Science
With the “Dispatch on the Promotion of Education, Research and Innovation (ERI) for 2017-2020”, the Swiss Federal Council has formulated its policy guidelines and measures for the various areas of the ERI system that fall under the constitutional and legislative authority of the Swiss Confederation. The Swiss Federal council has considered China as a priority country with which to cooperate in science and technology from 2017 to 2020. A specific budget is allocated to the cooperation with China and the State Secretariat for Education and Research has signed cooperation agreements with relevant Chinese units.
The Leading House for the Swiss-Chinese Cooperation in Science and Technology is ETH Zurich. Mandated by the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI), ETH Zurich is in charge of promoting and fostering scientific cooperation with key institutions in China for the funding period 2017-2020. The funding instruments within the programme are open to researchers of all Swiss universities, universities of applied sciences and research institutes. The Associated Leading House is the University of Zurich, in principle managing fields not covered by ETH Zurich.
Many universities (including the Swiss Federal Institutes of Technology ETH Zurich and EPFL), federal research institutes and centers of excellence as well as private ones have their own cooperation agreements or projects with China.
In the context of the Sino-Swiss Science and Technology Cooperation (SSSTC 2016), the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) have issued a call for Joint Research Projects (JRPs). Other official or high-ranking entities regularly organize joint scientific workshops.
Finally, Sino-Swiss cooperation can also be part of the European Union’s 7th Framework Programme (FP7), since Switzerland participates fully (cf. euresearch) and China is invited.
Below is the list of sino-swiss bilateral agreements related to research:
Accord de coopération scientifique et technique du 24 février 1989 entre la Confédération suisse et la République populaire de Chine. Entrée en vigueur: 24.02.1989.
MoU between the Swiss Federal Department of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Science and Technology of the People’s Republic of China for the strengthening of the scientific and technological cooperation between Switzerland and the People’s Republic of China. Entrée en vigueur: 21.11.2003
MoU entre le Gouvernement de la Confédération suisse et le Gouvernement de la République populaire de Chine relatif à des échanges en matière d’enseignement supérieur pendant les années 2006 à 2008. Entrée en vigueur: 27.10.2006.
Joint Statement entre le Gouvernement de la Confédération suisse et le Ministère de la Science et de la Technologie relatif à des projets conjoints de recherche pendant les années 2006 à 2008.
Joint Statement entre le Gouvernement de la Confédération suisse et le Ministère de l’Education relatif à des échanges en matière d’enseignement supérieur pendant les années 2006 à 2008.
Accord de coopération Fonds National Suisse et National Natural Science Foundation, expired.
Joint Statement on Sino-Swiss Science and Technology Cooperation between the Ministry of Science and Technology of China and the Federal Department of Home Affairs of Switzerland, signed on April 25th , 2011
Joint Statement on Sino-Swiss Science and Technology Cooperation between the State Secretariat for Education and Research of the Federal Department of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Science and Technology of the People’s Republic of China, signed on March 21st, 2012.
Memorandum between the Swiss Federal Department of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China on Higher Education Cooperation, signed on September 14th, 2012.
MoU between Association of Universities (College) of Applied Sciences China and swissuniversities Chamber of UAS Switzerland for the establishment of collaboration and the development of cooperation and exchanges, signed on June 23rd, 2015.
Joint Statement on Collaboration in the Field of Education between SERI and MoE, signed on October 16th, 2015.
MoU between Swiss National Science Foundation and National Natural Science Foundation of China signed on April 08th, 2016
MoU between Switzerland Innovation and TusPark signed on April 08th, 2016
Innovative Strategic Partnership between Switzerland in China, signed during the State Visit of the President of the Swiss Confederation Johann N. Schneider-Ammann on April 08th, 2016
MoU between the State Secretary of Education, Research and Innovation (SERI) of the Swiss Confederation and the Ministry of Education (MoE) of the People’s Republic of China about the cooperation in the field of vocational and professional education and training (VPET).
Regular news about Switzerland’s research achievements can be found, besides the websites of the relevant units, on swissinfo, amongst others, in Swiss languages, English or Chinese (see links).
