Research at the epicenter of the latest developments
In Altdorf there is a beacon that is developing a special appeal for university research not only in Switzerland but throughout the Alps: the Institute for Alpine Cultures. It is entirely dedicated to the specific challenges of the canton of Uri in the heart of the Alps.
Shortly before the first lockdown in February 2020, the Institute for Alpine Cultures was officially opened. After several years of competitive selection procedures, an important beacon of the Uri government began to shine. With the new institute, university research was stationed in the canton itself for the first time in the history of Uri. A university institution was deliberately chosen because it guarantees every level of university qualification through to doctorate and habilitation thanks to the connection to the University of Lucerne.
The institute concentrates thematically on the entire arc of the Alps from Nice via Innsbruck to Ljubljana with a special anchoring in the Gotthard region. In this way, economic and social developments can be observed not only as a special case, but also in comparison. The aim is to learn from history in order to develop the best future scenarios. So it’s not just about navel gazing, but about a panoramic view in the middle of Switzerland, in the middle of Europe.
The canton has made the best choice with its cultural-historical anchoring: in dialogue with the local population, with economic and political decision-makers, the advantages of the region are specifically determined and further developed, which with the focus on the Alps are no longer on the supposed periphery, but in the epicenter of new developments. In view of the challenges in tourism, alpine and energy management, the institute has now found a reliable partner who guarantees scientific and objectivity.
It goes without saying that the Institute is not an ivory tower. On the contrary: the exchange between expert knowledge and experience is what really drives the institute’s work. As a result, cultural historians, legal scholars, energy economists, political scientists, philosophers, archaeologists – the list is not final – not only face a constant exchange between the disciplines, but also revise and specialize their theses thanks to local cooperation.
Showcases for this work are regular events and excursions – be it to the Urner Boden or to the Steingletscher – under expert guidance from all over Switzerland. And more and more commissioned studies end up in the Altdorf office, which, thanks to the institute’s unique network of experts from Germany and abroad, meet the highest scientific standards. The message has long since reached the research community: the lighthouse is shining.