HES-SO: a new rectorate for Switzerland's second largest university
The Rectorate team proposed by Rector Luciana Vaccaro for a mandate of four years is now confirmed. The Vice Rector for Research and Innovation, Ms. Christine Pirinoli, will take up her new position on March 1, 2018.
The Government Committee, which met in Lausanne on Thursday, November 16, confirmed the Rectorate team proposed by HES-SO Rector Luciana Vaccaro. The Rectorate is thus composed of the following persons for the next four years:
- Luciana Vaccaro, Rector
- Yves Rey, Vice Rector Teaching
- Geneviève Le Fort, Vice Rector Quality
- Christine Pirinoli, Vice Rector Research and Innovation (new).
Christine Pirinoli, 52, takes up her position as Vice Rector Research and Innovation on March 1, 2018. She is currently a member of the Management Board of HESAV - Haute Ecole de Santé Vaud, where she is in charge of aF&E, international relations and services. She holds a Master's degree in Public Administration from IDHEAP and a PhD in Social Sciences from the University of Lausanne. She combines her excellent knowledge of the higher education landscape with many years of experience in research leadership and governance.
The current Vice Rector Research and Innovation Patrick Furrer, who will not extend his mandate, will hand over his duties at the end of February 2018. His commitment and achievements were acknowledged, including namely the introduction of a funding system with stronger incentives for research in the HES-SO, the establishment of the research unit aF&E, which offers a proactive service to researchers, the creation of the HES-SO Innovation Award or even the introduction of procedures that meet the requirements of Open Access.
The appointees form a team of complementary profiles that will support Rector Luciana Vaccaro in all the tasks that need to be accomplished over the next four years. These include, in particular, further developing the HES-SO in the face of the challenges of digitalization and World 4.0, supporting research in the universities in order to further enhance their quality and performance, guaranteeing the institutional accreditation of the HES-SO, and strengthening its national and international positioning. The HES-SO is the largest university-level higher education institution in Western Switzerland. It forms a wide network of higher education institutions across seven cantons and has 21,000 students from six academic disciplines. It awards more than 5,000 bachelor's and master's degrees annually, and more than 96 % of its graduates find a job within less than a year of graduation.
