November 14 SBFI NEWS
SERI
Federal Commission for Scholarships
Examinations for the Federal and Advanced Federal PET Diploma
International cooperation in molecular biology Information from the State Information from for Education, Secretariat and Innovation SERI Research
1 Contents
In this issue
SERI comes together at a single site SERI takes up residence at Einsteinstrasse 2 in Bern 4
Federal Commission for Scholarships for Foreign Students Life-changing scholarships 0 5
Scholarships for the College of Europe and the European University Institute A long tradition of building bridges in Europe 8
Examinations for the Federal PET Diploma and Advanced Federal PET Diploma Established pathway enabling professionals to obtain tertiary-level qualifications 10
Apprenticeship market barometer Stabile situation on the apprenticeship market 13
Pilot project Validation of prior learning for VET and PET professionals 14
Making VET and PET qualifications clearer NQF VPET successfully launched 15
Subsidies for construction of university buildings Maison de la Paix as a location for education, research and promotion of peace 16
European research institutions 50 years of successful European cooperation in molecular biology 19
Active and Assisted Living (AAL) Forum 2014 in Bucharest Awards given to Swiss researchers 21
Annual Meeting of ERI Foreign Network Lively exchange of experiences and a source of inspiration 22
Title page: Up until now the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation has been located at two sites in Bern: Effingerstrasse 27 and Hallwylstrasse 4. As of 1 December all of the state secretariat's divisions can be found at Einsteinstrasse 2. Being located at a single site will make it easier for the different units to work together. Image: Federal Office for Buildings and Logistics
Publisher: State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation SERI Einsteinstrasse 2, 3003 Bern [email protected] www.sbfi.admin.ch Editors: Dani Duttweiler, Cécile Stäger, Martin Fischer Graphics: Thomas Lüthi Translations: Languages Services SERI, EAER, FCh Printer: FOBL Languages: ger and fr (print), en and it (electronic) ISSN 1661-4984
2 SERI NEWS l EDITORIAL
Skilled labour shortage
Dear reader,
The shortage of skilled labour is a much-discussed topic. There is (also) an expectation for education policy to come up with suitable measures. But what can it do to ensure that there are enough suitably trained workers in those industries and sectors affected?
The task of finding the right response is clearly not helped by the fact that realistic planning – how many and what kind of workers does the labour market of tomorrow need? – is entirely unrealistic in a globalised economy which finds itself in a state of perpetual change. Not that long ago the education system failed to produce any- where near enough banking specialists. Today, in light of the global (financial) crisis things already look rather different. In that respect, any kneejerk education policy measures would have come to nothing – it’s as well none were taken.
To take another example, a rigid steering system is in place in the field of medicine. However, given the shortage of doctors, the decision to restrict students in their choice of subject and place a limit on the number of trainees cannot be seen as a glorious chapter in our education policy.
But to come back to the bigger picture, the trend towards ever longer educational pathways is a significant factor. Particularly in terms of academic education, people aim to enter the world of work with the best possible qualifications. In doing so, they are willing to accept, whether consciously or subconsciously, that their flexibility doesn’t increase with age. It is here that education policy incentives to mitigate the shortage of skilled labour should be placed and indeed where greater encouragement and preference should be given to part-time programmes. Indeed, even in the Bolo- gna era, it is perhaps worth asking whether a full-time Master’s programme needs to be sacrosanct in all subjects.
Mauro Dell’Ambrogio State Secretary for Education, Research and Innovation
3 SERI NEWS l SERI
SERI comes together at a single site SERI takes up residence at Einsteinstrasse 2 in Bern
Up until now, the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation was housed at two different locations in Bern: Effingerstrasse 27 and Hallwylstrasse 4. It is now going to take up residence in a single building at Einsteinst- rasse 2 in Bern, and will be open for business at this new address from the beginning of December.
It is open Monday to Friday between 7.30 am and 3.15 pm and is also open to outside visitors; whether for lunch, a snack or just a coffee.
Einsteinstrasse 2 can be reached from the main railway station by taking the number 19 bus towards Elfenau, and getting off at Ka-We-De. The journey takes around 10 minutes.
A building from various periods The property has an interesting back- ground, which gives it special aesthetic character: it consists of a combination of four main wings, each from a different era, and each with a different architec- tural tone.
The building at Einsteinstrasse 2 is home to SERI, but also to the Commission for Technology and In- novation CTI, the Swiss Science and Innovation Council SSIC, the Office of the Price Supervisor, the The oldest section of the building dates Federal Bureau for Consumer Affairs and the Swiss University Conference. Images: Federal Office from around 1900. In the 1960s addi- for Buildings and Logistics tional wings were added forming a block around an inner courtyard. Both sections In the course of the restructuring of the Infrastructure of the building have been classed as be- former Federal Department of Economic The building will be home to a total of ing worthy of protection. In the 1990s Affairs into what is now the Federal De- around 400 staff. The main entrance of the building was extended again with partment of Economic Affairs, Education the five-storey building is on Einstein- the addition of a two-storey entrance and Research, the Federal Office of Pro- strasse. Adjacent tot the entrance is lobby, which has a crescent-shaped fessional Education and Technology was a wing with seven conference rooms, steel and glass structure opening onto merged with the State Secretariat for which can hold around 100 people. The the inner courtyard. In the course of the Education and Research, becoming the basement, which extends down three renovations carried out in 2008, in prep- State Secretariat for Education, Research floors, houses and Innovation SERI. the technical installations After the organisational merger it is now and storage time to bring everyone together at a sin- facilities, while gle site. As of 1 December all divisions the space un- of SERI can be found at Einsteinstrasse 2 der the roof of in Bern, which will make it easier for the the old section different units to work together. A num- of the building ber of other bodies will also be moving will house a li- in at the new address: the Commission brary. for Technology and Innovation CTI, the Swiss Science and Innovation Council The staff res- SSIC, the Office of the Price Supervisor, taurant ‘Lu- the Federal Bureau for Consumer Affairs minis’ can be and the Swiss University Conference found on the SUC. ground floor.
4 IN FOCUS SERI NEWS l SCHOLARSHIPS aration for the Swiss Financial Market styles from different periods, such as the Contact Supervisory Authority FINMA to move hundred-year-old panelled doors, the Markus Glauser, SERI in, the building’s operational and techni- fifty-year-old, decommissioned service Head, Logistics & Reception cal equipment was also upgraded. The lifts, the thirty-year-old light fittings in +41 58 464 96 02 building has an open-plan reception are the library reading room and the ten- [email protected] instead of an enclosed desk, and the res- year-old lights in the corridors. taurant open to staff and the public was Additional information located in the steel and glass structure. www.sbfi.admin.ch/E2_en Furthermore, a glass goods elevator was built in the courtyard to enable access to the lower floors. As such the building stands out due to its blend of different
Federal Commission for Scholarships for Foreign Students Life-changing scholarships
For more than 50 years, the federal government has allocated university research grants and art grants to young researchers and arts students from abroad to study at a higher education institution in Switzerland. In this interview Professor Jacques Moeschler, President of the Federal Commission for Scholarships for Foreign Students, explains the work of the Commission and the challenges it currently faces.
What do the Swiss Government Excel- didates from more than 180 countries. advantaged countries benefit greatly on lence Scholarships intend to achieve? We select candidates strictly on the basis their return home. We also know that Prof. Jacques Moeschler: The grants of academic and scientific merit, and we a third of scholarship holders remain in were introduced in 1961 as a tool to use assessment criteria and an applica- Switzerland, either to pursue their stud- establish and strengthen academic co- tion procedure which closely conform to ies or because they find work here, and operation between Switzerland and the international academic standards. that a further third goes abroad for the rest of the world. For many years, the same reasons. mission of the Commission was to se- The second characteristic of the govern- lect the best candidates. The aim was to ment scholarships is their easy acces- Can you give some concrete examples? help form elites which would contribute sibility: information about conditions Over the past 15 years I have been for- to the academic, economic and institu- and deadlines is available locally, and tunate enough to host about a dozen of tional development of their countries candidates can contact their local Swiss the Swiss Government Excellence Schol- of origin. Since 2012, the Commission’s embassy to submit an application which, arship holders. The vast majority of them mission has focused on young academ- if it satisfies the formal requirements, is returned to their country and found aca- ics, in particular providing scholarships forwarded to the Commission. Thirdly, demic posts. Three of them are now uni- to PhD students (up to three years) and this instrument provides grants to both versity professors – in Japan, Kenya and post-docs (one year). The Commission researchers and arts students from Serbia. It is perhaps a feature of my disci- hopes that by carefully selecting grant abroad. pline – which involves research and aca- recipients according to their scientific demic teaching (language sciences) – but potential it will be easier for these young Who are the scholarships aimed at, and one thing which scholarship holders have researchers to become well integrated in why? in common is their vocation to teach and their academic institution on their return The government scholarships are aimed conduct research at university level. The from Switzerland. at future academics, in the hope that discussions I have each year with our new they will have a better chance of finding scholarship holders confirm their enthu- How do the Swiss Government Excel- a position in the institutions of origin on siasm, earnestness and commitment to lence Scholarships differ from the vari- their return from Switzerland. We know their research and graduate studies. ous other exchange and academic mo- that this is not always the case, but bility instruments around? about a third of all scholarship holders How do you react to the argument that The main feature of this instrument is return within six months. More precise the scholarships actually only encourage that it focuses on any country, in any studies into scholarship holders at the a brain drain, especially from developing academic discipline, and seeks to sup- University of Zurich and ETH Zurich show countries into Switzerland and other in- port excellence, namely the best can- that the careers of students from less dustrialised nations?
