CV
David Loher, Social Anthropologist PhD
Education
CAS in Higher Education2020 University of Bern
PhD in Social Anthropology2016 University of Bern
M.A. in Social Anthropology2010 University of Bern Major in Anthropology of Transnationalism and the State, Minor in Philosophy
B.A. in Social Anthropology2007 University of Bern Major in Social Anthropology, Minor in Philosophy
Teaching Diploma 2002 University of Teacher Education Rorschach
Before I was an academic, I was a teacher. Between 1996 and 2002, I studied at the University of Teacher Education in Rorschach. In 2003, a year after my graduation with a teaching diploma for elementary schools, I started my B.A. studies in social anthropology (major) and philosophy (minor) at the University of Bern. In 2007, I began my M.A. studies in social anthropology (major) and philosophy (minor) with an Erasmus study year at the Humboldt University Berlin and took additional courses in philosophy at the Freie Universität Berlin. In 2013 and 2014, during my fieldwork in Tunisia for my PhD studies (2012 - 2016), I was an affiliated researcher at the IRMC (Institut de Recherche sur le Maghreb Contemporain) in Tunis.
Work Experience
Since 2021, Expert in Higher Education Development. As an expert in higher education development at the HSLU Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and the Arts I am teaching courses in higher eduaction. In collaboration with the individual departments, I am involved in projects on higher education development, and I am working as a coach for lecturers to collaboratively explore novel approaches to further developing their teaching.
Since 2021, Associated Researcher. As an associated researcher at the Institute of Social Anthropology at the University of Bern, I am working on the research project ‘Creeping Death. Asbestos Victims and the Allocation of Moral and Legal Responsibility in the Aftermath of an Industrial Disaster’. In addition, I am the co-editor of TSANTSA, the journal of the Swiss Anthropological Association SAA.
Since 2011, Lectureships. Since ten years, I have been teaching at various universities and universities of applied sciences. In addition to my regular teaching at the University of Bern, I gave seminars and lectures at the University of Fribourg (2018, 2020), the University of Vienna (2019 Creole Teaching Exchange), the AMU University Poznan (2019 Creole Teaching Exchange), the HSLU Lucerne (2015, 2016), and at the PH Bern (2011, 2012, 2013)
2016 - 2020, Post-Doc Researcher and Lecturer. Between October 2016 and December 2020, I was a Post-Doc researcher and lecturer at the Institute of Social Anthropology, University of Bern. I taught introductory courses in anthropological theory, the history of anthropology, and methods courses, as well as seminars related to my research topics in the anthropology of transnational mobility, the anthropology of the state, and legal anthropology.
2007 - 2017, Freelance Journalist. As a freelance journalist, I covered the contemporary music scene with a particular focus on jazz and improvised music. I published for the Berner Zeitung, the Wochenzeitung WoZ, Neue Wege, Jazz’n’More, and Saiten.
2012 - 2016, Research Associate. During my PhD studies, I was employed as a research associate at the Institute of Social Anthropology at the University of Bern. In the SNSF funded project “How does border ‘occur?’”, I did field work in Tunisia, Switzerland, and Italy, studying the transnational migration trajectories of Tunisan harragas and the return migration bureaucracy.
2012/2011/2010, Co-director Insieme Summer Camp. During three summer breaks, I co-organised a summer camp for children with special needs in Einsiedeln SZ and the Engadin for Insieme Lucerne. Together with my co-director, I was responsible for the pedagogical organisation, and the management of a team of volunteers and community service workers.
2010 - 2011, Research Associate. As a research associate at the Institute of Social Anthropology at the University of Bern, I did research for the development of the research project application “How does border occur?”. This included the identification and review of the relevant literature in the relevant field of research, document research, and the establishment of research contacts for fieldwork.
2008 - 2011, Refugee Relief Agency Representative. In parallel to my master studies in social anthropology, I worked as a refugee relief agency representative for EPER/ HEKS Lausanne. In this function, I observed asylum interviews in French and German at the State Secretariat of Migration SEM, and wrote reports on behalf of the EPER.
2008 - 2009, Tutorial Assistant. In parallel to my master studies in social anthropology, I worked at the Institute of Social Anthropology at the University of Bern as a tutorial assistant.
2002 - 2006, Teacher in Elementary Schools. In parallel to my bachelor studies in social anthropology and philosophy, I taught at several elementary schools in Ebnat-Kappel SG, Freidorf-Watt TG, St. Gallen as a subsitute teacher. In addition, I was a substitute teacher at the Sonderschule für Kinder mit Wahrnehmungsstörungen (special education school for children with perceptual disorders) in St. Gallen.