The physics section The physics section

The Physics Section

The Physics Section at the University of Geneva provides a lively environment where students, lecturers and researchers meet on a daily basis and work closely together.

The level of research and teaching in the Physics Section is excellent, and is highly competitive in Switzerland, Europe and across the world. UNIGE is currently in 49th position worldwide (out of 20,000) in the University of Shanghai’s classification (2024), and the physics Section as a standalone is ranked in 15th place. Thanks to the outstanding quality of research at world level, the university offers a highly international and open environment, where the atmosphere is conducive to discussion and debate and generating innovative ideas. Our research priorities are centred around four main directions: theoretical physics, particle physics, quantum materials and quantum applications. 

As a leading university, the UNIGE and the Section are naturally very committed to their teaching mission. We are constantly adjusting and improving our methods and teaching to meet today's most demanding and innovative standards. The Section remains on a human scale with a particularly favourable student body ratio and a very available teaching staff. The Physics Students' Association is also very active and provides a dynamic environment for exchanges.

In today's society, which is becoming increasingly technological, it is essential that science be shared, especially in a country like Switzerland where the voice of every citizen counts in the political decisions and major orientations of the country. In 2007, the Physics Section therefore created a laboratory-theatre of scientific discovery, the Physiscope. The Athena programme, which allows post-compulsory secondary school students to discover student life by attending university courses and getting a head start on their studies, was also recently set up.