5 IN FOCUS SERI NEWS l SCHOLARSHIPS
Prof. Jacques Moeschler, President Commission’s general secretariat. Each The greatest challenge short term will of the Federal Commission for year we process more than a thousand be continuing the mission of the Com- Scholarships for Foreign Scholars applications – that is to say, the mem- mission, but also communicating to the and Artists bers of the Commission, all from Swiss Swiss public that hosting international universities, each look at between 50 students is an honour for our coun- and 100 applications. It takes about half try and our institutions. Medium term, to one hour to read through one appli- I believe the main challenge will be to cation, so you can imagine how much disseminate information about the ex- time my colleagues invest – and I can- istence of the Commission throughout not praise them enough for their work. Swiss academia, where this instrument We also vote on the Federal Council’s is often unknown, although our repre- annual grant proposal and regularly dis- sentatives do an excellent job in raising cuss the selection criteria, the Commis- its profile in their own institutions. I also sion’s goals and mission, not forgetting think – and here I am talking about the our work in handling specific cases (we opportunities offered by the instrument host between 200 and 300 scholarship – that the Commission needs to react holders each year). This work is spread rapidly and respond to exceptional cir- Jacques Moeschler is professor of out over three sessions a year, held over cumstances, for example by supporting French at the Faculty of Humanities four days in total. candidates from countries which are of the University of Geneva (UNIGE). currently suffering from a turbulent do- Born in Biel, he studied at Neuchâ- The FCS secretariat is based in the In- mestic situation, for example Iraq, Syria, tel, and then spent time in the USA ternational Scholarships section at SERI. Libya or Mali. (Champaign-Urbana, UCLA, George- Working closely with the Swiss embassies town) and France (EHESS). Having and higher education institutions, the The result of the popular vote of 9 Feb- joined UNIGE as a lecturer in 1983, section is responsible for advertising the ruary 2014 directly affects academic he was made professor in 2012. He scholarships, processing candidates’ ap- exchanges between Switzerland and Eu- has been the university representa- plications , running the selection process rope. What are the short- and medium- tive on the FCS since 2008, and its and taking care of scholarship holders in term consequences for the Swiss Gov- president since 2012. He is the author Switzerland. The section is also in contact ernment Excellence Scholarship? of about thirty publications and more with foreign embassies in Switzerland. Short term, the Commission feared than 150 academic articles on French that there would be a domino effect semantics and usage. In your view, what is the Commission’s throughout the whole of the inter- role in terms of the internationalisation nationalisation support system. In my of higher education institutions in Swit- position as president of the Federal The figures I have just given show that this zerland? Commission for Scholarships for For- is not the case. You also just have to look The Swiss Government Excellence Schol- eign Students, I therefore wrote to Fed- at the current immigration figures for Swit- arship for Foreign Students is one of many eral Councillor Schneider-Ammann and zerland: most people entering Switzerland support instruments for foreign students, asked him to confirm that the Commis- come from European countries, and have but at the same time it is unique in the sion and its mission would continue to a high level of education and employment. world. For the main Swiss universities, exist, and to guarantee that holders of What we do is very different. We seek to which each year admit dozens of federal Swiss Government Excellence Scholar- provide the best post-graduate training to grant holders, but also for smaller insti- ships would continue to be able to study future academics, and if they manage to tutions, the scholarships in fact represent unhindered in Switzerland, regardless of find work in Switzerland or Europe, we just a very small number of the grants their country of origin. I received a posi- believe that we have helped these young awarded to international students. But tive response on both points, at least up people with such strong potential in their the Swiss Government Excellence Schol- to 2017 on the second point. However, career, whether it be academic or non- arships, as their name suggests, are for the Federal Council has set up a working academic. An institution such as the FCS outstanding students, and generally bring group on the matter, and at the moment can only operate if it is convinced that the holders a major advantage. I should there is every reason to believe that the education and training at a high level are of course mention that some former grant system for foreign students will necessary to create a better, more just and scholarship holders have had remarkable not change. equal society. careers, in particular political ones, such as the former president of the European And finally, do you have any specific ad- What are the tasks of the Federal Com- Commission, José Manuel Barroso. vice for someone interested in applying mission for Scholarships for Foreign Stu- for a government scholarship? dents? In future, what will be the greatest chal- They should a have a project, not sim- Our main job is to consider candidates’ lenges and the biggest opportunities ply a short-term one, but one which will scholarship applications which are sent facing the Swiss Government Excellence have an impact on their life – profession- by the Swiss embassies abroad to the Scholarship instrument? ally, intellectually and personally. When
6 IN FOCUS SERI NEWS l SCHOLARSHIPS
Portrait: The FCS – Federal Com- Contact “An excellent programme which helps mission for Scholarships for For- Prof. Jacques Moeschler, to create unique links with countries eign Scholars and Artists FCS president which may not otherwise be involved in The FCS is an extra-parliamentary +41 22 379 70 30 our science cooperation programmes.” federal commission. [email protected] It was set up in 1961 with two Prof. Philippe Renaud, FCS Delegate, target groups: young researchers Walter Grossenbacher-Mansuy, SERI University of Bern and artists. International Scholarships for Higher Scholarships are offered to young Education, SERI researchers in 184 countries and to +41 058 463 26 75 “They are no doubt of huge value to artists in 24 different countries, in [email protected] the scholarship holders, who can come close cooperation with the Federal to study in Switzerland, build up a port- Department of Foreign Affairs FDFA. folio and benefit from conditions favo- 1961-2014: 7926 young people Additional information urable to their professional future. But received scholarships. besides this, Swiss universities receiving In 2010 264 scholarships were www.sbfi.admin.ch/scholarships_ENG the international students can develop awarded; 2011: 265, 2012: 320, their own interesting networks. I there- 2013: 256, 2014: 185. Report “Brain drain or brain circulation? fore believe this programme to be of There are four types of scholarship: Career paths of international students. great benefit both to the international master (only for artists since 2013) Swiss scholarships for international stu- students and to Swiss universities.” (2013-2014: 22); research intern- dents at ETH Zurich and the University ship (77); PhD (69); postdoc (88) of Zurich”. Authors: Emma Lindberg, Prof. David Giauque, EFCS Delegate, CHF 9.3 million was available for Parijat Chakrabarti, Susan Thieme, 2014 University of Lausanne the year 2014. www.sbfi.admin.ch/brain_drain
Twitter: @Swiss_FCS “They give good students the opportu- we select the students for scholarships, nity to gain research experience inde- we know that their lives are going to FCS-Alumni network (being set up from pendent of their social, ethnic or reli- change. We hope that we make the best 2015): gious origins.” possible choices – it is our job to do so http://linkd.in/13oXDwT – but that can only happen if the appli- Prof. François Avellan, FCS Delegate, cants are motivated by a strong desire EPF Lausanne to come to Switzerland, are able to han- dle set-backs and are convinced that the “FCS scholarships are an excellent inst- project they submit is not only going to rument to encourage promising young change their lives but also those of the researchers with limited funds. The ins- people who host them. trument has been tried and tested over 50 years.”
Prof. Thierry Volery, FCS Delegate, Uni- versity of St. Gallen (HSG)
Number of FCS scholarship holders by university, 2013 FCS scholarships awarded 2013-2014 by discipline (in %) (excl. art grants)
University of Geneva 48 Economic Sciences 4% ETH Zurich 37 Law 5% University of Zurich 35 Art 7% University of Bern 30
University of Basel 28 Natural Sciences 32% Medicine and University of Lausanne 25 Pharmacy 13% EPF Lausanne 19
University of Freiburg 13 USI Università della 7 Svizzera italiana Humanities and Engineering 17% Social Sciences 22% University of St. Gallen (HSG) 7 University of Neuenburg 7
0 10 20 30 40 50
Source: ESKAS+, 2014
7 SERI NEWS l SCHOLARSHIPS
Scholarships for the College of Europe and the European University Institute A long tradition of building bridges in Europe
For many years, Switzerland has been linked to two renowned European institutions: the College of Europe in Bruges and Natolin (Warsaw) and the European University Institute in Florence. Through the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI), Switzerland offers several scholarships to young Swiss students wishing to study there. Both institutions have an outstanding reputation and are considered as bridge-builders in Europe.
