Annual Report 2006/07 - ETH - North-South Centre North-South ...

An introduction to ZILThe ZIL Executive Manager has continued her service on theSteering Committee of the European Forum for AgriculturalResearch for Development (EFARD) as its Vice-Chair. EFARD succeededin nominating George Rothschild from the UK as itsnew Chairman, who took up his duties in June 2007, as successorof Hans Hurni from the University of Berne. In Spring 2007,the EC mandated an external evaluation of EFARD, which isnow working towards implementing the recommendations.The ERA-ARD project is another strong linkage to the EuropeanARD community (p. 22).As Vice-Chair of EFARD, Barbara Becker also represented theEuropean Forum in the Steering Committee of GFAR, theGlobal Forum for Agricultural Research. GFAR is in a transitionphase of its secretariat, and in a similar stage as EFARD withrespect to implementing the recommendations of its recentexternal evaluation.As delegate of the D-AGRL, Barbara Becker continued to representthe ETH Zurich at the General Assembly of NATURA, theNetwork of European Agricultural (Tropically and SubtropicallyOriented) Universities and Scientific Complexes related toAgricultural Development, thus ensuring the link to theEuropean universities engaged in teaching tropical agriculture.Internal developmentsZIL’s business year was dominated by the integration processwith NIDECO and the transition of the SDC contract fromphase IV to V. As an association, ZIL pursues a bottom-up philosophywhere all decisions must be approved by its members.The ZIL President was instrumental in leading the integrationprocess on behalf of the two institutions. He had the full supportof the entire ZIL Board, which took on the additional loadof consultations and meetings to guarantee a smooth transition.The final decision of dissolving the association ZIL wastaken by its General Assembly on June 26, 2007.The new contract phase required adjustments in its financeadministration, as agreed in several meetings with SDC in earlyThe ZIL Management Team (clockwise from upper left): Sabine Hahn-Fornet,Emma Lindberg, Barbara Becker, Dorota Niedzwiecka, Matthias Egloff,Mark Zoss, Manfred Kaufmann2006. Ultimately, these adjustments gave the ZIL managementgreater autonomy and responsibility, which was approved inJune 2006 by the General Assembly. The new external auditorproved to be a very constructive advisor concerning theincreasingly complex finance administration.The ZIL management team remained the same lively group asbefore. Barbara Becker attended a seven-weekend course onresearch management in 2006. Dorota Niedzwiecka went on atwo-month internship to FAO in Rome in late 2006. Her substituteduring this period was Nanina Gubler, who had done herpractical training in the ZIL management office in 2005. In2007, the team was complemented by Sabine Hahn-Fornet asconsultant for the Impact Study, and by Emma Lindberg asassistant for the preparation of the Inaugural Conference ofthe North-South Centre. The entire team is committed to continueits service to the ZIL community and its partners underthe new institutional umbrella with increased strength andresources.Barbara Becker, August 200713