The Research Working Group is organising a webinar on the topic of the role of foundations in advocating for a strong research sector in Switzerland.

The framework conditions for research and innovation in Switzerland are currently shifting. As the uncertainty regarding Swiss-EU relations remains, the announced budget cuts in public support now also raise questions about future funding and quality assurance. This changing landscape challenges the role of research-funding foundations: their activities are at risk if the Swiss research sector as a whole declines.

The missions of these foundations are influenced by public policy. Indeed, factors such as participation in European programs and public funding for research and education ensure a level of quality, which in turn enables research-funding foundations, to provide substantial support for research in Switzerland. This is why, in recent years, representatives of foundations that are members of AGFA and of SwissFoundations‘ Research Working Group have occasionally taken a stance on national issues affecting research and education in Switzerland. The webinar will showcase specific examples of actions that have been undertaken, discuss the role foundations can play, and consider the challenges that lie ahead in the coming years.

The webinar is organized by the Research Working Group in collaboration with AGFA (L’Association de Genève des Fondations Académiques).

Founded in Geneva in 1998, AGFA brings together foundations aiming at, among other goals, supporting research and higher education in Switzerland. Its 20 members are based in the Lemanic Region and meet twice a year to debate on the societal issues and challenges involving the research and education sector in Switzerland. Anne Laufer is Secretary General of AGFA since 2020 and Head of Public Affairs at the University of Geneva since 2016. Elodie van Hove is Secretary of AGFA since 2016 and Secretary General of the Louis-Jeantet Foundation since 2023.

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