The ORD Strategy Council

Angelika Kalt was professor of Petrology and Geodynamics at the University of Neuchâtel before becoming Director of the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) in 2016. Since taking over the helm at the SNSF, she has focused her efforts on modernising SNSF research funding in line with international trends – promoting cross-border collaboration, encouraging Open Access to publications and data, implementing the recommendations of the DORA Declaration,and facilitating Open Science. She is dedicated to improving conditions for researchers in Switzerland, in particular for young researchers and women.

Prof. Joël Mesot, an esteemed physicist with a focus on strongly correlated materials, has been leading as the President of ETH Zurich since January 1, 2019. A graduate of ETH Zurich, his career spans significant roles including a full professorship at ETH Zurich and EPFL-Lausanne, and directorship at the Paul-Scherrer-Institute. His pioneering work on high-temperature superconductors and neutron spectroscopy has been recognized with awards like the Swiss Physical Society’s IBM Prize and the Latsis Prize from ETH Zurich. Mesot’s expertise has also contributed to the development of key research facilities and to the scientific community through his role as Editor of “Neutron News”.

Thierry Dias, Rector of HEP Vaud since July 2019, is an esteemed Education Professor with expertise in mathematics didactics. With a rich teaching history in France and a role in teacher training at IUFM Lyon, his research delves into educational strategies and learning difficulties in math, earning him a Ph.D. from Claude Bernard University Lyon 1. At Haute école pédagogique Vaud since 2010, he’s focused on math learning disorders and founded the RITEAM research team in 2017. Dias is a prolific author on pedagogy, contributes to the Institut Henri Poincaré, and advises the French Ministry of National Education.

Yves Flückiger, President of the Swiss Academies of Sciences since January 2024, is a distinguished academic with expertise in labor economics, industrial organization, and public finances. He holds a degree in Economics and Sociology and a doctorate in Political Economy from the University of Geneva. Flückiger has an extensive background in research and teaching, having been a research fellow at Harvard and Oxford, and served in various academic positions including Vice-Rector and later Rector of the University of Geneva. He was President of swissuniversities from 2020 to 2023 and President of the League of European Research Universities until July 2023.

Prof. Frédéric Herman serves as the Rector of the University of Lausanne (UNIL) since August 1, 2021. An expert on the interplay between climate change and mountain evolution, he navigates the institution through the complexities of the post-Covid era with a focus on human-centric management. Under his leadership, UNIL addresses key societal challenges through research, teaching, and academic engagement, emphasizing health, ecological transition, equality, and science’s societal role. His strategy involves fostering collaborative efforts and maintaining UNIL’s commitment to knowledge-sharing in diverse fields as part of its public-service mandate.

Christian Leumann has been the Rector of the University of Bern since August 1, 2016, previously serving as the Vice-Rector of Research since 2011. Born in 1958 in Lausanne and raised near Basel, Leumann pursued his chemistry studies at ETH Zurich. After a postdoctoral stint at the University of California, Berkeley, and five years of research at ETH Zurich, he was appointed as a professor for bioorganic chemistry at the University of Bern in 1993. His research is focused on developing chemically modified nucleic acids for the treatment of genetic diseases. Prof. Leumann has held various research positions, including at the Scripps Research Institute and Stanford University. In addition to his academic roles, he has been active in scientific governance, such as being a member of the Research Council and head of the Mathematics, Natural Sciences, and Engineering division at the Swiss National Science Foundation.

Jean-Marc Piveteau has been the President of the Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW) since 2011. He holds a foundation in Mathematics and Physics from ETH Zurich and is known for his contributions to bridging the gap between academia and startup ecosystems, actively promoting entrepreneurship at ZHAW.

Martin Vetterli, President of EPFL since 2017 and professor in the Audiovisual Communications Lab, is a prominent figure in Swiss education and research. Educated at ETH Zurich and Stanford, with a Ph.D. from EPFL, he has taught at Columbia University, UC Berkeley, and EPFL. His research, recognized with the Latsis Prize and multiple honorary degrees, spans electrical engineering and computer science, contributing to over 200 publications and numerous startups.