International Affairs - Relations Internationales - EPFL

Progress-Report_DEF.qxd:Layout 1 5.6.2007 3:00 Page 2
Foreword
The Vice-Presidency for International Affairs (VPRI), established
two years ago, is a pioneering initiative by EPFL in its
organization. Building on the groundwork carried out by
Prof. Dominique de Werra’s previous International Relations
Unit, VPRI has now expanded its strategic role.
VPRI activities now extend to the enlarged EU (European
Union), to North America and to Asia (especially China and
India). As in the past, part of EPFL’s work in international
relations aims at organizing student exchange opportunities
through MoUs 1 and ensuring the EPFL’s presence at student recruiting events. In
2004, the State Secretariat for Education & Research (SER) mandated EPFL with
the coordination and implementation of the Indo Swiss Joint Research Programme
(ISJRP). This program was jointly initiated by the Swiss and Indian Governments and
aims at increasing the number and scope of collaborations between Swiss and
Indian scientists through the promotion of joint research projects.
VPRI pursues a policy of active promotion of the EPFL’s master’s programs, focusing
on the dynamic campus environment of students, PhD candidates, young
researchers and professors. This activity is coupled with fundraising to generate
more scholarship and fellowship awards. All these projects are making steady
progress.
The multiplicity of global actors in higher education, the uneven quality of their
services, and occasionally occurrences of fraud in certain countries, are strengthening
the need for Quality Assurance for the sake of transparency at the bachelor
and master levels. The basic framework conditions are laid out in the Bologna
process. In 2006, EPFL once again took the lead by requesting an accreditation of
its master’s programs and recognition of its Quality System by two European
agencies (CTI and OAQ 2 ), based on the ENQA 3 quality standard.
1 MoU: Memorandum of Understanding.
2 Commission des Titres d’Ingénieur (F: Academic and Professional recognition)
et Organe d´Accréditation et d´assurance Qualité des hautes écoles suisses (OAQ).
3 European Network for Quality Assurance (ENQA).
Because EU information does not freely flow to Swiss universities, EPFL often finds
itself in a position in which it needs to make assessments of EU initiatives in the
EHEA 4 . In a fast-changing world, gathering information are core missions for the
VPRI team, for instance through addressing targeted invitations to top universities
or participation in reputed academic networks.
EPFL has a long tradition of North-South commitments in close association with
the Swiss government’s cooperation activities, as attested to by the success of the
Cooperation@epfl group led by Professor Jean-Claude Bolay. The Cooperation
Group has been awarded a UNESCO Chair in Technologies for Development. The
group focuses in four priority areas: sustainable development for cities; disaster
management; renewable energy; environmental information and communications.
The Chair will bring better visibility to these activities and facilitate partnerships with
institutions in emerging and developing countries.
Finally, the VPRI’s leadership also relies on the quality of contacts established
with EPFL programs, Schools and particularly with the Vice-Presidency for
Academic Affairs. I wish to thank our partners for these fruitful collaborations
and, last but not least, all VPRI collaborators for their commitment.
Prof. Martin Vetterli
EPFL Vice-President for International Affairs
4 European High Education Area (EHEA).