Federal Council provides the impetus for better career planning
The Federal Council intends to make the support for the next generation of scientists at Swiss universities even better and is putting forward proposals to make it easier to plan a career in science.
On Wednesday, the Federal Council published its long-awaited report on promoting young talent at Swiss universities, in which it assesses the current situation, offers recommendations for research institutions and proposes measures to be taken. In the report, the government emphasises how important the universities and young scientists are for innovation and competitiveness in Switzerland.
According to the Federal Council, conditions for young researchers at Swiss universities need to be further improved in order to motivate the talented next generation to gain higher scientific qualifications. Since there is also an international element to a scientific career, an additional dimension has now been added to the question of how to support young scientists, in the light of the acceptance of the “National Initiative against Mass Immigration”.
“ETH plays a pioneering role”
The Federal Council sees the greatest need for change in the career structure between doctorate and professor levels. Selection at an early stage should make scientific careers more attractive and easier to plan. The Federal Council wants to trial incentive-based special measures to support universities in making long-term changes to their career structures. These measures would include creating additional Assistant Professor posts with tenure track.
In the ETH Domain, a great deal has already been done in this respect in recent years, as Corina Wirth from the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI) confirms: “When it comes to the introduction of Assistant Professor posts with tenure track, the Federal Institutes of Technology are playing a pioneering role in continental Europe.”
Combining career and family
With regard to doctorates, the federal government is recommending that universities improve the terms of employment for doctoral students and give them a guaranteed time period for their own research projects. In many places, steps like this have already been introduced. The report also acknowledges the need for improvement when it comes to equality of opportunities for men and women. The current federal “Equal Opportunities” programme is therefore to be continued. The federal government also recommends that universities take further steps to make it easier to combine an academic career with having a family.
Although the federal government’s report on promoting young talent is very comprehensive, specific decisions will only be taken over the course of the next two years. “We will look at the proposed measures with the universities and the Swiss National Science Foundation and set about developing them,” explains Corina Wirth. “Then, next year, the SERI will be producing its Dispatch on the Promotion of Education, Research and Innovation for 2017-2020.” Parliament will have the last word on implementation of the proposed measures in 2016.
ETH equips researchers for international careers
When it comes to promoting young talent, ETH Zurich works on these principles:
- It attracts and supports talented young researchers on the basis of their academic performance and scientific potential, regardless of their gender, nationality or background.
- It prepares its young scientists for an international career in science and enables them to apply for a science position anywhere in the world, at any phase of their career.
“Because it provides an international research environment, ETH Zurich offers its own young scientists a good chance to prove themselves in global competition and carve out a successful career,” says ETH Rector Lino Guzzella.
“Nowadays, international mobility is a prerequisite for making a career in science,” adds ETH President Ralph Eichler, “which is why it is a top priority for ETH Zurich to associate itself as rapidly as possible with European education and research programmes.”
ETH Zurich supports talented young researchers at all stages of their scientific career. Among other things, it establishes Assistant Professorships as independent education and research units.
It has also set itself the strategic target of increasing the proportion of Assistant Professors to 20% of the total number of professors by 2016. Furthermore, it is working towards a ratio of approximately one Senior Scientist per Full Professor.