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Martine Hennard Dutheil de la RochèreView profile

Associate Professor

• Angela Carter Studies
• Fairy Tale Studies
• Literary Translation
• +5 more

Martine Hennard Dutheil de la Rochère is Associate Professor of English and Comparative Literature at the University of Lausanne, Switzerland, affiliated with both the Department of English and the Interdisciplinary Center for Literary Studies. She previously served as Associate Dean of the Humanities and maintains an active research profile in literary studies. Her research focuses on Angela Carter , fairy tale traditions from antiquity to the present, and literary translation (theory, practice, reception), with particular attention to the interplay between translation and individual creation. She has published extensively on authors including Dickens, Conrad, Nabokov, Rushdie, and Carter, exploring how literary traditions evolve across cultural boundaries. Her scholarly work demonstrates consistent engagement with interdisciplinary approaches, connecting literary analysis with cultural studies, gender theory, and translation studies. Her publications reveal evolving interests from postcolonial literature (particularly Salman Rushdie) toward fairy tale studies and Angela Carter's translational practices. Scientific distinctions: Doctorat Honoris Causa from the University of Angers (2019) Prix de Faculté for doctoral thesis from University of Lausanne (1998) She serves as an international corresponding member for the BCLA (British Comparative Literature Association), sits on the Advisory Boards of the Chichester Center for Fairy Tales, Fantasy and Speculative Fiction and the Angela Carter Society, and is a member of scientific committees including Palimpsestes. She also serves as reader for international peer-reviewed journals (JSSE, Palimpsestes, Marvels & Tales) and literary translation juries.

Gesine KrügerView profile

Professor

• African History
• Colonial History
• Visual History and Photography
• +5 more

Prof. Dr. Gesine Krüger is a distinguished Professor of History at the Department of History, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, University of Zurich. She serves as Chair holder with her office located at Karl Schmid-Strasse 4, CH-8006 Zürich. Her academic profile reflects deep engagement with African history, colonial studies, visual culture, and decolonization methodologies. Her research interests span African history with particular focus on South Africa and Tanzania, colonial history, visual history and photography, gender studies, art history, and decolonization studies. Krüger's work demonstrates how historical methodology can be applied to contemporary issues of representation, memory, and knowledge production. Her recent research has centered on the SNF-funded project 'Objekt – Text – Bild. Verflochtene Wissensproduktion in Hans Himmelhebers Archiv zwischen Kunst Afrikas, Ethnologie und globalem Markt,' which resulted in the 'Look Closer' exhibition at the Museum Rietberg (March-September 2023). This project explores how knowledge about artistic production in Africa emerges, examining the roles of African actors and perspectives in knowledge production. Her scholarly contributions include significant work on visual history, particularly regarding historical photographs in Tanzania, and critical examinations of colonial legacies in Swiss institutions as seen in the 'Blinde Flecken: Zürich und der Kolonialismus' project. Supervised Eliane Kurmann's award-winning dissertation 'Fotogeschichten und Geschichtsbilder. Zur Verwendung historischer Fotografien in Tansania' (2023) Supervised Gioia Jöhri's master's thesis that won the 2025 Annual Prize of the Swiss Social Archives Contributed to 'The Attentive Stranger. Mats Staub - Conversations & Long-Term Projects' (2025) Organized the international conference 'Reworking the Archives. Hans Himmelheber and African Artists' (April 2023) Professor Krüger actively contributes to public discourse through lectures, media appearances, and participation in academic events such as the Humanities Colloquium HS 25 with her lecture 'Un/seeing Race: Aesthetic, Experience and 'Thinking Style'' and the Right Livelihood Lecture where she introduced human rights defenders Fartuun Adan and Ilwad Elman.

Sylvia Bendel LarcherView profile

Lecturer

• Conversation Analysis
• Text Linguistics
• Discourse Analysis
• +7 more

Sylvia Bendel Larcher serves as a Lecturer at the Institute for Communication and Marketing within the School of Business at Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts. With appointments spanning multiple institutions including the University of Bern and University of Innsbruck, her academic career demonstrates deep expertise in linguistic analysis of professional communication. She maintains active research collaborations while contributing to editorial work at the Reformed Church of Uri since 2024. Her educational background includes a Dr. phil. from the University of Zurich and a PD Dr. habil. from the University of Bern, establishing her scholarly foundation in linguistic analysis. These qualifications support her extensive research in conversation patterns across various professional contexts. Bendel Larcher's research focuses on the intersection of linguistic theory and practical business communication. Her work examines conversation structures in agile teams, institutional discourse patterns, and historical advertising rhetoric. Recent publications reveal growing interest in technology-mediated communication, particularly how AI tools like ChatGPT interact with traditional linguistic analysis methods. She investigates how personality manifests in professional interactions and how communication quality can be systematically evaluated in organizational settings. Her 15 most recent publications demonstrate consistent output across multiple formats - books, journal articles, and conference presentations - with increasing attention to digital communication environments. The research shows evolution from traditional discourse analysis toward hybrid methodologies incorporating computational approaches while maintaining core linguistic principles. Her professional activities extend beyond academia to practical applications in organizational settings. She has served as Public Relations Officer for the Evangelical-Reformed Parish of Einsiedeln (2012-2016) and currently edits for the Reformed Church of Uri. Her work bridges theoretical linguistic research with real-world communication challenges in business and institutional contexts. Bendel Larcher leads several research initiatives including 'Videotaped professional practice for the business world,' 'Business book summary using natural language generation,' and 'Interaction profile and personality.' These projects reflect her commitment to applying linguistic analysis to contemporary business communication challenges while exploring the relationship between individual personality and professional discourse patterns.

