Dual Career (DC) Advice
Highly qualified and internationally distinguished scientists are a globally sought-after group of people who are often able to choose from a selection of different universities. Overall academic conditions and, increasingly, the “soft” factors offered by certain locations play a role in the decision-making process. When changing positions, there are many social changes to deal with such as organizing your stay, childcare, finding a position for your partner or spouse etc.
Very often researcher have a partner who is also highly qualified, which makes the professional transition more demanding and more complex. Such couples in which both partners hold advanced, usually academic qualifications and a highly specialized job profile are known as Dual career couples (DCC or DC couples).
IMPORTANT: The information provided in this chapter is particularly useful for DC-couples and a good starting point in terms of "Finding employment" (see job portals) as well as with regards to "Recognition of Foreign Qualifications/Professions".
The Euraxess-Portal Switzerland provides advice for scientists in general.These free Euraxess video-webinars support your career planning and reflexions, no matter if your focus is within academia or outside.
A) DC-partner of Professors
The Welcome & Euraxess Center helps in this regard partners accompanying newly appointed professors to find direction in their professional fields and avenues (DC advice).
B) DC-partners of Postdocs
Unfortunately, the University cannot offer DC advice to partners of Postdoc staff. However, in the context of the University's membership in the International Dual Career Network Basel-Zurich (IDCN, see information below), DC-partner of Postdocs are invited, too, to benefit from this exclusive business-related networking opportunity. DC-partner of Postdocs who have moved to the Basel area in the past 2 years (a pre-condition for a membership in the IDCN) are warmly invited to send an email for registration purposes to welcome@unibas.ch (with her/his name + the name of the Postdoc partner working at the University of Basel).
Membership in the International Dual Career Network (IDCN)
The University of Basel is a member of the International Dual Career Network (IDCN) Basel-Zurich since 2016. The global non-profit network supports partners of newly appointed professors as well as partners of Postdocs as they explore their career options in the region after relocation, particularly those who are focusing on private enterprises. Interested Dual Career partners of professors and Postdocs who have started work at the University of Basel in the last two years, or who are about to do so, are invited to attend. IDCN membership is free and non-binding for Dual Career partners; registration with the Welcome & Euraxess Center is mandatory.
Membership in the Swiss Academic Dual Career Network (ADCN)
The University of Basel is a founding member of the 2019 established Network of Swiss Higher Education and Research Institutions, which follows a strategy of mutual promotion and support with regards to DC couples. The Swiss Academic Dual Career Net- work was acknowledged by swissuniversities as part of the International Relations Delegation. The Swiss ADCN comprises 17 higher education institutions currently and is open to new members.
Membership in the regional Dual Career Network of the Eucor - The European Campus universities
To provide support to dual career couples, the University of Basel offers a collaboration with other universities in the Upper Rhine region. The Dual Career Network that includes the Eucor universities in Basel, Freiburg, Karlsruhe, Upper Alsace (Mulhouse-Colmar) and Strasbourg was founded in 2009.
Diversity
Since 1998 Diversity & Inclusion (before: Equal Opportunities Office) has been entrusted with the political mandate to make equal opportunities a reality at the University of Basel. The aim is to rid university structures as well as the organizational and scientific culture entirely of discrimination, make them equality oriented and family friendly and to increase the percentage of women at the various skill levels. The Equal Opportunities Office devloped the Dual Career-Service at the University of Basel and was in charge of it until end of 2014.
