Reinforcing Switzerland’s education and innovation through additional investments
Zurich, 25.09.2015 - The ETH Board is very apprehensive about the fact that the Confederation’s current debates on financial policy are increasingly resulting in substantial cuts of funds for education and research and that further considerable cuts are being planned – and this particularly in the ETH Domain, which with the two Federal Institutes of Technology and the four research institutes PSI, Empa, WSL and Eawag makes a crucial contribution to this country’s excellent education and its globally leading innovative power. In view of the future challenges to be faced by Switzerland as a centre of knowledge and work, what is necessary instead are additional investments in tertiary education and public research.
At its meeting of 23/24 September 2015, the ETH Board focused in detail on the financial planning for the ETH Domain. Besides other appointment items on the agenda, it appointed Professor Ulrich Weidmann as a new member of the ETH Zurich’s Executive Board and Dr Alex Dommann as a new member of Empa’s General Management. In the context of its supervision and controlling activities, the ETH Board also discussed issues including the risk management incumbent on the ETH Board and the six institutions of the ETH Domain.
ETH Board worried about cost-cutting measures in education and research
In its Strategic Plan 2017-2020 the ETH Board set the future strategic priorities for the ETH Domain, including the financial requirements for university education and research. In this respect, the ETH Domain will continue to depend on assured long-term annual growth in financial resources: student numbers at ETH Zurich and EPFL are increasing further, and both Federal Institutes of Technology are still unable to satisfy the Swiss economy’s great demand for young graduates in natural sciences and technology adequately. Furthermore, increasingly fiercer international competition dictates that Switzerland’s innovative power must be decidedly reinforced and investments be made in research infrastructures.
The ETH Board is very apprehensive about the fact that cost-cutting measures already taken and additionally planned by the Confederation also affect education and research, and the ETH Domain in particular, to a considerable degree. In the current performance period of 2013-2016, the ETH Domain has already had to cope with cuts of approx. CHF 140 million. Further financial cuts could not be implemented without the extent and quality of the teaching and research performance of the two Federal Institutes of Technology and the four research institutes being severely impaired.
The ETH Board understands the fiscally based need to reduce burdens on the federal budget. Considering the economic and political uncertainties for Switzerland as a centre of knowledge and work, and in view of the significance of the ETH Domain as an innovation engine for Switzerland, the
ETH Board is firmly of the opinion, however, that further cost-cutting measures must under no circumstances be taken at the expense of education, research and innovation in Switzerland.
New degree course in medicine: the ETH Board supports the universities’ initiative
The ETH Board maintains that additional, targeted investments and trail-blazing projects are urgently required for the benefit of Switzerland’s university education and innovative power. This is exemplified by the new degree course in medicine planned by ETH Zurich and the Universities of Basel, Zurich and Italian-speaking Switzerland (USI). ETH Zurich would offer a new undergraduate course for about 100 medical students who would then obtain their Master’s degree from one of the partner universities.
The ETH Board supports this unique joint project pursued by ETH Zurich and the cantonal universities. The ETH Domain already has a wealth of knowledge in medical research and medical technology and will be able to make a valuable contribution towards this additional degree course, which meets the requirements of modern medicine. The ETH Board will therefore also make an effort to ensure that the adaptation of admission regulations required for this degree course can take place in the context of the planned revision of the ETH Act.
Appointments to executive posts at ETH Zurich and Empa; further appointments
At ETH Zurich, Professor Roman Boutellier, member of the five-strong ETH Executive Board and Vice-President for Human Resources and Infrastructure, will retire at the end of 2015. In his seven years on the Executive Board, he made crucial contributions to strengthen the ETH in the strategically central areas of real estate, personnel and IT infrastructure and to extend its position as a top international university. Among other things, Roman Boutellier expedited the extension of the Hönggerberg premises and was instrumental in the development of the university quarter in the centre of Zurich into a hub for university medicine, in the construction and extension of the Swiss National Supercomputing Centre (CSCS) in Lugano and in the creation of the future Swiss Innovation Park in Dübendorf.
On application of the President of ETH Zurich, Professor Lino Guzzella, the ETH Board appointed Professor Ulrich Weidmann (*1963) to succeed Roman Boutellier as the new member of the ETH Executive Board as from 1 January 2016. Ulrich Weidmann has been Head of the Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering since 2013 and had previously been Deputy Head of that Department for four years. He has been Full Professor of Transport Systems at ETH Zurich since 1 June 2004 and has since been involved in the fields of railway regulation and infrastructure development as an expert, also extramurally. In addition, he has made himself available for management functions ever since he took up his position, thus as Director of the Institute for Transport Planning and Systems and on the executive board of Network City and Landscape.
On application of the Director of Empa, Professor Gian-Luca Bona, the ETH Board appointed Dr Alex Dommann (*1958) as the new member of the General Management as from 1 October 2015. Since summer 2013, Alex Dommann has been Head of the Materials meet Life Department and of the Health and Performance Research Focus Area, and he has successfully set up and established the new Center for X-ray Analytics. Besides his professional experience, Alex Dommann brings with him a great network of contacts with industry which he built up in leading positions in institutions such as the Centre Suisse d'Electronique et Microtechnique CSEM, thus strengthening Empa’s position in the field of knowledge and technology transfer.
Furthermore, the ETH Board appointed Kurt Zurbuchen from ETH Zurich as the new employers’ representative on the Parity Commission of the ETH Domain’s Pension Scheme to succeed Piero Cereghetti, who retired from this post.
For the appointments of professors, see the ETH Board’s separate press release(publication on 25 September 2015 at approx. 2 p.m.).
Address for enquiries
Alex Biscaro
Head of Communication of the ETH Board
CH-8092 Zürich
alex.biscaro@ethrat.ch
+41 44 632 20 03
Publisher
Board of the Swiss Federal Institutes of Technology
https://www.ethrat.ch/en
