Antoinette Charon Wauters
Director, International Relations
University of Lausanne
Shaping Research Policies in a Changing Academic Environment: the Case of the University of Lausanne
4th UNICA Meeting for EU Research OfficersUniversity of Ljubljana
November 2009
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Shaping Research Policies in a Changing Academic Environment: the Case of the University of Lausanne
Structure
1. Preliminary remarks
2. Transformation of the University of Lausanne
3. Adaptation to change – Measures taken
4. Results
5. Perspectives and conclusions
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Location
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Lake Geneva Region: Academic Institutions
Ecole d’ingénieur de Changins
• 3 HEI, 2 university hospitals •1 million inhabitants • distance between Geneva and Lausanne 70 km
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The UNIL campus on the Lake shore
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Annual Budget 2009: ±€ 330 mio
CHF ±500 mio
The university cantons support the majority of their HEI budget
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Lausanne campus: UNIL + EPFL
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Transformation of the UNIL/1
2001-2004 Political steps were taken to keep quality, stabilize costs and foster collaboration between the Lake Geneva HEI
`Dismemberment’ of the UNIL Faculty of Sciences
Chemistry (2001)
Mathematics (2003)
Physics (2003)
Pharmacy (2004)
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Transformation of the UNIL/2
Smart (and not that easy!) ‘Recycling’ of the 2 leftover Departments of the UNIL Faculty of Sciences: Biology and Geology
Biology + Medicine = Faculty of Biology and
Medicine – FBM
Geology + Geography = Faculty of Geosciences
and Environment – FGSE
Conclusion:Since 2001, UNIL is no longer a comprehensive University!
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Transformation of the UNIL/3
The bright side of these moves:
• UNIL kept the budget of the Faculty of Sciences and reallocated it to the Human and Social Sciences, Life Sciences and Environmental
Sciences
• UNIL set up a Center of Integrative Genomics attached to the Faculty of Biology and Medicine
• UNIL started to collaborate more intensively with EPFL and also with the University of Geneva
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Transformation of the UNIL/4
Examples of Cooperation in Research:
Common platforms
TAF: Transgenic Animal Facility started in 2003-2004
DAF: DNA Array Facility of the Center for Integrative Genomics.
CIF: Cellular Imaging Facility created in 2003.
Biobanks, etc…
CIBM: Center for Biomedical Imaging UNIL - EPFL - UNIGE - CHUV – HUG
CADMOS: Center for Advanced Modeling Science UNIL - EPFL – UNIGE.
New super computer (57 Tera flops) to serve 3 institutions: UNIL, UNIGE, EPFL for Neurosciences, Economy and Finance, Social sciences, Biology, Linguisitcs, Climatology, Physics, Astrophsics, Medical sciences. Launched in September 2009
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Transformation of the UNIL/5
The dark side of these moves:
• UNIL lost among 40 researchers and research potential to the benefit of the EPFL and the UniGe
• and had to face some surprising new developments
in the partner institutions!
But 5 years later, UNIL results are starting to show that loss can also bring gain, ....
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Adaptation to change – Measures taken/1
In 2007, a new Rectorate took over and decided to support and stimulate UNIL’s research potential more pro-actively than before
2nd Priority Objective of the UNIL strategic plan: « To support and develop research »
• Improve the training of young researchers• Strengthen the "research" mindset• Fully exploit the results of research and technology transfers.
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Adaptation to change – Measures taken/2
Some practical steps/1
•Recruitment of academics with an international experience and profile
•Active presentation of the research results to the Faculties and their Deans, comparing them to the other Swiss institutions
•Active search of promising researchers within the UNIL units with the help of Deans and Vice-deans for Research
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Large inter-faculty differences
Question raised to the Deans: among your professors, how many feel every morning the compulsive need to make a new discovery?
Letters FTSR Law SSP HEC FGSE FBM
30
60
90
% P
rofe
ssor
s
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.
Large inter-faculty differences, again ...
Another Question to the Deans: among your professors, how many feel every morning the compulsive need to look for external funds?
Letters FTSR Law SSP HEC FGSE FBM
30
60
90
% P
rofe
ssor
s
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Adaptation to change – Measures taken/3
Some practical steps/2
•Never ending efforts to improve internal communication on Research Programmes of all sorts
•Central administrative help for Swiss and European Programmes
•2008 Creation of a small ‘Research Support Team’ of 4 people* around the Vice Rector for Research as UNIL has no Central Research Service
* Swiss Research Programmes, European Research Programmes, Research financing, International Relations).
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Adaptation to change – Measures taken/4
For European Research Programmes
NB: Switzerland’s full participation lost during FP3, reinstituted since Jan 2004
• Incentive money for participation to the FP: CHF 20,000.- (i.e. ± € 13,500) for starting
a coordination project; CHF 7’000.- (i.e. € 4,700) for a 1st partner participation
– Constant efforts to improve internal communication on the European programmes to the researchers with support of the Swiss Euresearch Network
• Training and information sessions organized by the Lausanne Euresearch Office for UNIL and EPFL researchers together
• Active search of promising candidates to ERC and FP7 projects into the UNIL units.
