“At 67, it's time to hand over the reins.”
Marc-André Berclaz © 2021 EPFL / Alain Herzog
After serving as the head of EPFL Valais Wallis for nine years, Marc-André Berclaz will begin his well-deserved retirement at the end of February 2022. We spoke with him about his enthusiasm and hard work throughout his bustling career.
“I actually wanted to step back in 2013,” he says. “At the time I’d been head of Western Switzerland’s University of Applied Sciences and Arts for ten years and chair of Switzerland’s Rectors’ Conference for five years.” But he decided to accept EPFL’s job offer to head up the EPFL Valais Wallis campus, which at the time was still in the planning phase. Berclaz’s initial four-year term was renewed once, and then again. He’ll finally retire at the end of his current term in February 2022. He will be replaced by Vincent Hiroz, the current deputy director of EPFL Valais Wallis.
An expert in running universities
Berclaz, born in 1955, is originally from Valais Canton and currently lives in Sierre. He holds a Master’s in economics from the University of Lausanne and an honorary PhD from Business School Lausanne. During his career, he managed several universities in Valais and was a co-founder and the first vice president of swissuniversities, an association of the heads of Switzerland’s institutions of higher education. He was also highly involved in the economic development of Valais, cofounding the Techno-Pôle digital-technology park in Sierre and sitting on its board for over 30 years.
Alongside his career, Berclaz is also involved in local politics. He was elected to the Sierre city council in 2017 and currently heads the department of energy and sustainable development. His engagement on these issues has prompted him to serve on the boards of eight companies operating in these fields. “I’d like to stay in this role for at least three more years,” he says. “That way I don’t suddenly switch from working full time to doing nothing. I’m not thrilled about retiring, but at 67, it’s time for me to hand over the reins.”
Making the transition with travel and volunteer work
This summer Berclaz plans to take a motorcycle trip though the northernmost part of Europe. “That will let me clear my head and get ready for the next phase of my life.” He looks forward to finding a new balance in his retirement years, free of stress and tightly-packed agendas. “I’d rather not make detailed plans but take each day as it comes and see what happens,” he says. “I could easily see myself doing volunteer work, especially with children. I want to make good use of the time I’ll have available.”
Berclaz wishes to thank all the people he worked with over the past nine years. “I’m really grateful to everyone, and I hope EPFL Valais Wallis will keep growing,” he says. “Often, organizations that reach a mature, stable stage tend to go into decline. The challenge will be to keep up the momentum and find new areas of expansion. Personally, I believe EPFL Valais Wallis should aim to have 500 people on its campus [there are currently 200]. That would give it enough critical mass to secure its future.”
Highlights
Of all the memories Berclaz has of his time at EPFL, the following stand out:
The intense effort behind the opening of EPFL Valais Wallis’ first building in 2015
“The building wasn’t entirely finished, but this was an important milestone to show we were able to get the campus up and running quickly.”
Learning research vocabulary the hard way
“I’m an economist by training so I wasn’t familiar with R&D terminology. I had no idea what a test bench was, for example.”
The arrival of 70 new PhD students – with their suitcases
“At the time we still didn’t have student housing. We had to scramble to find them a place to live.”
The excellent working relations with people both inside and outside the School
“The community we’ve built up at EPFL Valais Wallis is remarkable. People are happy to help each other out, and everyone – not just the professors but also partner organizations and the cantonal government – is pulling hard to make the campus succeed.”