13.05.2025SwissRepro Launch Event

To launch our network, we invite all Swiss-based repro scholars to a one-day conference in Zurich, on the 13th of May 2025. To register click here!

The aim of the SwissRepro Launch Event is twofold:

• reflect on the past, present, and future of reproductive studies, with contributions from our two keynote speakers Prof. Marcia Inhorn and Prof. Sarah Franklin
• showcase current research projects in Switzerland and allow reproductive scholars to meet and network.

Marcia C. Inhorn, PhD, MPH, is the William K. Lanman, Jr. Professor of Anthropology and International Affairs at Yale University, where she also chairs the Council on Middle East Studies. A leading authority in reproduction studies, Inhorn’s pioneering work over the past 35 years has focused on the social, cultural, and ethical dimensions of infertility and assisted reproductive technologies (ART) in the Middle East and among Arab diasporas. Her extensive ethnographic research in countries such as Egypt, Lebanon, the United Arab Emirates, and the U.S. has illuminated the impact of ART on gender, religion, and health in these regions.

Sarah Franklin, PhD, is a Professor of Sociology at the University of Cambridge, where she holds a leading role in the field of reproduction studies. A distinguished scholar of feminist science studies, Franklin is internationally recognized for her pioneering research on the social, cultural, and ethical implications of reproductive and genetic technologies. Her work has significantly shaped the understanding of how technologies like in vitro fertilization (IVF), cloning, and stem cell research have transformed concepts of kinship, gender, and biology.

Organised by:

• Dr. Edmée Ballif
• Dr. Molly Fitzpatrick

Supported by:

• Prof. Annuska Derks (Department of Social Anthropology and Cultural Studies & URPP Human Reproduction Reloaded, University of Zurich)
• Prof. Dr. Nina Jakoby (URPP Human Reproduction Reloaded, University of Zurich)
• Prof. Alice Margaria (Faculty of Law & URPP Human Reproduction Reloaded, University of Zurich)
• Anina Meier (Department of Social Anthropology and Cultural Studies & URPP Human Reproduction Reloaded, University of Zurich)
• Prof. Marta Roca i Escoda (Center for Gender Studies, University of Lausanne)
• Prof. Caroline Rusterholz (Department of Contemporary History, University of Fribourg)

The conference is co-hosted by the URPP Human Reproduction Reloaded and the Department of Social Anthropology (ISEK) at the University of Zurich.

• Date: 13th May 2024
• Time: approximately 8:30 am to 5:00 pm.
• Place: Rämistrasse 59, in the Aula RAA-G-01, University of Zurich
• Language: The conference will be held in English to facilitate exchanges.
   

Conference attendance
Attendance to the conference is free but all participants must register here.

Submit a short presentation proposal
Participants may propose a short presentation, either individually or as a team.

Short presentations are an opportunity to present your latest research project and introduce yourself to SwissRepro members. Each speaker will have a 7-minute slot to present their research profile, followed by 3 minutes for Q&A.

Please note that for team presentations, one speaker must be chosen to present the whole research team.

Applications are welcome from researchers based at Swiss universities and universities of applied sciences (Hochschulen / Hautes Ecoles). If you are based abroad but have strong links with Swiss academia (e.g., currently on academic mobility abroad), please feel free to apply as well.

Application process
Short presentation proposals must be sent to the conference email address swissrepro@humanreproduction.uzh.ch by 30th November 2024.

Proposals consist of:

• Name of the speaker and affiliation
• Speaker’s institute/department and university
• Speaker’s career stage (PhD student, postdoc, professor, etc.)
• In case of a team presentation: name(s) of other researchers and their affiliation
• A paragraph of max. 200 words describing your approach, research areas and future research directions.

Proposals will be reviewed by the organizing committee. We will strive to ensure that a variety of research topics, disciplines, linguistic regions and career stage are represented among the selected speakers.