The ORD Strategy Council

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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”.

Prof. Marcel Tanner, an eminent figure in global health and a key contributor to malaria vaccine development, serves as the President of the Swiss Academy of Arts and Sciences and is a board member of Fondation Botnar. As Director Emeritus of the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute and Professor Emeritus at the University of Basel, his extensive research in epidemiology, health systems, and infectious diseases has led to over 700 publications. Prof. Tanner’s impactful career includes leading the Tropical Institute in Ifakara, Tanzania, and significant contributions to health worker training programs in Switzerland and Tanzania. He holds a PhD in medical biology from the University of Basel and a master’s in public health from the University of London.

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. Married and the father of two adult children, Leumann resides in Bern with his wife.