Life Course and Generations

Am grössten Wissenschaftsfestival der Schweiz erleben Sie neun Tage lang Wissenschaft hautnah. An verschiedenen Standorten in und um Zürich präsentieren Forschende ihre aktuellen Projekte und Erkenntnisse an Ausstellungsständen und in Kurzvorlesungen. Am Wochenende des 29. bis 30. August ist das Universitäre Forschungsschwerpunktprogramm «Human Reproduction Reloaded | H2R» mit dem Stand «Kinder haben – Zukunft trifft Gegenwart» im UZH Lichthof vertreten.

💡«Kinder haben – Zukunft trifft Gegenwart»  
📆 Samstag, 29. - Sonntag, 30. August 2026
📍 UZH Lichthof

The IBSA Foundation for Scientific Research and the H2R Data Centre invites you to a press conference and roundtable discussion titled «Why do Swiss people have fewer children?». This event will present and discuss new findings from the CHARLS panel survey, providing a deep dive into the complexities of (in)fertility and childlessness in Switzerland.

📆 Tuesday, June 9th, 15:00-17:00
📍 Careum Auditorium
💬 German with simultaneous translation in English

Prof. Dr. Katja Rost gab im «Coopzeitung mag» ein Interview darüber, was die Generation der Millennials prägt und wie sie gesellschaftlich einzuordnen ist. Dabei erklärt sie, warum Generationenkonzepte zwar im Alltag beliebt, wissenschaftlich jedoch nur begrenzt belastbar sind, und wie historisches Umfeld, Digitalisierung und gesellschaftliche Erwartungen die Werte, Chancen und Herausforderungen dieser Generation beeinflussen.

The IBSA Foundation for Scientific Research and the H2R Data Centre invites you to a press conference and roundtable discussion titled «Why do Swiss people have fewer children?». This event will present and discuss new findings from the CHARLS panel survey, providing a deep dive into the complexities of (in)fertility and childlessness in Switzerland.

📆 Tuesday, June 9th, 15:00-17:00
📍 Careum Auditorium
💬 German with simultaneous translation in English

There is increasing evidence that parenthood regrets occur both in mothers and fathers, but little is known about their causes and how they relate to gendered norms and conditions of parenthood. The newly published article by Larissa Fritsch and Dr. Sandra Gilgen investigates the prevalence of and factors associated with parenthood regret in Switzerland.

Matthias Klingler, PhD candidate in the URPP Human Reproduction Reloaded H2R, has been one of three researchers honored with the Best Researcher Award 2025. He was recognized for his publication in Advances in Life Course Research and for his strong commitment to the research community.

On Monday, Maila Mertens successfully defended her Doctoral Thesis, which explores research questions on Medically Assisted Reproduction (MAR) with a gender perspective. Congratulations, Maila!

The 13th volume of Social Inclusion features contributions from SUZ researchers. Jörg Rössel co-authored the editorial on current developments in medically assisted reproduction (MAR), exploring how social inequality and social norms shape access, attitudes, and experiences. Maila Martens, Nadja Colombini, and Jörg Rössel examine motivations behind social egg freezing, while Julia Schroedter analyzes the influence of religion on attitudes toward MAR. Julia Böcker and Nina Jakoby aim to understand subjects' experience and emotional managment of (failed) fertility treatments.

🔍 New Study on Women’s Labor Supply During Divorce
❓How do women adjust their work lives when navigating divorce—and how does motherhood shape that response? 👉🏻 Using longitudinal data from the German Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP), this study by Matthias Klingler finds that women increase their labor supply in anticipation of separation and sustain higher levels after divorce, with this pattern more pronounced among mothers than childless women.

Im Gespräch mit Katja Rost, Gideon Sartorius und Barbara Künzle diskutiert NZZ-Kolumnistin Nicole Althaus über neue Lebensentwürfe, gesellschaftliche Erwartungen und die Folgen des Geburtenrückgangs. Welche Rolle spielt die Politik und andere Rahmenbedingungen und welche Verantwortung tragen wir selbst?