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actionuni meets with swissuniversities, VSS and swissfaculty

Events

Last week, three members of the board of actionuni were invited to a meeting with the new president of swissuniversities, Prof. Dr. Michael Hengartner, the secretary general and vice secretary general of swissuniversities, Dr. Martina Weiss and Dr. Sabine Felder, as well as representatives of VSS and swissfaculty.

We had an open brainstorming about topics that could be of common interest and should therefore be pursued jointly in the future. Moreover, we addressed the issue that actionuni is not represented in any of swissuniversities’ commitees .

The following important issues where we prospectively should work together were identified:

  • political statements
  • commitment for a Switzerlands integration into the European research and innovation area
  • exchange about career options for young researchers

actionuni warns against admission of the “Durchsetzungsinitiative”

Press release

Two years after the vote on immigration restriction, the Swiss Institutions of Higher Education warn against the consequences of the enforcement initiative, which will come to the vote on 28th February 2016. They publish a joint declaration dedicated to keeping Switzerland in the centre of a European environment of research and education.

swissuniversities warns against the dire consequences for Swiss education and research if the EU, in a worst case scenario, should make use of their option to cancel all bilateral agreements at once – among them the one that ensures scientific and technological cooperation. This would mean the definitive exclusion of Switzerland from the Horizon 2020 and Erasmus+ programmes. Continue reading actionuni warns against admission of the “Durchsetzungsinitiative” →

Annual meeting with representatives of the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF)

Events

In November 2015, a delegation of the board of actionuni met with representatives of SNSF. The very positive exchange focused on:

  • the impact of financial austerity in Switzerland on the funding of research,
  • access of researchers of Universities of Applied Sciences and Universities of Teacher Education to SNSF funding,
  • the future of academic careers,
  • permeability of SNSF funded and University funded career paths,
  • conditions of employment non-professorial academic staff
  • academic independence of non-professorial academic staff
  • funding of interdisciplinary research of non-professorial academic staff, and
  • the flexibility of SNSF-instruments for researcher with families.

Board of actionuni meets Dr. Martina Weiss, secretary general of swissuniversities

Events

In its November meeting, the board welcomed Dr. Martina Weiss, secretary general of swissuniversities. Mutual presentations and a discussion about a future institutionalized dialogue between actionuni and swissuniversities were the main points covered.

Feeback to the proposed changes in the Federal Act on the Federal Institutes of Technology

Position paper

actionuni welcomes the changes which aim at improving good governance. However, we question whether it is a good move to increase study fees for foreign students in the context of the currently open questions between Switzerland and the EU with respect to the free movement of people.

Vernehmlassungsantwort ETH-Gesetz

Delegation of actionuni at the SNSF “Panel on Academic Careers in Science”

Events

The board of actionuni sent a delegation to the SNSF “Panel on Academic Careers in Science” wich was held in Bern on 21 October 2015. Actionuni representative to the Schweizerische Hochschulkonferenz SHK, Dr. Ruth Lyck from the University of Berne, participated in the panel discussion.

Vernehmlassung Innosuisse

Position paper

actionuni nimmt zuhanden des SBFI Stellung zum “Bundesgesetz über die Schweizerische Agentur für Innovationsförderung (Innosuisse-Gesetz, SAFIG)”

Vernehmlassungsantwort Innosuisse

Vernehmlassung internationale Zusammenarbeit

Position paper

actionuni nimmt zuhanden des SBFI Stellung zur “Verordnung über die internationale Zusammenarbeit im Bereich der Bildung, der Berufsbildung, der Jugend und der Mobilitätsförderung”

Vernehmlassungsantwort internationale Zusammenarbeit