The BFI-Botschaft / message FRI / messaggio ERI has been defined on 25 February 2016 by the Federal Council. According to the government, in the next four years investments in research and education shall grow 2%, which is significantly less than in the previous period. This is stated in the federal message on education, research and innovation policy for the years 2017-2010 (BFI-Botschaft), which was passed on 24th February. Back in November 2015, in the course of the stabilisation programm for the national finances 2017-2019 which is currently being negotiated, growth in investments had already been reduced from 3.2 to 2.2 %. According to a response by swissuniversities, the Swiss National Science Foundation, the ETHs and the Swiss Academies of Arts and Sciences this puts the role of Switzerland in the area of research, education and innovation into jeopardy at a moment in time in which the country threatens to lose its access to European research programmes. The total budget projected for research and education amounts to 26 billion CHF. Continue reading The federal message on education, research and innovation policy has been published
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actionuni warns against admission of the “Durchsetzungsinitiative”
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)
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
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
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.
Delegation of actionuni at the SNSF “Panel on Academic Careers in Science”
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
actionuni nimmt zuhanden des SBFI Stellung zum “Bundesgesetz über die Schweizerische Agentur für Innovationsförderung (Innosuisse-Gesetz, SAFIG)”
Vernehmlassung internationale Zusammenarbeit
actionuni nimmt zuhanden des SBFI Stellung zur “Verordnung über die internationale Zusammenarbeit im Bereich der Bildung, der Berufsbildung, der Jugend und der Mobilitätsförderung”
actionuni fordert die Annahme der Motion „Förderung des wissenschaftlichen Nachwuchses in der Schweiz“
Der Dachverband der Schweizer Mittelbauvertretungen actionuni der Schweizer Mittelbau fordert die Annahme der Motion WBK-N 15.3000 „Förderung des wissenschaftlichen Nachwuchses in der Schweiz“, die am kommenden Montag im Nationalrat behandelt wird.
actionuni der Schweizer Mittelbau erachtet den Bericht des Bundesrates “Massnahmen zur Förderung des wissenschaftlichen Nachwuchses in der Schweiz” vom 28. Mai 2014 als überaus wichtig, vor allem aufgrund der geforderten Massnahmen. Es fallen jedoch zu wenige der Massnahmen in die Zuständigkeit des Bundes. Continue reading actionuni fordert die Annahme der Motion „Förderung des wissenschaftlichen Nachwuchses in der Schweiz“