Swiss University leaders unite for Erasmus and Horizon 2020
Ralph Eichler (ETHZ), Antonio Loprieno (CRUS) and Patrick Aebischer (EPFL) met the press on Tuesday. © Keystone
Confronted with the threat of a freeze in Swiss participation in Horizon 2020 research programs and Erasmus+ student exchange programs, leaders of Swiss universities have joined together and written to the Swiss government.
Will academic research in Switzerland lose its momentum? Representatives of the Swiss academic establishment are concerned about the European Commission’s decision, expressed Sunday, to suspend Switzerland from Horizon 2020 research programs and Erasmus+ student exchange programs.
They shared their worry with the three most directly concerned Federal Councilors -- Didier Burkhalter, Simonetta Sommaruga and Johann Schneider-Amman – in an open letter sent on February 14, 2014. They requested that the Government do everything in its power to find a solution that will allow Switzerland to participate in these programs.
A meteoric but threatened rise
Yesterday when speaking with the press, the presidents of EPFL and ETH Zurich, the Conference of Rectors of Swiss Universities (CRUS) and the Board of the Swiss National Science Foundation made reference to the rapid progression of research in Switzerland over the past ten years. International rankings and an attractive enough environment to attract top researchers are witness to this, as is the prestigious “FET Flagship” grant obtained for the Human Brain Project.
“Being excluded from these programs means that among other things our scientists could no longer compete for ERC Grants,” explained EPFL president Patrick Aebischer. “Yet at present this source of funding makes up a third of competitive grant money in our school.”
Image under fire
But financial issues aside, it’s above all at the symbolic level of a loss of image and attractiveness as a research community that concerns these leaders. “Scientists with ERC Grants, or those who are competing for them, will no longer be interested in joining our faculty,” said Aebischer.
In addition, “the big scientific issues of our time are by definition international in scope, whether you’re talking about energy, medicine, or information technology,” added ETH President Ralph Eichler. “We must be able to engage in multi-year international collaborations.”
Time is of the essence. Deadlines for submitting grant proposals fall between March 25 and October 31. “Everything takes place in this period,” said Patrick Aebischer. He has called upon his faculty to continue submitting grant proposals within the required deadlines, in hopes that a solution for unblocking funding will soon be reached.