged to undergo further training in the areas of anti-discrimination and team leadership.
- Measures should be taken in the event of misconduct.
- There needs to be greater networking and organization between members of mid-level faculty.
Some of these proposals are already being implemented at some universities. But even where changes are being made, they are only sporadic. This is because reform processes are sluggish, and those who would have to give up power are precisely the ones that have the most say.
For example, questions about the promotion of young researchers at the University of Zurich are regulated by the Research Promotion Commission. Seven out of twelve members of the commission hold a chair, and one is the vice-rector. Only one third of the commission consists of representatives of the student body and mid-level faculty.
As the stories of the affected individuals show, it is not the perpetrators who pay the price, but those who experience abuse of power. Around a third of the survey participants have dropped out of their academic career or are considering taking this step. Regarding her decision, one young researcher says: «It’s more important to me to protect my health, because this system is disgusting and protects the people at the top of the hierarchy.»
This is the first part of our investigation into abuse of power at Swiss universities. Due to the large number of responses, we will continue to pursue the topic. Subscribe to our newsletter if you want to be the first to know about upcoming publications.
