Caroline Kuyper appointed CFO of EPFL
Berne/Zurich, 09.12.2016 - At EPFL, a woman was appointed the new Vice-President for Finances. In her capacity as CFO, Caroline Kuyper thus completes the team of President Designate Martin Vetterli. In 2016, nearly one in four of the professors to be appointed by the ETH Board were women. Thus the ETH Board nominated more women as professors this year than the average of the last five years.
Caroline Kuyper to become CFO of EPFL
Caroline Kuyper (born 1964) has been appointed CFO of EPFL, a post she will assume as EPFL Vice-President for Finances. Caroline Kuyper has an excellent knowledge of the fields of finance, strategy and controlling, as well as experience in the private sector and in public administration. She obtained a Master’s degree in Economics and Business Administration at the University of Lausanne. From 2003, she worked for Nestlé in strategic controlling in the fields of Nutrition and Waters, and in 2008 was promoted to Head of Finance and Administration of the Research and Development Department. In 2012, she became CFO of the International Olympic Committee and was responsible for the finances of the London Olympic Games. Subsequently she was a Deputy Director General of the Federal Statistical Office, where she headed Resources and International Affairs.
More appointments of women to professorships
In 2016, about one in four new professors appointed at the two Federal Institutes of Technology were women. Thus the proportion is higher than the average of the last five years. The ETH Board nominated 20 women as professors; this from among a total of 83 professorships. This is tantamount to a percentage of 24.1%. Among the full professors, the proportion of women even amounted to 31%, which is double the average values of 2010–2015. An increase in the proportion of women among professors remains one of the goals of the ETH Board.
Farewell to Patrick Aebischer and further board members
At its last meeting of 2016, the ETH Board bid farewell to four of its members. Besides the resigning EPFL President Patrick Aebischer, who joined the ETH Board in 2004, these members are Jasmin Staiblin, CEO of Alpiq, Markus Stauffacher, Delegate of the University Assemblies of ETH Zurich and EPFL, and Olivier Steimer, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Banque Cantonale Vaudoise. Further business dealt with by the ETH Board concerned the adoption of the development plans as well as the overall spatial and financial concepts of the institutions of the ETH Domain.
Bachelor in human medicine at ETH Zurich with limited admission
ETH Zurich and EPFL will participate in the Confederation’s special programme for human medicine for 2017–2020. In the autumn semester 2017, the pilot stage for bachelor studies in human medicine will start at ETH Zurich. In order to better tap the enormous potential of medicine, ETH Zurich will offer bachelor studies which will focus on natural-scientific and technological foundations and research. Partner universities are the Università della Svizzera italiana, the University of Zurich and the University of Basel. At the request of ETH Zurich, the ETH Board decided to limit admissions to bachelor studies in human medicine up to and including autumn semester 2023. A maximum of 100 students per year will be admitted. Admission will be contingent on candidates’ suitability.
EPFL for its part will reinforce cooperation in human medicine training with the Universities of Geneva and Lausanne. The aim is to extend the passerelle from the bachelor studies at EPFL to the master’s studies in human medicine at one of the two universities.
Affiliated professors
Selected personalities from research institutions at home and abroad can be employed as “affiliated professors” at one of the two Federal Institutes of Technology on the basis of an existing cooperation agreement. A new article in the ETH Professors’ Ordinance regulates the general conditions for the employment of affiliated professors. After approval of the amendment to the ETH’s Professors’ Ordinance by the Federal Council, the new regulation will enter into force on 1 March 2017. The enshrinement of affiliated professors in the ETH Professors’ Ordinance will enable the two Federal Institutes of Technology to cooperate with research institutions at home and abroad even more specifically and intensively in the future.
2017 salary pay: no general pay increase in the ETH Domain
The ETH Board’s pay negotiations with the social partners were concluded in November. The general financial conditions do not allow for a general pay rise for employees in the ETH Domain’s New Salary System. In view of the negative inflation of the current year, there will not be an allowance for annual inflation either. At an individual level, pay rises based on performance and experience remain possible.
Address for enquiries
Gian-Andri Casutt
Head of Communication of the ETH Board
Häldeliweg 15, CH-8092 Zurich
gian.casutt@ethrat.ch
+41 44 632 20 03
Publisher
Board of the Swiss Federal Institutes of Technology
https://www.ethrat.ch/en
