
The Atmosphere of the Collegium A Conversation with Huib Ernste
Huib Ernste is professor emeritus of Human Geography at Radboud University Nijmegen (NL) and was a senior fellow at the Collegium 2023–2024. His research interests encompass critical social theories as well as qualitative and quantitative methodologies in human geography. During his fellowship, Huib developed an interest in how the atmosphere at the Collegium is shaped by the people, their cultural backgrounds, and the building itself. To explore this, he conducted interviews with a number of fellows.
Why did you choose to investigate the atmosphere of the Collegium?
In my research, I’m interested in how places affect us emotionally and how we experience them. In other words, I’m looking at what places do to people and what people do with places. While the practical use of a place is one thing, its “atmosphere” is another. As a researcher, I’m also curious about what makes academic environments tick. So, the Collegium was a perfect chance to dive into what makes this academic hotspot work so well.
Can you explain what you mean by atmosphere?
Atmosphere is a concept coined by philosophers like Hermann Schmitz and Gernot Böhme. It describes not just the individual feelings of a person at a specific place, but the whole mix of different aspects: individual emotions and moods, as well as aesthetic qualities of the material setting, the cultural heritage of the place and background of the people using it, and the role of the social interactions happening there.
“The whole building and place is perceived as an oasis within the dense university district of Zurich.”
Does the atmosphere at the Collegium differ from other academic places?
Yes, most fellows stated that there is a huge difference. Again, maybe not functionally but mainly atmospherically. The Collegium is for example very special for its very multidisciplinary nature. You’ll often find that each fellow comes from a completely different field, rather than working with peers from the same discipline. At a regular university department, you might collaborate with colleagues from your own field, but there’s often also a bit of competition. At the Collegium, though, you interact with people from different disciplines who, even when asking tough questions, are respectful because they come from a different disciplinary background. This creates a very open atmosphere, which makes it easy to focus and be productive, while the uneasy questions also stimulate creativity and open new horizons.

“The open and friendly office of the director played a special role in setting the Collegium’s atmosphere.”
Is this the same for all fellows?
Every fellow enters the Collegium in a specific mood, which can affect how they experience the atmosphere. This can change from day to day or over the course of their fellowship. I interviewed one fellow who brought a tense, competitive mindset from their previous environment and found it difficult to adjust to the new environment in the beginning. Another fellow had a harder time accommodating to the atmosphere because of cultural differences from their home country. For both, their fellowship was still a horizon-widening experience.
This all seems to be about social relations and less about the place itself.
The iconic place of the former Observatory in which the Collegium is based is also part of the atmosphere. It is a beautiful place, but in comparison to regular university buildings, it has many unusual multi-purpose rooms, a roof terrace, and exhibition spaces. That provokes alternative ways of doing and thinking. The long spiral staircase climbing up to the main observatory had a strong symbolic meaning for most fellows. They associated it somehow with disorientation in the positive sense of the word. Also, the open and friendly office of the director of the Collegium, where many meetings among fellows took place, played a special role in setting the Collegium’s atmosphere. The whole building and place is perceived as an oasis within the dense university district of Zurich. The materiality and aesthetics of the place are not separable from the events and people inhabiting the building. The shared offices evoke an atmosphere of community. At the same time, the building allows moments of seclusion and concentration, like during a yoga session on the rooftop terrace, or in the library in the basement. Overall, the atmosphere at the Collegium is, therefore, a real assemblage of different atmospheres in different parts of the premises. The current style in which the Collegium is run, with its focus on academic freedom and respectful informality, stands out for all fellows as a very positive contribution to the good atmosphere at the Collegium.