Building the nextgeneration oflife-science leaders.
A year of 1:1 mentoring for doctoral researchers in Basel, across Industry, Entrepreneurship and Academia.
A great mentor sees strengths you can’t yet see, and possibilities you haven’t yet imagined.
It begins in the lab.
Doctoral researchers in Basel do excellent science. Where can it take them next?
A connection forms.
We pair them with senior mentors from industry. One conversation at a time, distance turns into direction.
Ideas find momentum.
Access, guidance, and real perspective on turning discovery into companies, and science into impact.
A network that lasts.
Mentees, mentors, and partners across borders, growing one lasting community.
From Freiburg to Basel, Switzerland’s science and talent hub.
AMI-CH grows out of Academia Meets Industry e.V., founded in Freiburg in 2017, and brings its mentoring model to Basel.
Founded in Freiburg
Academia Meets Industry e.V. begins.
Mentoring, year on year
A model refined cohort by cohort, and still running.
AMI-CH takes shape
The Swiss chapter is founded in Basel.
Swiss pilot starts
First Basel cohort begins.
Founded by pioneers.
In 2016, academia and industry joined forces to create a new master’s specialisation in Drug Development & Regulatory Affairs at the University of Freiburg, Germany. In late 2017 they founded Academia Meets Industry e.V. AMI-CH now carries that legacy into Switzerland.
Prof. Andreas Bechthold
Professor of Pharmaceutical Biology at Freiburg and winner of the Phoenix Pharmacy Science Prize; his lab hunts new antibiotics in nature. He brought the academic side to the idea behind AMI.
LinkedInProf. Hagen Pfundner
Chairman of the Management Board of Roche Germany Holding and honorary professor at Freiburg, after leadership roles at Roche across Europe and North America. He brought the industry side to the idea behind AMI.
LinkedInDr. Friederike Zahm
Over 25 years in the pharmaceutical industry, in leading positions in clinical development and global marketing at Roche. She helped build the master’s programme and represents the pharma industry on the AMI board.
LinkedInProf. Helmut Laaff
Founder of Germany’s leading dermatohistology and molecular-pathology institute, honorary professor at Freiburg, molecular-diagnostics entrepreneur, and a climber of the Seven Summits.
LinkedInFounding members: Prof. Andreas Bechthold · Prof. Hagen Pfundner · Prof. Helmut Laaff · Dr. Friederike Zahm · Dr. Ralf D. Hess · Dr. Jürgen Regenold · Dr. Dieter Russmann · Dr. Gabriele Weitnauer.
A proven model, meeting its moment.
Basel is where the future of medicine takes shape. AMI-CH makes sure the next generation is in that room.
A refined model
Shaped over years in Freiburg, and ready to scale.
The pilot starts
The Swiss pilot begins in Basel.
The right place
Europe’s densest square mile of life science.
AMI-CH opens doors.
One community, one mentor, one year of real access. AMI-CH pairs each doctoral researcher with a senior mentor for twelve months, in the track that fits where they want to go next.
Industry
Careers in pharma, biotech and MedTech.
Entrepreneurship
Founders and venture, turning discovery into a company.
Academia
Science and group leadership, the path to running your own research group.
tracks
Industry · Entrepreneurship · Academia
months
of close, personal mentoring
throughout
individual guidance, all year
A year of mentorship, built around you.
Five steps over twelve months. Your mentor is an honest sounding board for your next step, in industry, entrepreneurship or academia.
Cycle starts
Late February 2027. You meet your mentor and agree on one page what you want from the year. What you discuss stays between you.
Personal 1:1s
About once a month: twelve meetings across the year, in person or online. A mid-term review at month six checks that the goals still fit.
AMI-CH summit
15 March 2027. Working theme: “Better models, better medicines: when will patients feel the difference?” Attendance is optional. A place is held for every pair.
Cohort events
In planning: skills workshops and a company visit in Basel, together with the other mentees.
Final session
February 2028. Each pair looks back, gives feedback and passes on what they learned.
The mentee sets the agenda.
One mentee, one mentor, twelve months. What each side can expect, and the few rules that apply to everyone.
The mentee
Owns the relationship. Proposes dates, sets the agenda, formulates the goals, prepares and follows up.
The mentor
Listens, challenges, shares experience and opens doors where it is natural to do so. A sounding board, not a decision-maker. Taking the initiative is welcome, it is simply not expected.
AMI-CH
Matches the pair, sends out the guidelines, organises the events, checks in at mid-term and at the end, and is the point of contact if anything goes wrong.
What it is not
The rules that apply to everyone
From call to first meeting.
Open to doctoral researchers at the Biozentrum and the Pharmazentrum, University of Basel. AMI-CH draws up a shortlist, and each mentor then chooses their mentee from it.
Call opens
Applications close
AMI-CH shortlists
Mentors choose
Cycle starts
The people who open doors.
Senior leaders from industry, entrepreneurship and academia, each giving one doctoral researcher a year of their time. Individual mentor profiles will follow here.
Industry
- Manufacturing and supply chain
- Market access and health policy
- R&D finance and portfolio strategy
- Clinical pharmacology and translational science
- Translation and industry partnerships
- Drug product development
- Executive leadership
Entrepreneurship
- Founding and scaling biotech companies
- MedTech market access and partnering
- AI start-ups and board work
Academia
- Professor, Biozentrum, University of Basel
- Professor, Pharmazentrum, University of Basel
Mentoring at AMI-CH is voluntary and unpaid. Mentors are never asked to offer internships, positions or referrals.
We help the next generation find their path, and their people.
The values behind how we mentor, connect, and grow, together.
Curiosity & courage
We chase good questions and back bold moves.
Open & honest
We speak plainly and listen properly.
Better together
We grow people by connecting them.
Many minds
Different backgrounds make for sharper thinking.
Humble
Confident, never arrogant, always learning.
Pay it forward
Every mentee becomes a future mentor.
The team.
A committed founding team, anchored in an established cross-border non-profit.
Robin Teufel
Professor, Pharmaceutical Biology, University of Basel.
LinkedInLukas Beckert
PhD Student, Biozentrum (University of Basel) and Swiss Nanoscience Institute.
LinkedInFoundations
Year-one ambition
Basel first. Switzerland next. Europe in our sights.
Pilot in Basel
Biozentrum & Pharmazentrum.
Switzerland-wide
Multi-cohort, multi-track.
European network
Across the Upper Rhine and beyond.
A lasting community where the next generation of leaders, founders, and bridge-builders thrive.
Build it with us.
Doctoral researchers at the Biozentrum and the Pharmazentrum can apply when the call opens in December 2026. Experienced people and organisations can help in four ways.
Mentor
Guide one scientist for a year.
Partner
Open doors across the ecosystem.
Sponsor
Power a lasting community.
Host
Host a workshop, a site visit, or from cycle 2 a short in-company project.