SwissCore co-organised the study trip of the rectorate in corpore of the University of Applied Sciences Western Switzerland (HES-SO). Here are some impressions.
While the negotiations between the European Union and Switzerland are in full swing, the Rectorate in corpore of the University of Applied Sciences Western Switzerland (HES-SO) decided to travel to Brussels for their annual study trip to capture what is currently being discussed at the European level and learn more about what is at stake for the Education, Research, and Innovation fields. This came at the request of Prof. Luciana Vaccaro, Rector of the HES-SO and President of the Swiss Rectors’ Conference – swissuniversities.
HES-SO stands for Haute Ecole Spécialisée de Suisse Occidentale. It is the largest University of Applied Sciences (UAS) in Switzerland, with more than twenty thousand students across six fields, from Design and Arts to Economics and Engineering to Social Work. It covers the entire French-speaking part of Switzerland from the Jura mountains to the Alps, including the surroundings of the Lac Léman. As part of its international exposure and connection (being part of the UNITA European University Alliance), HES-SO decided to come to Brussels during the fascinating period both for Europe and Switzerland.
The geographical location of Switzerland makes it a central piece of the continent, and to demonstrate that the country, and, hence, the HES-SO, is not (and should not be) isolated, this visit came as a timely symbol of the close ties the EU has with the Helvetians. The programme prepared by SwissCore was the opportunity to connect with peers from other European countries and to discuss several aspects dear to the HES-SO, such as supporting research careers or the future of Bologna. Meetings took place with the IGLO network, representatives from the European Commission, representatives of university associations and the Swiss Mission of Switzerland to the EU; a special thanks to the Deputy Head of Mission, Alexander Renggli, for his openness and warm welcome at his residence. We also had the chance to visit the European Research Council, USquare [home of the Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB) and the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB)], and the Haute Ecole Léonard de Vinci. It concluded with our traditional biannual SwissCore Apéro, to which we invited the Swiss community based in Belgium for an informal gathering. This is the occasion to invite Swiss people who work in Brussels (for Swiss or European companies, or within EU institutions), students currently enrolled at a Belgian university during a mobility exchange, or finally, just Swiss citizens enjoying connecting with their country fellows.
As Prof. Vaccaro said during her speech at our reception: “Science has no borders and thrives through close personal and institutional relations. That is why Switzerland’s participation in European framework programmes is so critical!”
On behalf of the entire SwissCore Team, we were very pleased to welcome the HES-SO Rectorate to our premises, give them Brussels’ political flavour, and enrich the ties between our two organisations.
On the picture from left to right: Simon Dousse (Scientific Advisor, HES-SO), Laurin Reding (Head of Office, SwissCore), Axel Marion (Secretary General, HES-SO), Christine Pirinoli (Vice-Rector Research and Innovation, HES-SO), Geneviève Le Fort (Vice-Rector Quality and Social Responsibility, HES-SO), Luciana Vaccaro (Rector HES-SO and President swissuniversities), René Graf (Vice-Rector Teaching), and Luca Cruciato (Advisor for Innovation, SwissCore).