Interinstitutional cooperation between Swiss higher education institutions and coordination of “especially expensive fields
Within the framework of the discussions on the new Swiss law for the promotion and coordination of higher education institutions, the Secretary of State for Education and Research and the Director of the Federal Office for Professional Education and Technology asked the Swiss Science and Technology Council to contribute to the debates on the national coordination of “especially expensive fields”. In order to do so, the SSTC carried out two studies:
- The analysis of five examples of scientific fields that are often considered “particularly expensive”. (Download PDF in German)
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- An overview of interinstitutional cooperation in Switzerland and an analysis of the motivations and hindrances to interinstitutional cooperation. (Download PDF in German)
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Following the completion of these studies, the SSTC published recommendations on this topic. (Download pdf in German, with an executive summary in English).
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In this document the SSTC argues that the goal of national coordination in “especially expensive fields” should be implemented in a concerted fashion with the eight other goals of the new Swiss law for the promotion and coordination of higher education institutions.
It further shows that the Swiss science and higher education landscape does not present any fundamental lack of cooperation and coordination: several cooperation clusters and various coordination initiatives or roadmaps have emerged within the existing framework of incentives.
In order to encourage these developments, the SSTC presents nine recommendations. The principal objective of any national coordination process should be the optimal reinforcement of the quality and the competitiveness of the Swiss higher education area. Decisions must be taken on a case-by-case basis and, if necessary, coordination processes should take place within a flexible and transparent framework and based on scientific arguments. Further recommendations are to be found in the publication.