University of Geneva

Acronym: UNIGE

Established: 1559

Address: Rue du Général-Dufour 24, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland

Stakeholder group: Academia and Think Tanks

With almost 18,000 students of 150+ nationalities, the University of Geneva is one of the largest universities in Switzerland. It offers 194 study programmes (103 Bachelor and Master programmes; 91 doctoral programmes) and 372 continuing education programmes covering an extremely wide variety of fields: exact sciences, medicine, humanities, social sciences, law, etc.

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Digital activities

The University of Geneva (UNIGE) places great emphasis on digital research and education, recognising the impact of digital technologies and AI across all disciplines and in preparing students for their professional life. The Computer Science Department and the Centre Universitaire d’Informatique (CUI) conduct cutting-edge research in key areas such as digital imaging, multimedia, high-performance computing, distributed systems, AI, bioinformatics, software engineering, and theoretical computing. They also conduct Interdisciplinary research, with collaborations in fields like biology, psychology, linguistics, physics, medicine, economics, and finance. These research activities are reflected in teaching at all levels, as researchers bring their expertise, methodologies, and results into basic and advanced academic programmes as well as continuing education.

UNIGE is one of the few universities to have a Vice-Rector dedicated to digital transformation and artificial intelligence, reflecting the strategic importance of these fields. In addition, the University is strongly engaged in maintaining and developing digital infrastructures, tools, and services. At the same time, it actively supports its community in adopting and effectively using digital tools, and offers specialised training programmes and workshops to equip students, academic staff and administrative personnel with essential and advanced digital skills. Finally, UNIGE is committed to promoting responsible digital practices and ensuring the security of its digital infrastructures.

In the field of artificial intelligence, the University leverages AI to enhance teaching methods and support research. At the same time, UNIGE acknowledges the ethical challenges posed by AI. It addresses these concerns through a thoughtful, critical approach to the development and use of AI, ensuring that these technologies are implemented responsibly and ethically.

Digital policy issues

Artificial intelligence

The University has published an official statement on the use of AI, based on principles of legality, academic integrity, transparency, economy, and ecology. According to a recent survey by the Observatory of Student Life, 56% of UNIGE student respondents have already used generative AI text tools in their studies, primarily to better understand subjects (81%), rephrase content (45%), and for translation (31%).

To support AI adoption, UNIGE has developed several resources, including a dedicated web portal for AI, a practical guide on AI use, ‘Pedagogical Lunches’ focused on AI and continuing education courses on AI. The University library has also issued a practical guide for referencing AI in academic work.

UNIGE is participating in the ‘Young AI Leaders’ programme launched by the ITU’s ’AI for Good’ initiative. A Geneva Hub for this programme has been created, led by a doctoral student in sociology at UNIGE. The programme encourages young people (18-30 years old) to develop AI skills while contributing to the SDGs.

The University of Geneva is part of the Swiss AI Research Overview Platform (SAIROP), a joint initiative launched by ten Swiss partner organisations and coordinated by the Swiss Academy of Engineering Sciences. The platform provides a detailed overview of the AI research landscape in Switzerland and aims to encourage the exchange of knowledge between disciplines and fields, while helping to initiate future innovation projects.

As a research-intensive university, UNIGE integrates AI across various disciplines. AI enhances research by enabling advanced analysis and modelling, accelerating discoveries, and opening new perspectives in most academic domains, such as drug development, physics research, environmental science, medicine, neuroscience and linguistics, to name just a few.

Capacity development

As part of its core educational mission, UNIGE offers several Bachelor’s, Master’s, and PhD programs focused on or related to digital technologies. In particular, the Computer Science Department of the Science Faculty provides several Bachelor’s, Master’s, and PhD programmes. Other faculties or institutes have also recently developed academic programmes integrating digital science. For instance, the Faculty of Humanities offers a Bachelor’s and a Master’s programme in Computer Science for the Humanities, while the Global Studies Institute (GSI) has launched a Bachelor’s degree in Computational Sciences and International Relations, a unique interdisciplinary programme in Switzerland.

