The Impulsfabrik's main goal is to promote student engagement at the University of Zurich.
To achieve this we provide targeted support to student organisations and individuals in matters relating to financial resources, rooms at UZH, advertising channels, the recruitment of new association members and much more. The Impulsfabrik is the direct point of contact for initiatives in the seed phase and also supports them in founding an association. In this regard, the Impulsfabrik maintains a active exchange with the UZH President's Services. Student organisations (StudOrgs) already accredited at UZH can contact the President's Services directly if they have any organisational concerns.
The Impulsfabrik is a project by the VSUZH (Verband der Studierenden der Universität Zürich) the students’ public body of the University of Zurich. It was started as a pilot-project supported by the Mercator Foundation Switzerland and is now supported by the University of Zurich.
On June 1, 2025, the VSUZH Impulsfabrik, the Center for Student Engagement, will have a vacancy for the Co-Lead (30%). We are therefore looking for a student who is interested in working at UZH and who may even already be involved in a student project and knows the UZH association landscape. We look forward to receiving your applications by April 27!
You can find the full job advertisement here: Stellenanzeige Impulsfabrik FS25.pdf
Carmen holds a bachelor's degree in International Affairs from the University of St. Gallen and is now doing the master's program in Political Science at the University of Zurich. As part of her voluntary engagement, she is currently the Co-Lead of Get Connected, the intergenerational network for queer people.
At the same time, she is politically active and part of the executive board of SP queer Switzerland. Equality and social justice are issues that are close to her heart and that she is committed to in her work and voluntary engagement. Among other things, she co-initiated and organized the first Pride Month at the University of St. Gallen to advocate for the visibility of the queer community. At the Impulsfabrik, Carmen supports students who want to further develop the diverse landscape of student engagement with their projects.
Elaine is currently studying for a Bachelor's degree in Sociology and Economics at the University of Zurich and has been co-leader of the VSUZH Impulsfabrik since June 2022. She is committed to emancipatory education and, in addition to the Impulsfabrik, is on the board of Plural Economics Zurich and Climatestrike Switzerland.
Volunteering has been an integral part of Elaine's life since middle school. She has initiated projects with refugees and co-organised and carried out actions around the climate crisis. In terms of university politics, she is involved in the student initiative Plural Economics Zurich and is responsible for networking. She would like to pass on these experiences in her work for Impulsfabrik and support other students wherever possible to become active themselves. Because student engagement is a precious enrichment for everyday university life.
Chiara Wooldridge befindet sich im Bachelorstudium der Informatik (Software Systeme) und Sozialwissenschaften (Geschichte, Gesellschaft, Politik) an der Universität Zürich und ist seit Juni 2024 Co-Leiterin der VSUZH Impulsfabrik. Sie setzt sich für eine moderne und inklusive Sozialpolitik ein und engagiert sich neben der Impulsfabrik im Vorstand des Informatikfachvereins (ICU) und der Una Europa Local Task Force UZH. Neben dem Studium ist sie auch in der Organisation GirlsCodeToo aktiv, um jungen Mädchen das Programmieren und die Technologie näherzubringen.
Bildungspolitik und soziales Engagement waren schon immer ein wichtiger Teil von Chiaras Leben. Sie war während ihrer gesamten Bildungszeit bereits in der Hochschulpolitik aktiv, um die Bildung gerechter und transparenter zu gestalten und mehr Mitsprache der Studierenden zu erreichen. Diese Erfahrungen möchte sie in ihrer Arbeit in der Impulsfabrik weitergeben, um andere Studierende in ihrem Engagement zu unterstützen, wo immer es möglich ist. Denn studentisches Engagement ist eine wertvolle Bereicherung für den Unialltag und sollte kein Privileg sein.