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The Swiss Euresearch Network
St. GallenBaselZürich
Neuchâtel
Genève
Lausanne
Lugano - Ticino
Bern
Fribourg
Luzern
Swisscore Brussels
Head Office Bern
Regional Offices: Generalists, Admin, Legal & Financial Support
Head Office, Bern: Specialists, Scientific and Strategic Support
SwissCore, Brussels: Lobbyists, contacts & meeting spaceSwissCore, Brussels: Lobbyists, contacts & meeting space
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Swiss Universities 2008: 121'009 students
source: OFS - chiffres 2008
Increase 2007->2008:CH: + 3,5%UNIL: + 4% ! More attractive
Size of the UNIL
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2006 Funding SNF by Research FieldHuman
SciencesHard Sc. and
Natural SciencesBiology and
MedicineTotal
EPFZ 2'356'677 29'372'278 15'150'664 46'879'619
Zurich 11'037'102 7'336'450 25'461'742 43'835'294
Genève 5'420'539 12'211'129 25'119'455 42'751'123
Bâle 6'245'676 6'995'307 19'232'023 32'473'006
EPFL 416'250 28'141'486 3'481'970 32'039'706
Berne 5'941'881 11'301'742 13'895'258 31'138'881
Lausanne 4'727'008 2'050'560 22'663'585 29'441'153
Neuchâtel 7'846'278 6'341'368 978'300 15'165'946
Fribourg 4'119'918 4'633'533 2'058'095 10'811'546
USI 371'064 672'467 1'737'050 2'780'581
Lucerne 1'111'914 1'111'914
St-Gall 1'002'581 1'002'581
Total 50'596'888 109'056'320 129'778'142 289'431'350
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ce:
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FN
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Results/1
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Human Sciences
Hard Sc. and Natural Sciences
Biology and Medicine
Total
EPFZ 2’649’486 28’483’059 14’146’417 45’278’962
Zurich 10’212’788 14’726’914 23’186’731 48’126’433
Genève 7’694’829 17’372’909 24’113’455 49’181’193
Bâle 7’173’286 9’443’419 18’366’828 34’983’533
EPFL 373’225 22’746’324 3’426’512 26’546’061
Berne 6’229’822 15’178’829 14’751’837 36’160’488
Lausanne 5’229’994 3’251’011 17’337’559 25’818’564
Neuchâtel 7’600’029 5’449’486 979’486 14’029’001
Fribourg 4’585’322 4’143’032 3’878’820 12’607’174
USI 652’516 846’400 1'789’283 3’288’199
Lucerne 501’673 501’673
St-Gall 584’306 584’306
Total 53’487’276 121’641’383 121’976’928 297’105’587
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ce:
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2007 Funding SNF by Research Field
Results/2
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Human Sciences
Hard Sc. and Natural Sciences
Biology and Medicine
Total
EPFZ 4’095’083 33’123’678 13’641’739 50’860’500
Zurich 9’830’931 7’760’044 43’740’173 61’331’148
Genève 9’402’853 18’526’310 34’546’453 62’475’616
Bâle 8’621’255 8’400’859 17’742’522 34’764’636
EPFL 1’169’785 36’192’192 10’100’955 47’462’932
Berne 9’350’583 15’442’841 23’050’713 47’844’137
Lausanne 6’926’961 2’297’066 49’202’723 58’426’750
Neuchâtel 2’227’420 4’376’725 2’080’221 8’684’366
Fribourg 3’585’781 6’005’276 3’089’597 12’680’654
USI 670’028 2’982’831 3’652’859
Lucerne 595’670 595’670
St-Gall 1’417’135 1’417’135
Total 57’893’485 135’107’822 197’195’096 390’196’403
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ce:
An
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elp
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SN
F
2008 Funding SNF by Research Field
Total 2007: 25’818’564
Total 2007: 25’818’564
Results/3
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Research at the Faculty of Biology and Medicine
Results/4
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100
1’000
KF
10’000
2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008
European Research Funds at UNIL
Results/5
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ERC grants in 2008 (per region)
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
RegionGeneva
Lausanne
RegionZürich,
Basel, St-Gall
RegionBerne, Neuchâtel,
Fribourg
Ticino,Luzern
Nr of grants
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SNF funding in 2008 (per region)
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
180
Region Geneva, Lausanne
Region Zürich,
Basel, St-Gall
Region Berne, NeuchâtelFribourg
Ticino, Luzern
Mio CHF
RégionLémanique
Région Zürich,Basel, St-Gall
BENEFRI
Ticino, Luzern
168
148
69
5
390
Data: SNF 2008, excl. Sinergia, PNR and NCCR
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Mean number of citations per article: 5 first ranked universities in Europe in 2008
Results/6
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Perspectives/1
Further developments
• Provide better support to the researchers by:• hiring of a central Research Project Manager (under discussion)
•Ameliorate the coordination of information to the researchers with the help of the new Central Research Team
•Develop communication of research results both in- and outside
•Improve the valorisation of successful researchers: academic career, financial incentives, internal and external publicity,...
•and more specifically, foster research programmes participation spirit through some of the Human and Social Sciences Departments where it is not the tradition
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Perspectives/2
Conclusions
Adaptation to change is risky (and can be very scary!)
Adaptation to change can be stimulating
1.The imposed reorganisation provided an opportunity to set up priorities and develop new approaches in both teaching and research fields.
1.Despite the loss of an almost complete Faculty of Sciences, the UNIL has succeeded in increasing its research potential but has still a lot to do regarding its participation in the European Research Programmes, ...
1.The Rectorate has to continue playing a proactive, leading and supporting role to the UNIL participation into research programmes, Swiss and international.
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www.unil.ch