European cooperation in the area of which ensures a very rich multicultural economics, law, political and social sci- education and research is a response to experience. The College of Europe has ences, or history but also to students in the needs of specialists in the field of a vast network that students are able other disciplines. The main criteria are European affairs. It enables the Swiss to to benefit from both during their stud- that they have good academic grades become more familiar with the develop- ies as well as afterwards through a and a strong interest in European af- ment and functioning of the European very active alumni association. A large fairs. On completing the programme, Union while at the same time allowing number of distinguished figures have students obtain a "Master of Arts in Eu- future decision-makers in Europe to be- attended this programme, including ropean Interdisciplinary Studies”. come more aware of the specifics of the Yves Rossier, Swiss State Secretary of Swiss position. These links are vital for a Foreign Affairs. The European University Institute in mutual understanding of interests. Florence Applications have to be submitted in the The College of Europe in Bruges and month of January preceding the start Natolin (Warsaw) of the academic year in September. A selection committee, comprised of one professor from the College of Europe, two professors from Swiss universities, one representative from SERI and one representative from the FDFA’s Directo- rate for European Affairs (DEA), meets once a year in Bern to hold interviews The European University Institute (EUI) with shortlisted Swiss candidates. The is a prestigious international organisa- decisive criteria are research expertise, tion that offers postgraduate study pro- The College of Europe is a bilingual motivation and mastery of languages. grammes in political and social science, (French-English) post-university edu- economics, law, history and civilisation. cation institution specialised in Euro- In Bruges, academic programmes are It also conducts research with a total pean affairs. It was founded in Bruges built around four European studies de- staff of some 580 young researchers (Belgium) in 1949 after the end of the partments: European Economic Studies, from all over Europe, 57 full-time pro- Second World War. A second campus European Legal Studies, European Politi- fessors, 38 part-time professors, 133 was established in Natolin (Warsaw, cal and Administrative Studies; and EU teaching assistants and research as- Poland) in 1993. The College of Europe International Relations and Diplomacy sistants, 80 postdoctoral fellows (Max has around 300 students at the Bruges Studies. Upon completion of their pro- Weber, Jean Monnet, Fernand Braudel) campus and around 100 at the Natolin gramme, students obtain a Master’s and 45 visiting professors. 80% of the campus. Over 50 different nationalities degree in their respective field: "Master PhD students manage to complete their are represented and the average age of of Arts in European Economic Studies thesis in four years. Nearly 70% go on to students is 25. (MEES)", the "Master of European Law pursue academic careers, 15% work for (LL M)", the "Master of Arts in Euro- an international organisation, 10% are In 1973, Switzerland signed an agree- pean Political and Administrative Stud- employed in the private sector and 5% ment that stipulates that it may hold ies (MEPA)" or the "Master of Arts in EU in the public sector. a seat on the Administrative Council International Relations and Diplomacy and undertakes to award scholarships Studies”. Founded in 1972 by the six members of to Swiss students. The Confederation what was then the European Commu- offers up to four full scholarships cov- The College of Europe campus in Natolin nity, the EUI has gradually expanded as ering tuition and fees as well as room offers students the opportunity to pur- new countries joined the EU. These EU and board for the entire year of Mas- sue a European interdisciplinary studies member states and the European Com- ter’s degree studies. On each campus, programme, which is open not only to mission contribute to EUI financing on a students are housed in dormitories, students holding a university degree in proportional scale.
8 SERI NEWS l SCHOLARSHIPS
Switzerland, which is not a member of EUI in January. Candidates are selected Contact the institute (this status is only given by the EUI, a process consisting of a pre- Muriel Meister-Gampert, SERI to EU Member States), has been work- selection meeting, normally with a SERI Scientific Advisor ing with the EUI since 1991 by provid- representative present, as well as an in- International Education Projects Section ing scholarships (six may be awarded terview with short-listed candidates. +41 58 463 89 47 each year) and, since 2001, by providing [email protected] funding for a “Swiss chair” in Federal- ism and Democracy. This position has Additional information been held by Professor Alexander Trech- College of Europe sel since 2005. Scholarships amount to www.coleurope.eu and EUR 1,500 per month and SERI also cov- www.sbfi.admin.ch/coleurope-d ers tuition and fees so that PhD students can focus their attention on research. European University Institute in Florence Candidates for these scholarships must www.eui.eu and submit their applications directly to the www.sbfi.admin.ch/florenz-d
Céline Colombo, structive, enriching discussions and interest I’ve had in European policy is- Master’s degree critical culture that we find at the EUI. sues since my youth at academic level. from Univer- And last, but not least, the fabulous At the same time, I felt that studying sity of Zurich, 3rd location in a former Monastery on the here would be an ideal way to round year at the Eu- hills overlooking Florence. out my academic profile. You will be ropean Univer- hard pressed to find another university sity Institute in What are you writing your thesis about that so effectively dispels the cliché of Florence. and what would you like to do later? the EU as a mysterious “black box” as Why did you choose the EUI to do your I am currently working on a project in the College of Europe. The first months PhD? the field of political psychology. In my of studies completely confirmed this It was clear to me that I wanted to do dissertation, I am examining the issue fact. my doctorate abroad in order to gain of citizenship skills in direct democracy: exposure to a new academic environ- how to citizens reach their decisions What do you want to do after you re- ment. The Department of Political and to what extent are they influenced ceive your Master’s degree from the and Social Sciences at the EUI has a by the various arguments. In particular, College of Europe? very solid reputation in Europe, in part I am interested in 'motivated reason- I will either try to find work in the field because a few prominent political sci- ing', i.e. whether there is a cognitive of Swiss foreign policy or will pursue entists teach there. I was very curious tendency to embrace arguments that a PhD in EU foreign policy. This actu- about this international environment. confirm one’s own ‘pre-conceptions' or ally matches the traditional profile of The wonderful location in Florence and existing opinions. I also would like to students enrolled at the College of proximity to Switzerland were also im- determine how strong certain circum- Europe. The future plans of my fel- portant considerations in my choice. stances are able to affect these tenden- low students include employment with cies. After my dissertation, I intend to environmental NGOs, the diplomatic What do you like about the EUI in par- continue pursuing research in social corps and economic or legal consultan- ticular? sciences since there are so many very cy firms. Any career goal that requires Lots of things. I feel very happy here interesting questions to explore. a solid understanding of European pol- and would even say that it is the per- icies has its place here. fect place to write a dissertation! The Ueli Staeger, international atmosphere is due to the Bachelor’s de- Have you had the opportunity to speak fact that there are so many researchers gree from the about Swiss EU policy? from any different countries, especially University of Ge- Switzerland has been the focus of sev- European countries, gathered in one neva and Mas- eral lectures both in and outside of the place. This has helped to broaden my ter’s degree from College of Europe; and certainly not horizons. It is a very unique experience the School of Oriental and African just because of the current migration to be sitting in the room discussing Studies, University of London, Col- policy situation. Many people are inter- political and social issues with people lege of Europe “EU International ested in Switzerland’s system of direct from Southern Europe, Eastern Europe, Relations and Diplomacy Studies”. democracy and its unique EU policies, the UK and Scandinavia. It helps you to especially given the current economic put things into different perspectives. Why did you want to study at the Col- challenges and heightened criticisms of I also really appreciate great variety of lege of Europe? the European project in some EU mem- research, both in terms of methodol- The College of Europe was my very first ber states. ogy and content, as well as the con- choice because I wanted to deepen the
9 SERI NEWS l VOCATIONAL AND PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING
Examinations for the Federal PET Diploma and Advanced Federal PET Diploma Established pathway enabling professionals to obtain tertiary-level qualifications Each year, 15,000 holders of the Federal VET Diploma or equivalent qualification successfully pass examinations to obtain the Federal PET Diploma or Advanced Federal PET Diploma. In addition to professional college degree programmes, these federal examinations are an important means for professionals to obtain tertiary-level qualifications. A key feature is the close cor- relation with the needs of the labour market.
(e.g. “Advanced Federal PET Diploma in Information Technology”).
For all professional fields where exami- nations exist both at the Federal PET Diploma and Advanced Federal PET Di- ploma level, the Advanced Federal PET Diploma is the higher qualification.