Beyond its academic programmes focused on or related to digital technologies, UNIGE seeks to enhance digital literacy across its entire community by implementing a series of measures to meet the needs of its students, researchers, administrative staff, and other community members. For example, the University offers an optional transversal course called ‘Comprendre le numérique’ (‘Understanding digital technologies’) which covers the technical, social, ethical, cultural, economic, and legal aspects of digital technologies. Additionally, the University provides a self-assessment tool for its community, allowing students and teachers to test their digital skills, view their digital profile and receive personalised training suggestions. Another example of capacity development is the UNIGE ‘Take Over’ initiative, a week of digital training sessions provided by and for students. Student trainers are compensated and receive certificates, while participants receive attestations for the new skills they have acquired.

The University also offers continuing education courses on digital technologies, including topics such as data science, machine learning, AI and ethics, legal issues of generative AI, digital innovation in humanitarian action, digital health, data privacy, etc. It also offers a range of MOOCs (massive open online courses) open to everyone, covering subjects such as human rights, global health, water resources management, human rights, political citizenship, internationalisation of education, language and diversity, international organisations for interpreters, water cooperation and diplomacy, migration, etc.

Together with ETH Zurich, UNIGE recently created a Lab for Science in Diplomacy (SiDLab). As part of this initiative, it created two professorships in Computational Diplomacy, developed jointly by the Global Studies Institute (GSI) and the Department of Computer Science of the Faculty of Science.

When students are positioned as partners in university communities, they become active participants with valuable expertise to contribute to shaping the process of digital transformation. The Partnership Projects Program (P3) and Hackademia hackathons are two initiatives that allow students, alongside academic and professional staff, to bring forward their ideas to improve the digital tools and services at the University. Students and staff collaborate on projects they designed, working together towards the shared goal of learning from their partners and developing solutions that meet the University’s needs.

The students of the University also serve as partners for local businesses and organisations. Through the ‘Adopt a Skill’ programme, an initiative of the Centre Universitaire d’informatique (CUI), students are connected with regional companies to collaborate based on shared interests, in exchange for a monthly payment.

Sustainable development

The University participates in several initiatives that promote the responsible use of digital technologies. For instance, UNIGE takes part in the ‘D-Tox numérique’ (Digital Detox) Day, which is part of the international ‘Digital Cleanup Day’ initiative aimed at reducing digital data and extending the lifespan of computing devices. This event is organised with 17 public and private partners, including the Canton and City of Geneva. UNIGE also hosts once a year the ‘Journée du numérique responsable’ (Responsible Digital Day) with the Canton of Geneva, HES-SO Genève, and the Graduate Institute. This event aims to raise awareness and engagement among the UNIGE community on issues of digital sustainability, sovereignty, accessibility and inclusion.

Digital tools

UNIGE maintains an IT Service Catalogue where students and staff members can access all digital tools the university provides, such as the UNIGE Mobile App, Moodle, UNIGE’s data storage system, Mediaserver, and many others.

Digital tools for teaching and learning

Digital tools are an integral part of learning and teaching. These include tools for designing courses, supervising students, teaching remotely, assessing students, conducting exams, fostering interactivity, as well as storing and sharing educational content.

Research tools and infrastructures

Thanks to funding from the Canton of Geneva, the university was able to establish new infrastructures and services to address the growing needs of research. This includes the creation of a Data Repository for the preservation and archiving of research data (Yareta) and the provision of facilities for high-performance computing, designed to support increasingly complex computational needs.

Conferencing technologies

UNIGE events are places where experts can meet and exchange ideas, where knowledge and information can be passed on to the university community and society at large. They are living pillars of UNIGE’s research, teaching and public service missions. Many UNIGE events are now being organised in a virtual or hybrid format. A dedicated website helps UNIGE community members willing to organise virtual or hybrid events.