State Councillor Cesla Amarelle becomes new President of the HES-SO

Cesla Amarelle, State Councillor and Head of the Department of Education, Youth and Culture of the Canton of Vaud, will be the new President of the HES-SO for the period from 1 July 2021 to 30 June 2023. The vice-presidency will be held by the Arc region (cantons of Neuchâtel, Jura and Bern). Amarelle has yet to determine who will replace Neuchâtel State Councillor Monika Maire-Hefti as Vice-President and represent the region in the future.

Mandate of the Rector Luciana Vaccaro renewed

The Government Committee has also extended the mandate of Rector Luciana Vaccaro by four years until 30 September 2025. Vaccaro, who has served as rector since 2013 and whose mandate was renewed for the first time in 2017, has driven the development of the HES-SO over the past eight years and positioned the UAS Western Switzerland as an indispensable player in the Swiss higher education landscape, according to the UAS's media release. The government committee appreciates her excellent work and looks forward to continuing to work with her to expand the university's educational offerings and research activities for the benefit of society and the economy of French-speaking Switzerland.

A stable and durable financial model

Furthermore, the Government Committee approved the financial development plan that will ensure the financial stability of the HES-SO and its sponsoring cantons for the period 2022-2024. This new financial model takes into account the evolution of student numbers in the various study programmes, while ensuring a balance between cantons and departments. The HES-SO will enjoy moderate financial growth over this period.

Digitization and sustainability as top priorities

According to information, the HES-SO will carry out several strategic pilot projects during 2021 with the aim of better integrating the challenges of digitalisation and sustainability into teaching. These approaches will propose various tools to promote awareness of these issues and best practices among students and faculty, according to the statement. The government committee approved funding for these projects at the end of 2020 for a pilot phase that will last until the end of 2021, it said. At its meeting next November, it will decide whether to continue, it said.

The University of Applied Sciences of the French-speaking cantons

The Government Committee is made up of the State Councillors responsible for education from the HES-SO's partner cantons in French-speaking Switzerland: Currently, these are Cesla Amarelle (Vaud), Olivier Curty (Fribourg), Christophe Darbellay (Valais), Anne Emery-Torracinta (Geneva) and Monika Maire-Hefti (Neuchâtel, representing the Arc region, whose mandate expires at the end of this legislative term). The members of the Government Committee exercise overall supervision of the HES-SO and ensure its strategic management.

Source: HES-SO