Federal examinations as a means of confirming a person’s expertise are ap- pealing not only for professionals in a given field, but also for holders of higher education qualifications; potential fields include, for example, hospital manage- ment, invoicing, taxation, trusteeship services, corporate auditing. As examination sponsors, the professional organisations ensure that the qualifications resulting from federal examinations correlate directly with the needs of the labour market. Image: Iris Krebs Sponsorship and conduct of exami- nations The examinations for the Federal PET Di- Federal PET Diploma and Advanced As the sponsors of the examinations, ploma and Advanced Federal PET Diplo- Federal PET Diploma professional organisations ensure that ma, Switzerland are a proven and highly The examination for the Federal PET the content of the federal examinations appreciated means of enabling profes- Diploma offers professionals an initial directly reflects the realities of profes- sionals to obtain tertiary-level qualifica- deepening of their technical expertise sional activities and the current needs of tions. These examinations closely com- and specialisation after completion of the labour market. Examination regula- bine both theory and practice, and test their upper-secondary level VET pro- tions cover the content, structure and the various competences of candidates gramme. In order to take this examina- duration of examinations, as well as under realistic and authentic situations. tion, the candidate must have several eligibility requirements, the professional They help to ensure that there is an ad- years of work experience in the given profile, the competences to be reached, equate supply of highly skilled workers field. At the same time, candidates are the qualification procedure and the cor- and managers on the labour market and usually expected to hold a Federal VET responding legally protected title. contribute greatly to Switzerland’s com- Diploma or equivalent qualification. Suc- petitiveness. cessful candidates obtain a Federal PET Examination sponsors submit their ex- Diploma (e.g. “Federal PET Diploma in amination regulations to the State Sec- The system of examinations for the Fed- Human Resources”), which is generally retariat for Education, Research and eral PET Diploma and Advanced Fed- required in order to take the examination Innovation (SERI) for approval. SERI pro- eral PET Diploma is a unique feature of for the Advanced Federal PET Diploma. vides examination sponsors and profes- the Swiss education landscape: unlike sional organisations with feedback on other education and training pathways, Examinations for the Advanced Federal changes that may be made to individual only the conditions for gaining access PET Diploma serve two objectives: first of examination regulations. It also drafts to examinations and the conditions for all, to provide professionals with a formal documents and guidelines on the devel- obtaining a passing score on the ex- qualification certifying them as experts in opment of competence profiles. In addi- amination are federally regulated. In their field; secondly, to teach qualifica- tion, SERI verifies whether examinations contrast, preparation for these federal tion holders how to manage a company. are conducted in accordance with the examinations is not regulated. Generally Candidates who pass the examination established examination regulations. In speaking, candidates attend preparatory for the Advanced Federal PET Diploma the case of disputes over the outcome of courses for these examinations. will receive a corresponding qualification a given examination, SERI serves as the
10 SERI NEWS l VOCATIONAL AND PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING appeals authority. The second and final enables the examination procedures to gust, the Federal Council requested the appeals authority is the Federal Admin- be critically assessed and optimised. Federal Department of Economic Affairs, istrative Court. Education and Research (EAER) to prepare Preparatory courses a specific proposal on additional subsidisa- There are currently around 220 examina- Various part-time courses are available tion of preparatory courses. The EAER is tions for the Federal PET Diploma and 170 to help candidates to prepare for fed- expected to complete a consultation draft examinations for the Advanced Federal eral examinations. Attendance of these for partial revision of the Federal Vocation- PET Diploma. The List of PET Professions courses is voluntary. These courses en- al and Professional Education and Training shows the various federal examinations able candidates to prepare for federal Act (VPETA). together with the corresponding exami- examinations in a way that suits their nation regulations. The three most fre- specific needs and living circumstances. The solution favoured by SERI, the can- quently issued Federal PET Diplomas are in Preparatory courses are offered by can- tons and professional organisations is a the fields of law enforcement, human re- tonal education institutions, training subject-oriented funding model, which sources and training. The most frequently centres, professional organisations or would directly relieve the financial bur- issued Advanced Federal PET Diplomas are private training providers. These courses den placed on candidates and enhance in the fields of social work, corporate au- are not regulated by the state nor are the overall appeal of federal examina- diting and information technology. subject to any form of state supervision. tions. The introduction of subject-ori- ented funding and the level of funding Quality control Funding available will be set out in the ERI Dis- SERI gives considerable importance to The Confederation, the cantons and patch 2017-2020. further improving the already high level professional organisations are currently of quality of federal examinations. The working together to reinforce the PET aim is to ensure that future examina- sector. In early 2013, the Federal Council Contact tions test even more professional know- increased federal contributions for ex- Rémy Hübschi, SERI how. Assessment of professional com- aminations for the Federal PET Diploma Head, PET Division petences is nevertheless a difficult task. and Advanced Federal PET Diploma from +41 58 462 21 27 For this reason, SERI’s Professional Edu- the previous 25% to 60-80%. [email protected] cation and Training Division organises workshops, in which examination spon- As preparatory courses for federal ex- sors present and discuss their examina- aminations account for most of the cost Additional information tion procedures. This exchange of views incurred by candidates, at the end of Au- www.sbfi.admin.ch/hbb
Creating a new profession: Beekeeper, Federal PET Diploma
Without beekeepers, honeybees would no longer be able to survive in the wild. A qualification that takes into account the specific knowledge of the various aspects of bees and beekeeping has not yet been introduced in Switzerland, but plans are currently under way.
In early 2014, apisuisse (an umbrella association representing the interests of three Swiss beekeeping associations: Verein Deutschschweizerischer und Rätoromanischer Bienenfreunde; Société Romande d’Apiculture; and Società Ticinese di Apicol- tura) contacted SERI with a request for approval to introduce an examination for the Federal PET Diploma. SERI referred to the Vocational and Professional Education and Training Ordinance (VPETO) to determine whether there was a public interest served, to ensure that such an examination would not run counter to existing education policy or other public interests. SERI also considered whether the sponsors would be able to maintain a long-term Swiss-wide presence, whether the content of the examination took into account the required competences for this occupational activity and whether the title of the plan- ned qualification was clear, not misleading and distinct from any other qualification titles.
Following a kick-off meeting at SERI among representatives of the PET sector and the umbrella association apisuisse, the sponsors were given the go-ahead to prepare a future examination for the Federal PET Diploma. This project will receive financial support from the Engagement Migros Fund. However, there is also the possibility that the Confederation will cover 60% of the costs to prepare the examination regulations.
Apisuisse has formed a small working group to prepare the job profile and training modules. The examination regulations must reflect current requirements: the level of expertise required of beekeepers increases steadily; there are not many bee- keepers in Switzerland, which is why there is no need for a corresponding VET programme at upper-secondary level. As early as May 2014, apisuisse received 170 registrations for the examination for the Federal PET Diploma.
Interest has come not only from those wishing to become beekeepers but also from existing beekeepers themselves: there is a strong need to improve the quality of beekeeping practices all over Switzerland, both for the wellbeing and health of bees and for society as a whole. 11 SERI NEWS l VOCATIONAL AND PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING
Revision of federal examinations in response to changing Professional colleges needs of the labour market. Example of housekeeping / hotel, In addition to federal examinations, holders of an upper-secondary level restaurant and catering Federal VET Diploma or equivalent qualification may also enrol in a pro- Professions are not carved in stone: changing working conditions such as fessional college to obtain a federally the introduction of new technologies, new customer demands and new recognised tertiary-level degree. Each production processes mean that professions have to be updated or even year, around 7,000 obtain a profes- entirely overhauled. In some cases, previously separate job profiles have sional college degree. Graduates are to be updated either because similarities are too great or because there is authorised to use the corresponding considerable overlap. In such cases, the aim is to find potential synergies titles (e.g. “Professional College De- and establish cooperative ties between different sponsors. If necessary, in- gree in Timber Construction” or “Pro- dividual professions will have to be merged or redefined. fessional College Degree in Business Administration”). Making adjustments and subsequent changes to professions ensures that qualifica- tion holders possess the knowledge and skills needed by the labour market. They are Unlike federal examinations, both the in demand and are guaranteed to work efficiently in their area of expertise. degree programmes and the quali- fication procedures are regulated at A few years ago, the examination regulation for the Federal PET Diploma in House- professional colleges. Core syllabuses keeping/Hotel Management and the one for the Federal PET Diploma in Cooking form the basis for individual degree had to be adapted on the basis of changing circumstances. Both of the examination programmes and recognition by SERI. regulations in question dated back to the late 1990s. Analysis of the professions They cover the job profile, the com- and specific competence requirements revealed considerable overlap. The decision petences to be acquired, training con- was reached to merge the two, giving rise to a new examination for the Federal PET tent, amount of time devoted to each Diploma in Hotel and Housekeeping Management. This adaptation reflected the area of training, the coordination of current situation on the labour market and resulted in a suitable examination for the classroom instruction and practical Federal PET Diploma. training and the content of the qua- lification procedure. The new examination is based on a modular building block system, which could be used systematically for other examinations and some of the content could even Degree programmes at professional bee copied verbatim: At present, all of the current examination regulations for the colleges may be attended either part- Federal PET Diploma and Advanced Federal PET Diploma relating to hotel manage- time or full-time. Full-time degree pro- ment, restaurant management and cooking have been revised according to the same grammes last for at least two years; system. This has created synergies but also enables the specific features of individual part-time degree programmes last professions to be taken into account. In addition, the various examinations for the for at least three years. With full-time Federal PET Diploma and Advanced Federal PET Diploma have been repositioned degree programmes, traineeships are with respect to one another and renamed on the basis of a clear structuring of titles. mandatory in order to ensure that students obtain the required level of work experience. Previous qualification title New qualification title
Federal PET Diploma in Hotel Reception Federal PET Diploma in Hotel Desk Degree programmes at professional and Administration Management colleges provide students with the skills needed to work on their own Federal PET Diploma in Cooking and Federal PET Diploma in Cooking and handle technical and managerial Federal PET Diploma in Hospital and Nursing Home Cooking and Catering tasks. These programmes are geared to the needs of the labour market Federal PET Diploma in Restaurant Federal PET Diploma in Restaurant and require in particular the ability to Administration Management think in a methodologically and late- rally. The training is general, covering Advanced Federal PET Diploma Advanced Federal PET Diploma a broader range of topics than federal in Restaurant Administration in Restaurant Management examinations. Advanced Federal PET Diploma Advanced Federal PET Diploma in in Cooking and Production Cooking Management
Advanced Federal PET Diploma in Advanced Federal PET Diploma in Catering Catering Management
Advanced Federal PET Diploma in Advanced Federal PET Diploma in Hotel Housekeeping Housekeeping Management
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Apprenticeship market barometer Stabile situation on the apprenticeship market
How many young people in Switzerland are interested in finding an apprenticeship? How many actually find one? What -ap prenticeship positions are offered by what companies? The apprenticeship barometer, a survey conducted twice yearly answers these and other questions. It shows the current situation and short-term trends on the Swiss apprenticeship market. Young people and companies are contacted in April and August to ascertain the main features of the apprenticeship situation. These two survey dates produce a detailed snapshot of the apprenticeship market. The second apprenticeship market barometer survey conducted in 2014 shows that the situation on the apprenticeship market is stable, with the supply of apprenticeship positions slightly surpassing the demand.