Tom AvermaeteView profile

Professor

• Urban Design History
• Intercultural Urbanism
• Material Culture of Cities
• +4 more

Tom Avermaete serves as Professor of the History and Theory of Urban Design at ETH Zurich's Department of Architecture since 2018. His research investigates urban design through three interconnected lenses: cities as material culture, cross-cultural knowledge exchange beyond Euro-American paradigms, and urban development as a shared civic responsibility. His scholarly work centers on intercultural urbanism, examining how architects and planners operate across geographical and cultural boundaries. Key research strands include the historical development of urban commons, postcolonial urban histories (particularly in Africa), pandemic-era spatial adaptations, and alternative historiographic methods for global architectural history. His approach emphasizes the material dimensions of urban design while challenging Western-centric narratives. Avermaete's recent publications reveal consistent thematic clusters: pandemic urbanism (notably balcony studies), cross-cultural architectural exchanges (especially in postcolonial contexts), and reconceptualizing urban commons. His work frequently employs 'contact zone' theory to analyze knowledge transfer in global urban development, with significant focus on African and European case studies. As chair leader, he supervises research projects including 'Codes and Conventions for Future Zurich,' 'Exploring the Contact Zone,' and 'Building the Commons.' His team investigates qualitative densification strategies, historical urban models, and communal land use patterns across temporal and geographical contexts. Co-organized 'Transects through Alpine Water Landscapes' summer school (2020) Coordinated research studio on Zurich's land/water/green commons Developed 'Swiss Coloniality' research program examining knowledge circulation The chair functions as an international hub for critical urban studies, with members conducting fieldwork across Africa, Asia, and Europe while developing new methodologies for writing inclusive architectural histories that center non-Western perspectives and collective spatial practices.

• Visual Communication
• Data Visualization
• Storytelling
• +4 more

Samuel Frei serves as a Lecturer at the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts – School of Design, Film and Art, where he teaches Visual Communication and Data Visualization across Bachelor's and Master's programs including the Applied Information and Data Science and MA Design curricula. His academic journey began after a career shift from biology and finance, completing a Master's in Design in 2011 followed by dissertation research at University College Dublin's SMARTLab (2012-2020). His research focuses on the intersection of analog and digital media, particularly in immersive technologies (AR/MR/VR) , cultural heritage digitization , and data storytelling . Key projects include the Digital Storytelling Lab, ALE (UNESCO World Heritage mobile experiences), and IDN-Kommunale Energie-Transformation. His work consistently explores how mobile and immersive technologies transform learning in cultural institutions and tourism contexts. Frei's 2024-2022 publications reveal a strong trend toward geospatial data visualization in tourism, cultural heritage preservation through mixed realities , and participatory digital archiving , often involving Swiss parks, museums, and indigenous communities like Amazonian collectives. His work bridges technical development with human-centered design principles. Nomination for Swiss Design Prize 2017 (Research category) Best of Swiss App Award 2016 (2x Bronze for ALE project) As former coordinator (2013-2023) and director (4 years) of continuing education programs, he managed interdisciplinary collaborations with cultural institutions, nature conservation groups, and educational organizations. His current leadership of the Investigative Methods in Research Practice module (2025) demonstrates ongoing curriculum development. Frei also maintains professional practice as an illustrator and concept designer, applying research to real-world projects in conservation and cultural sectors. His Visual Narrative research group serves as the primary laboratory context, producing projects like the Digital Storytelling Lab and Virtuelles Museum that integrate mobile technologies, indigenous knowledge systems, and emerging AI/AR platforms for cultural engagement.

Monica GasparView profile

Lecturer

• Design Cultures
• Craft Theory
• Critical Design
• +7 more

Monica Gaspar is a Lecturer at Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts (HSLU), specifically within the Lucerne School of Design, Film and Art. She works as a lecturer in the BA Product Design program and serves as a mentor for BA thesis in product design (object, jewelry, textile, spatial) and supervisor for Master Research Thesis in Design. Her professional profile extends beyond academia as she is also an active freelance curator and author with international recognition. Universitat de Barcelona (Art History) Zurich University of the Arts (Cultural and Gender Studies) Escola Massana Barcelona (Jewelry Design) Academy of Fine Arts Vienna (Doctoral candidate) Gaspar's research focuses on redefining the "applied" as an experimental and socially relevant field of action. Her work explores design cultures, craftsmanship as critical practices, cultures of wearing (bodies, objects and identity), exhibitions as research devices, and intersectional and decolonial perspectives in design and art. She has developed a distinctive approach that bridges art, design, and activism through curated exhibitions and theoretical contributions. Her recent publications demonstrate a consistent trajectory exploring the intersections between material culture, critical theory, and social practice. Gaspar's work increasingly engages with decolonial perspectives, examining how design practices can challenge dominant narratives and power structures. She has developed innovative methodologies that position exhibitions themselves as research devices for investigating cultural interstices. Editorial Advisory Board Member, Journal for Jewellery Research (2017-present) Board Member, NDG Network for Design History (2019-present) Peer Reviewer, ICDHS International Committee for Design History and Design Studies (2018-present) Foundation Board Member, FHD Design History Foundation Barcelona (2016-present) Co-Convenor, DHS2021 Design History Society Annual Conference (2020) Gaspar has shaped teaching at the interface between theory and practice through collaborations with art and design universities across Scandinavia, England, the Netherlands, and the USA. Her research projects include "Accelerating the pursuit of the SDGs in Swiss design education: Design Action Labs" and "Craft Round Tables: Shaping of digital transformation of work environments through human-centered craft competences." She previously served as a research associate at the Institute for Theory at Zurich University of the Arts (2013-2016) for the research project "Aesthetic Practices."