tent, techniques and internal structure of the survey are continuously optimised to ensure that the survey meets the fol- lowing functional specifications: It must produce the most reliable in- dicators on the apprenticeship market situation. The results obtained from the sample of respondents can be extrapolated to the entire reference population. Surveys are comprehensive. The situ- ation of both companies (supply side) and young people (demand side) must be made clear and the results must be interpreted in a coherent manner. A flexible research design must be used. Individual categories of focus The apprenticeship market barometer is intended to allow changes on the apprenticeship market to (regional, branch-specific, thematic) be tracked closely. Image: Iris Krebs may be used as needed in modular fashion. The LINK Institute has been conducting contacted by telephone. Both groups are Results must be presented in a way apprenticeship market surveys on be- surveyed twice yearly. The survey in April that is clear and readily accessible to half of the Federal Administration since provides initial indications of what to ex- readers. 1997. Respondents in these surveys are pect when the apprenticeships begin in The research design must be evalu- young people and companies. This feed- August. ated at regular intervals and further back serves as a means of determining optimised with a view to enabling the immediate situation and short-term The reference population for companies comparison. trends. The survey also allows changes is comprised of all companies (filter: at on the apprenticeship market to be least two employees) that are listed in The tasks of the LINK Institute in this monitored and reported on an ongoing the Business Register maintained by the study include the design and prepara- basis. Federal Statistical Office (FSO). The ref- tion of the surveys in consultation with erence population for young people is SERI, execution of field work, analysis of About the apprenticeship market comprised of all young people in Swit- data and analysis of survey results. barometer zerland between the ages of 14 and 20 The apprenticeship market barometer who speak one of Switzerland’s official Results of apprenticeship market survey is conducted twice yearly (in April languages (German, French, Italian) and barometer survey, August 2014 and again in August). The results are who can be contacted by telephone As expected from the results of the April based in part on a written questionnaire (landline) through a basic household 2014 survey, the August 2014 shows sent to companies, half of which cur- (parents). that the availability of apprenticeships rently offer apprenticeship training. At increased once again (+14,500 appren- the same time, young people between The survey design that is currently being ticeship positions). However, compared the ages of 14 and 20 (i.e. the phase in used was developed in cooperation with to the previous year, companies offered life when they are deciding what edu- the LINK Institute in multiple stages and 1,000 fewer apprenticeship positions cation and training paths to follow) are over a period of several years. The con- (94,500) and signed 500 fewer appren-
13 SERI NEWS l VOCATIONAL AND PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING ticeship contracts (86,500). At the same young people who enrolled in a gap year from 19 August to 13 September. At time, the number of unfilled apprentice- course to prepare them for enrolment in the same time, written questionnaires ship positions fell from 8,500 in 2013 to a VET programme; young people who were sent out to 5,878 companies with 8,000. enrolled in upper-secondary general at least two employees; 5,517 took part education (i.e. a baccalaureate school or in the survey, of which 1,932 currently Most of the unfilled apprenticeship posi- a specialised school); young people who offer apprenticeship positions. tions relate to occupations in technical chose from among various other gap- fields, and services. Companies state year options; and young people who Strong demand for apprenticeships that they have been unable to fill these chose to do something entirely unrelat- in health and social care positions mainly due to a lack of suitable ed to gap-year options. As in the previ- In architecture and construction, office applicants. ous year, 6% had not found any suitable work and information management, gap-year solutions as of 31 August. services, agriculture and technical fields, In this year’s survey, an estimated 93,000 supply exceeds demand. In printing, de- young people between the ages of 14 The number of young people who are in sign, art, IT, manufacturing and sales, and 20 expressed an interest in voca- the process of choosing a training path in however, demand outstrips supply of tional education and training, 500 fewer the current year and who are interested apprenticeships. Excess demand is the than in the previous year. The supply in an apprenticeship, or who have been highest in health and social care. of available apprenticeship positions accepted for an apprenticeship in 2015, therefore exceeds current demand; the has steadily decreased in recent years. basic requirement for a functioning ap- At present, there are still 13,500 young Contact prenticeship market (i.e. an adequate people in this situation (2012: 16,500). Katrin Frei, SERI number of available apprenticeship In years when there were not enough Head of Fundamentals and Policies Sec- positions) has been met. Of the young apprenticeship positions, the waiting list tion, Education Fundamentals Division people surveyed in 2014, an estimated rose as high as 24,500 (2007). +41 58 462 82 47 74,000 effectively enrolled in an upper- [email protected] secondary level VET programme – 2,000 For this summer’s estimates, 2,568 more than in the previous year. The oth- young people between the ages of 14 Additional information ers were spread out across four groups: and 20 were contacted by telephone www.sbfi.admin.ch/barometer-d
Pilot project Validation of prior learning for VET and PET professionals
The Federal Vocational and Professional Education and Training Act (VPETA, SR 412.10) provides for the possibility of obtaining a federally regulated or recognised qualification through various education and training pathways. One such pathway is the validation of prior learning. In October, a project was launched to enable full-time vocational school teachers to undergo a procedure for the validation of their formal, non-formal and informal competences.
Some of the teachers at vocational Innovation (SERI), the Swiss Centre for competences and obtain corresponding schools have worked in this capacity for Vocational Education and Training | Vo- teacher’s certification. many years without having undergone cational, Educational and Career (SDBB) or completed training in vocational ped- coordinates and guides the pilot project The pilot phase of the project will con- agogy. The reasons why they were hired to introduce a validation procedure for tinue until the end of 2015. An evalu- are reasonable enough: dried-up mar- vocational school teachers. The com- ation should then indicate how the ket, temporary shortages in workforce petence profiles prepared by SERI and validation procedure should be pursued or priority given to other competences corresponding core syllabuses form the further. (e.g. technical expertise). These teach- basis for the development of this valida- ers now have the opportunity to validate tion procedure. During the pilot phase, About the validation procedure their prior learning. German-speaking teachers responsible The validation procedure is broken down for teaching vocational subjects, Lan- into several phases. After registration Pilot project in the German-speaking guage, Communication and Society and self-assessment, the candidate’s region of Switzerland (LCS), and the preparatory course for the validation portfolio is examined by a Working under a mandate from the State Federal Vocational Baccalaureate (FVB) team of experts who will then draft an Secretariat for Education, Research and now have the possibility to validate their assessment report. The validation body,
14 SERI NEWS l VOCATIONAL AND PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING comprised of a delegation from the Fed- Contact Year of Vocational and eral Commission for VET Professionals Martin Strickler, SERI (EKBV), will refer to this assessment re- Project manager Professional Education port when submitting their confirmation Fundamentals and Policies Section, and Training LDUNG of approval to SERI. If the candidate pos- Education Fundamentals Division BI 2 S 0 F 1 4 U
sesses all of the requisite competences, +41 58 464 73 47 . C
R
H E
then SERI will issue the teacher’s certifi- [email protected] An overview of these B cation. Any gaps in competences must events can be found be filled within a period of five years, Additional information in the events calen- applied and then documented in a sup- Information on the validation procedure: dar at www.berufsbildung2014.ch. plemental validation portfolio. www.klbb.berufsbildung.ch/ Events (excerpt) Similar procedures VET professionals: 25. - 30. 11 Salon des Métiers et de The Swiss Conference of Professional www.sbfi.admin.ch/bb-verantw-de la Formation, Lausanne Colleges (KHF) also has a validation pro- cedure for teachers working at Swiss Validation procedure used by the Swiss 04.12. EuroSkills delegation to be professional colleges. This validation Conference of Professional Colleges (KHF): received at the Federal Palace procedure is recognised by SERI. In ad- www.k-hf.ch/surdossier dition, the Swiss Federal Institute for Vo- cational Education and Training (SFIVET) Validation procedure used by the Swiss has its own validation procedure for VET Federal Institute for Vocational Educa- and PET professionals working in the tion and Training (SFIVET): French-speaking region of Switzerland. www.ehb-schweiz.ch/fr/formation- Finally, SERI plans to introduce a recog- continue/consultationsindividuelles/Pag- nition procedure. es/validationdesaquis.aspx
Making VET and PET qualifications clearer NQF VPET successfully launched
At the end of October, 450 people attended the kick-off event for the National Qualifications Framework for the VPET Sys- tem (NQF VPET) which was held at the Kursaal in Bern. The event was aimed at all players directly or indirectly involved in implementing NQR VPET and explained the NQF VPET, certificate supplements and diploma supplements along with details of the referencing process.
At the end of August, the Federal Coun- dicated. For better international compa- certificate and diploma supple-ments. cil adopted the Ordinance on the Nation- rability, Swiss VET and PET qualifications After they have been subjected to an in- al Qualification Framework for the VPET will also be refer-enced to the European dependent consistency check, SERI will System with the aim of improving the in- Qualification Framework (EQF). Certifi- decide on the definitive reference level. ternational comparability and appre-cia- cate supplements and diploma supple- The qualifications will then be entered in tion of Switzerland’s VET and PET qualifi- ments should allow companies to quickly a register open to all interested par-ties. cations. The ordinance also provides the gauge the competencies of applicants The referencing of all Swiss VET and PET basis for the ac-companying certificate when recruiting staff in Switzerland or qualifications should be completed with- and diploma supplements. from abroad. This should improve the in the next three years. The first series of chances of VET and or PET qualification certificate and diploma supplements is Transparency of VET and PET quali- holders on the labour market and facili- due to be published next summer. fications tate professional mobility. In future, each and every Swiss VET and Favourable response to kick-off PET qualification will be referenced to First qualifications to be referenced event one of eight levels within the NQF VPET. in the summer of 2015 There was strong interest in the kick-off In addition, a certificate supplement will The ordinance entered into force on 1 event on the part of the VPET partners – it be issued for each VET qualification and October and is being implemented in a will ultimately be the task of the sponsors a diploma supplement for each PET qual- partnership process: the sponsors (pro- to implement the NQR VPET, certificate ification. These two documents contain fessional organisations) prepare an ap- and diploma supplements. The speak- general infor-mation about each quali- plication stating the level at which their ers from SERI explained the outlines and fication. The level that the qualification VET or PET qualifications should be ref- procedures for implementation. Miriam holds within the NQF VPET will be in- erenced and request approval of their Shergold from hotelleriesuisse and Hans-
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and SFIVET will be offering a continual series of courses and training sessions over the next three years, particularly to assist those with the task of referencing qualifications in the NQF VPET system. These courses will set out in detail how the referencing procedure works and how the certificate and diploma supple- ments should be formulated. SERI has also set up an NQF VPET unit to act as a point of contact for any issues and ques- tions concerning the project – a project that is important for the positioning of Swiss VET and PET qualifications.
Contact NQF VPET Unit, SERI +41 58 465 48 91 [email protected]
The kick-off event on NQF VPET is just one of the measures designed to support the implementation Additional information of NQF VPET. SERI and SFIVET will be offering a continual series of courses and training sessions over the next three years. Image: SERI Information on the implementation of NQF VPET and all relevant documenta- tion can be found here: jörg Hofpeter from ICT Berufsbildung consistency checks. An opportunity was then spoke of their experiences during also provided to ask questions during the www.nqr-berufsbildung.ch the referencing pilot projects. The last two discussion sessions. to speak was Jean-Pierre Perdrizat from the Swiss Federal In-stitute for Vocational The kick-off event on NQF VPET is just Education and Training (SFIVET). SFIVET one of the measures designed to support is acting as a neutral body as part of the the implementation of NQF VPET. SERI
Subsidies for construction of university buildings Maison de la Paix as a location for education, research and promotion of peace
After a three-year construction period the new “Maison de la Paix” building in Geneva was in-augurated in October. This remarkable building at the entrance to the Quartier des Nations houses the Graduate Institute of International and Develop- ment Studies (IHEID), the Geneva Centre for Security Policy (GCSP), and the Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining (GICHD) and Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces (DCAF). Construction of this building was made possible in part thanks to federal subsidies towards the construction of university buildings.
By virtue of the University Funding Act contributions associated with inter- Long phase of gestation and reflex- (UFundA), the Confederation grants university cooperation projects and in- ion three forms of financial support to Swiss novations of national interest. The path leading to this elegant build- tier-one universities: ing that now stands on the Sécheron basic subsidies to help cover operat- It was these capital spending contribu- site leading to the quartier des Nations ing costs, tions that enabled the Graduate Institute was long. The Confederation’s commit- capital spending contributions for the of International and Development Stud- ment to bringing this venture to frui- purchase, construction or transfor- ies (IHEID) to receive CHF 33.6 million in tion was pre-ceded by a long process mation of buildings, the acquisition federal funding to build its campus in of careful analysis and thought: back of scientific equipment or computer Geneva, better known as the Maison de in 1930, a vast project called “Mun- hardware and software, la Paix. daneum” was supposed to house a
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need to take action and became in- volved in the Maison de la Paix construc- tion project. In 2000, a new architectural competition was launched. Wishing to consolidate Geneva as a location for international affairs, the Canton of Ge- neva decided to work with the DDPS to sponsor the project. The contract would have been awarded to JLCG Arquitectos LDA and Pfaehler Petitpierre & Zein Jac- caud SNC but fell through for lack of ad- equate funding.
Paving the way towards a solution With each new attempt, the idea of the Maison de la Paix gathered momentum. The Maison de la Paix: a place for teaching and research, contact and exchanges, but also for reflec- Having failed the first two times around, tion. Image: Gérald Sciboz the architects of the plan at both can- tonal and federal level went back to number of organisations devoted to former student of Le Corbusier, would work to find a winning formula. Under peace and culture in Geneva. Based have worked on the main building of the lead of the Federal Department of on the plans drawn up by a group of the Graduate Institute of International Home Affairs (FDHA) and the head of architects, including Le Corbusier, the Studies (HEI), Peter Eisenmann would the State Secretariat for Education and project was to entail construction of a have been responsible for planning the Research (SER), Charles Kleiber, in close world museum, an international uni- GIDS library and Rem Koolhass would cooperation with Geneva Cantonal versity, a library and offices for inter- have been commissioned to work on the Councillor Charles Beer, favourable con- national organisations. It was an ambi- Maison des Droits de l’Homme project. ditions to implement the project finally tious project that served as inspiration Unfortunately, this ambitious project fell into place. At the beginning of 2000, for the building that now stands along- was rejected by popular vote in 1998, the Graduate Institute of Development side the railway tracks. leaving the spatial needs of the various Studies (GIDS), also recognised as an eli- users unmet. gible recipient of federal subsidies under In 1994, the Canton of Geneva launched the University Funding Act (UFundA), an international architectural competi- The urgent need for space was one of began feeling its own spatial constraints. tion to redevelop the Place des Nations. the main reasons why the project was re- It joined the Graduate Institute of Inter- Several illustrious architects were se- submitted in a differ-ent form in 2000. national Studies (HEI) and the three fed- lected to construct a number of build- Initially it was only the HEI, its library and eral centres in the push for construction ings: among these, Dominique Perrault the GSCP that were constantly search- of the Maison de la Paix. In 2008, the would have built the Geneva Centre for ing for space. Later, two other federal GIDS and the HEI merged to become a Security Policy (GSCP), Sumet Jumsai, a centres experienced similar difficulties: single institute: the Graduate Institute of the Geneva Centre International and Develop-ment Studies Investments in the cantonal universities and higher education for the Democratic (IHEID). This merger helped to consoli- institutions 2013 (CHF m, Total 63.6m) Control of Armed date the university portion of the pro- Forces (DCAF), sup- ject. The hitherto elusive magic formula University of Geneva 15.06 ported by the Fed- finally emerged: the IHEID would be the IHEID 12.20 eral Department client and owner of the building and the University of Fribourg 0.97 of Foreign Affairs three federal centres would lease the of- University of Bern 0.74 (FDFA), and the Ge- fice space. neva International University of Basel 0.70 Centre for Humani- The security deposit on the lease to be University of Lausanne 0.52 tarian Demining paid by the three federal centres, the University of Lucerne 0.36 (GICHD), supported federal subsidy of CHF 33.6 million un- – like the GSCP – by der the terms of the UFundA, the finan- University of Zurich 0.28 the Federal Depart- cial participation of the Republic and Università della 0.47 ment of Defence, Canton of Geneva (CHF 43 million) in Svizzera Italiana Civil Protection and university support, and a sizeable private University of Neuchâtel 0.15 Sport (DDPS). With donation provided the collateral needed University of St. Gallen 0 federal centres now to take out the loan for the construction 0 4 8 12 16 in a similar plight, project, which was to cost a total of CHF Source: SERI the DDPS felt the 167 million.
17 SERI NEWS l HIGHER EDUCATION
Glass petals For this fourth attempt, a new architec- tural competition was launched in 2008. This time around, it was the architect Eric Ott and his architectural firm IPAS in Neu- châtel that secured the contract for the Maison de la Paix. Since 1930, the main aims have changed little, but have been fine-tuned consider-ably to achieve the right balance: library, university complex with conference rooms and classrooms, and office space for institutions active in promoting peace. The library and audito- riums – which sup-port the dissemination of knowledge – hold a prominent posi- tion, both in terms of volume and loca- tion: situated in the lower two floors of Foyer leading to lecture halls and the library with an art installation by Peter Kogler. the building, they cover nearly 6,000 m2 of fluid, open and transparent space. They form the base of the building, its to clearly orient themselves and under- A vibrant location foundation, upon which the Maison de scores the autonomous nature of each Today, the Maison de la paix draws stu- la Paix expands into four petal-shaped of the dif-ferent uses. The materialisa- dents, professors, researchers and ex- glass bodies, each connected to each tion of the façade, made entirely of steel perts from all over the world. The build- other to evoke the olive branch that the and glass, unifies the entire structure. ing, whose heart and foundation are the dove of peace holds in its beak. The shared function of the lower floors library and auditoriums, perfectly match- and ground floor of the first three pet- es the vision that the IHEID had when On the ground floor, visitors can stroll als confirms the desire for synergy ex- the architectural competition was held through the building to the roof of the li- pressed by the users. in 2008: the Maison de la Paix should brary, which forms a south-facing terrace be “a place for scientific research and overlooking the railway tracks. This es- Visitors to the Maison de la Paix today university teaching, a place for meet- planade enables an organic flow towards will notice that there are not just four ings and exchanges, but also a place for the various offices of the Maison de la ellipsoidal petals in succession but six. thought leading to action.” Paix, which are spread out along the As substantial improvements were be- floors of the four petals. It is also a place ing carried out during construction of Contact where the various users of the building the first four petals, the IHEID quickly Nathalie Fragnière, SERI can meet. The ground floor of the two decided to expand the initial project to Scientific Advisor petals house shared spaces such as a accommodate new institutions in the Higher Education Facilities Section cafeteria with room for 200 people and international sphere that would find +41 58 462 96 68 an open space leading to the library and the building architecture appealing, its [email protected] conference rooms on the lower floors energy and privileged location as well and to classrooms and auditoriums. as the synergy potential of the entire Additional information project. Lacking public subsidies for http://graduateinstitute.ch/maison- The ellipsoidal shape of these four sec- this second phase, the IHEID took out delapaix tions of the building clearly stand out another loan to add two more petals to from one another, which allows users the Maison de la Paix in the east wing.
View of the library
18 SERI NEWS l RESEARCH
European research institutions 50 years of successful European cooperation in molecular biology
In summer 2014 no less than three molecular biology institutions celebrated an anniversary. The European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO), the European Microbiology Conference (EMBC) and the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) were all founded about half a century ago. These organisations promote European cooperation and high-level research in molecular biology. Switzerland is one of the founding members of EMBO.
University, who does research into trans- missible cancer. There was also a podium discussion on the subjects of excellence and cooperation among European eco- nomic ministers, including those from France, Luxembourg, Malta and Spain. State Secretary Mauro Dell’Ambrogio, representing Switzerland, talked of how successful economic policy should not only invest in knowledge but also in the people who conduct research. The joint anniversary celebrations of EMBO, EMBC and EMBL took place at the EMBLY Advanced Trai- ning Centre in Heidelberg. Image: zVg At the anniversary celebrations Robert- Jan Smits, Director-General the Euro- As the basis of all biological sciences, in all three institutions. Swiss researchers pean Commission’s Directorate General molecular biology deals with the struc- make a significant contribution to the for Research and Innovation, stressed ture and function of DNA (which carries publications produced by EMBL. In 2013 the importance of scientific coopera- genetic information) and RNA (which Swiss institutions were involved in about tion at European level. The success of conveys genetic information in proteins) 50 of the 600 or so EMBL publications. EMBO, EMBC and EMBL shows that, by at the molecular level. It examines how This high number is due to the number bringing together the best of its talent, these substances interact with prote- of Swiss people in senior positions or Europe can be a world leader in science ins. This area of research area has now working as guest researchers at EMBL. and innovation. grown into a multidisciplinary field in- In 2013 nine Swiss held permanent po- volving biology, physics, chemistry and sitions at EMBL and there were six Swiss Contact computer science and also covering guest researchers, three of whom were Isabella Beretta, SERI computational biology, bioinformatics group leaders. Scientific Advisor, International Coopera- and systems biology. The results provide tion in Research and Innovation Division, important findings for genetics and me- Finally, in terms of EMBL’s training activi- Research and Innovation Programmes dicine, among others fields. ties there were 179 Swiss participants in +41 58 462 84 17 EMBL courses and conferences in 2013. [email protected] EMBO was founded by molecular biolo- Scientists from Switzerland are the 6th gists in the 1960s in order to promote biggest participant group at EMBL con- Additional Information research in this field in Europe and to fa- ferences. www.sbfi.admin.ch/forschungorg_e cilitate the exchange of scientific know- ledge and experience between countries. Anniversary celebrations A few years later EMBC was established 2014 is the anniversary year of all three to provide the political framework and institutions. EMBO is celebrating its funding for EMBL. EMBC represents the 50th anniversary, EMBC its 45th and governments of its member states. All EMBL its 40th. A joint celebration was three institutions are based in Heidel- held in July of this year at the EMBL Ad- berg, Germany. vanced Training Centre in Heidelberg. The programme included science lec- Active Swiss participation tures by renowned researchers such as Switzerland was closely involved in the Nobel Prize holder Ada Yonath of the establishment of EMBO, EMBC and Weizman Institute of Science in Israel EMBL and currently plays an active role and Elizabeth Murchison of Cambridge
19 SERI NEWS l RESEARCH
50 years of the European Molecular zerland. It provides a framework for Eu- inter-governmental European laboratory Biology Organization (EMBO) ropean cooperation in the field of mo- for life sciences and is supported by pu- The European Molecular Biology Organi- lecular biology and related research and blic research funding from 21 member zation was founded in 1964 with the aim funds the majority of EMBO’s activities. states, including Switzerland. The scienti- of fostering research into molecular biolo- fic community in Switzerland was closely gy, which at the time was a little-known The General Programme focuses primari- involved in the creation of the laborato- field. Today EMBO is an organisation of ly on providing training, teaching and re- ry. Switzerland contributes 3.2% of the more than 1700 scientists. It supports search scholarships and on establishing EMBL annual budget of around EUR 71 talented researchers in their careers, en- programmes for courses, workshops million. courages the exchange of scientific in- and study meetings. EMBO is respon- formation and creates a fertile research sible for implementing the EMBC Gene- The EMBL laboratory provides the infra- environment. In particular, it helps young ral Programme. Both EMBC and EMBO structure necessary for carrying out basic scientists to progress with their research are driven by a common commitment research. EMBL offers services to resear- and to position themselves internatio- to quality research at European level. In chers from all the member states and nally. To this end it offers scholarship pro- their joint activities they aim to achieve participates in the development of new grammes, courses, workshops and confe- quality and cooperation within the scien- tools and methods and invests in techno- rences with training sessions on practical tific community. logy transfer. In addition, the laboratory research, and runs the "EMBO Press pub- plays a crucial role in positioning the field lications" platform for the dissemination The General Programme is financed by of life sciences in the European and inter- of the latest research findings. contributions from each member state. national context. Switzerland contributes almost 3% of Swiss citizens have already benefited the EMBC’s annual budget, which totals Research at EMBL is conducted by more greatly from the EMBO scholarship pro- EUR 13 million. SERI represents Switzer- than 80 independent groups covering gramme and are closely involved in the land in EMBC. As a result of the high the whole spectrum of molecular biology. other activities of the organisation. Suc- level of expertise in Swiss laboratories, They work at four stations in Europe: the cessful involvement in EMBO is one rea- scholarship applications from Swiss re- main laboratory is located in Heidelberg, son for the high level of Swiss basic re- searchers have fallen below the rate of with other locations at Hinxton (UK), search in the field of modern biology in contribution to the EMBC budget, while Grenoble, Hamburg and Monterotondo international comparison. the proportion of foreign guest resear- (Italy ). chers in Swiss laboratories is dispropor- EMBO: www.embo.org tionately high. Switzerland thus greatly EMBL: www.embl.de benefits from its membership of EMBC 45 years of the European Molecular in the form of the expertise provided by Biology Conference (EMBC) this highly qualified labour. Five years after EMBO was founded, the European Molecular Biology Conference EMBC: embc.embo.org (EMBC) was set up in 1969. 40 years of the European Molecular EMBC is an inter-governmental organi- Biology Laboratory (EMBL) sation comprising 27 member states EU The European Molecular Biology Labora- and non-EU countries, including Swit- tory was founded in 1974. It is the only
Source: EMBL
20 SERI NEWS l INNOVATION
Active and Assisted Living (AAL) Forum 2014 in Bucharest Awards given to Swiss researchers
Developments in the area of Active and Assisted Living (AAL) enable the elderly to live independently in their own home longer and to enjoy high quality living even at an advanced age. Switzerland has been involved in an EU-sponsored programme of the same name since 2008. Researchers, developers and users of AAL solutions gather for the annual AAL Forum, the largest event of its kind in Europe. This year’s AAL Forum was held in Bucharest, Romania, in September.
somewhat pronounced dementia. The app displays a red button enabling the person to contact up to five relatives who can be called on to provide assis- tance. In addition to this assistance func- tion, the app also includes a means of calling emergency numbers, an appoint- ment scheduler and displays current weather conditions so that the person will know what kind of clothes to put on for a walk. The product convinced both the jury and general public. The research project began around two years ago and will continue until the end of 2015. The research consortium is comprised of project partners from Switzerland, Austria, the Netherlands and Romania. Project partners from Switzerland were iHomeLab of the Lucerne University of Demographic development is leading to rising demand for products and services that are specially Applied Sciences and Arts, terzStiftung, tailored to the needs of older people. The European Active and Assisted Living programme harnesses new technologies to develop innovative and marketable solutions. Researchers, developers and users Swisscom and the Canton of Zug’s De- come together at the annual AAL Forum. Image: zVg partment of Social Affairs.
iHomeLab of the Lucerne University Under the title “Broader, Bigger, Better sion. During and between the presenta- of Applied Sciences and Arts also won – AAL solutions for Europe”, the AAL tions and workshops, participants were the “Young Researchers Award“ with Forum was held for the first time in an able to examine various project exhib- a solid business idea relating to activity Eastern European country. The three-day its, including 19 ongoing AAL projects, monitoring. This award is given for pro- event was held in the parliament build- products and services in which Swiss jects conducted by young researchers ing in September at the request of the partners were involved. Swiss partners who know how to prepare a convincing Romanian Ministry of Education. The included the University of Geneva, the business model, marketing concept and AAL Forum drew 500 participants from Zurich University of Applied Sciences, technical solution. over 30 different countries, including iHomeLab of the Lucerne University of economists, policymakers and govern- Applied Sciences and Arts, the Valens Contact ment officials, teachers and researchers Clinic, and the Swiss company Eclexys. Claire Dové, SERI as well as health care practitioners and National contact person for AAL Joint social workers. There were also elderly AAL-Award Programme persons who took part in the forum as A further highlight was the 2014 AAL International Cooperation in Research direct beneficiaries of AAL solutions. awards ceremony. This award is given and Innovation in recognition of a promising product or +41 58 462 93 33 Projects with Swiss involvement service developed under the AAL pro- [email protected] The opening of the forum was followed gramme. Of the 150 projects considered by panel discussions, presentations and from all over Europe, the jury chose the Additional information workshops. Numerous experts and pro- “Confidence” project as the winner for www.sbfi.admin.ch/AAL_en ject managers spoke about the latest 2014. This project involves the devel- developments in the AAL field and par- opment of a smartphone app to assist ticipants engaged in debates and discus- elderly people suffering from mild to
21 SERI NEWS l INTERNATIONAL
Annual Meeting of ERI Foreign Network Lively exchange of experiences and a source of inspiration
Members of the Swiss foreign network for education, research and innovation (ERI) met with representatives from the Inter- national Relations Division of the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI) from 22 – 25 October in Milan and Lugano for the Annual Meet-ing of the ERI Foreign Network. During this intensive period, participants visited various Swiss ERI institutions and took part in workshops. The meeting focussed on three key themes: coop-eration with partners in the field of art, science and entrepreneurship; cooperation with Swiss higher education institutions; and continuous deve- lopment of the ERI foreign network.
funded by the Commission for Technol- ogy and Innovation (CTI) and organised by the local STC in close cooperation with S-GE, enabled Swiss start-up com- panies to network with British investors, partners and mentors.
ERI foreign network as service pro- vider for higher education institu- tions The second half of this annual event took place in the canton of Ticino, where par- ticipants were welcomed on the cam- puses of the Università della Svizzera italiana (USI) in Mendrisio and Lugano. Discussions focussed on higher educa- tion institutions in the Italian-speaking region of Switzerland, the most impor- tant of which are the USI and the Scuola universitaria professionale della Svizzera italiana (SUPSI). In addition, participants This year's ERI foreign network annual meeting in Milan and Lugano offered a rich programme of vi- discussed cooperation involving Swiss sits and workshops. Image: SERI cantonal universities, federal institutes of technology (FITs) and universities of In Milan, the Swiss Consulate General successful example is the Collide@CERN applied sciences (UAS), on the one hand, and the “Istituto Svizzero di Roma” wel- programme, in which internationally ac- and the Swiss ERI foreign network, on comed participants to this annual gath- claimed artists and scientists meet to ex- the other. From the outset, the USI and ering. The first day was devoted to the change views on new forms of creative SUPSI were able to position themselves work of Pro Helvetia, which has pursued cooperation. Among other things, this at both the national and international several successful partnership initiatives gave rise to the art and science dance level by focusing on niches. The USI’s with the ERI foreign network, particular- production “Quantum”, which was Academy of Architecture, for instance, ly with swissnex. A presentation was giv- hosted by swissnex consular annexes in not only works as a conventional school en of the “GameCulture” project, which San Francisco and Brazil. of architecture, but also serves as an examines social, economic and aesthetic interface between architecture and the issues associated with computer games. Cooperation between Switzerland Glob- humanities. This project was launched in coopera- al Enterprise (S-GE) and the ERI foreign tion with swissnex consular annexes in network was the second main topic of In presentations and interactive work- San Francisco and Boston. the day. S-GE representatives and Swiss shops, the participants were able to find Business Hubs in Milan presented strate- out more about how the ERI foreign Overview of cross-disciplinary gies and potential synergies with the ERI network can help Swiss higher educa- projects foreign network. The London example tion institutions how to develop their In workshops, participants discussed shows how co-operation between a sci- international activities. This is particu- ways in which the blurring of discipli- ence and technology counsellor (STC) larly useful for Swiss universities of ap- nary boundaries between science and at a Swiss Embassy and an S-GE Busi- plied sciences, which tend to be mostly art could help to position Switzerland’s ness Hub can bring beneficial services to oriented towards the national context. ERI sector at the international level. A Swiss ERI actors: the Market-Entry Camp, Cooperation between SUPSI and the
22 SERI NEWS l INTERNATIONAL
ERI foreign Network Equally important for the future devel- In the area of education, research and innovation, Switzerland is represented in opment of the ERI foreign network was two forms: first by science and technology counsellors (STCs), who work at Swiss improving cooperation between individ- embassies in selected countries; and second by swissnex consular annexes. ual STCs and swissnex consular annexes. Participants mentioned both regional STCs and swissnex act as points of contact between Switzerland and the corres- and global cooperation between indi- ponding host country. They encourage bilateral relations with education and re- vidual actors. As a sign of this intensified search institutions, ERI policymakers, and government officials. They monitor deve- cooperation, the new website swissnex. lopments in the area of science, technology, innovation and education policy in the org was launched, showing both swiss- guest region and draft reports for interested parties in Switzerland. nex and STCs.
Developing and maintaining personal and institutional networks is another impor- This year’s annual meeting underscored tant task that brings added value to Swiss researchers, higher education institutions the importance of such meetings as a and companies. means of sharing in-formation on the various strategies and practices adopted at individual locations and of clarifying matters. The annual meetings therefore Brussels London Berlin Moscow help to ensure cohesion within the en- Ottawa Paris Vienna tire ERI foreign network. Boston Madrid Rome Beijing Seoul San Francisco Washington Tokyo New Delhi Shanghai
Bangalore Contact Singapore Sebastien Hug, SERI
Brasilia Scientific Advisor Rio de Janeiro São Paulo Pretoria International Relations Canberra Santiago de Chile +41 58 465 79 06 [email protected]
Additional information www.swissnex.org
Guangdong University of Technology nex consular annex. As a result, STCs (GDUT) is a perfect example of how the are rarely contacted for their know-how ERI foreign network – in this case swiss- and wide-reaching networks, effectively nex China – can help raise the profile of leaving the potential for cooperation un- the entire Swiss ERI sector in other coun- tapped. tries. A further example can be seen in the universities of applied sciences in the canton of Vaud, which have been able to establish partnerships in the USA, In- dia, China and South Korea thanks to in- tensive cooperation with the ERI foreign network.
Improving the level of visibility of the ERI foreign network In view of the upcoming Federal Council Dispatch on Education, Research and In- novation for 2017-2020, the continuous development of the ERI foreign network was the third main theme of this gath- ering. Raising the level of visibility of the ERI foreign network among target groups within the Swiss ERI sector was an important point. Specifically, many actors are unaware of the fact that sci- ence and technology counsellors often The annual meetings of the ERI foreign network are a good platform for discussing the strategies and provide very similar services as a swiss- practices applied in the different locations and to ask questions. Image: SERI
23 SERI NEWS l PANORAMA
ERI I PHOTO OF THE MONTH
The WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLF is an interdisciplinary research and service centre based in Davos. It forms part of the Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL and belongs to the ETH Domain. The scientists at the SLF con- duct research into changes in snow layers and how avalanches come about, thereby helping to protect the public from natural hazards. Image: Monika Estermann
FIGURE OF THE MONTH ERI-NEWS In accordance with their man- VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING date, the canto- New bilateral agreement on Liechtenstein, which stipulates that 54 nal universities vocational education and train- Swiss qualifications can no longer be and federal ins- ing signed with the Principality of issued. However, Liechtenstein’s VET titutes of tech- Liechtenstein qualifications are still based on the nology focus on At the end of October, Federal Coun- exact same training content as Swiss research and de- cillor Johann N. Schneider-Ammann VET qualifications. This is because velopment (R&D). and Liechtenstein’s Minister of Foreign most of the training content was More than half Affairs, Education and Culture, Aurelia transposed from Swiss to Liechten- the staff resour- Frick, met in Bern to sign an agreement stein legislation. ces (54%) at the- on mutual recognition of VET qualifica- se universities are tions. This further consolidates existing With the signing of this bilateral agree- involved in R&D, whilst 30% and 14% cooperation ties in the VET field and ment, holders of VET qualifications in respectively of full-time equivalents are facilitates the occupational mobility of both countries may now gain access to engaged in applied research and deve- workers. the labour markets in both countries lopment at the universities of applied and attend tertiary-level professional sciences (UASs) and the universities of Up until 2008, the Principality of Liech- education and training without having teacher education (UTEs). tenstein would issue Swiss VET quali- to overcome additional administrative fications (Federal VET Certificate and hurdles. Federal VET Diploma). However, on 1 August 2008, a new vocational training www.sbfi.admin.ch act came into force in the Principality of
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