The university has announced the publication of a transparency list online of its external funding. Last year the university took in CHF315 million ($316 million) in third-party funds.
This content was published on
3 minutes
Keystone-SDA/Tages-Anzeiger/swissinfo.ch/UZH/ilj
العربية
ar
جامعة زيورخ تنشر قائمة المانحين من الأطراف الثالثة
The move – said to be the first of its kind in Switzerland – is the latest in the university’s attempts to offer more transparency, after its sponsorship deal with the UBS bank revealed in 2012 put the spotlight on the private funding of state-run universities.
The University of Zurich has been publishing a list of endowed professorships and outside interests of professors since 2017.
“Given the increasing importance of third-party funds, we are also aiming to create more transparency in this area,” university president Michael Hengartner said in a statementExternal link marking the launch of the databank and other sustainability measures on Wednesday.
The list
The new transparency list includes all external funding in excess of CHF100,000. It also details the names of the sponsor, the beneficiary and the project.
Among those included are technology and pharma firms, the Swiss state, and family foundations. Among the biggest donors are the Werner Siemens Foundation, with a total amount of almost CHF10.7 million in 2018, and the Larsson-Rosenquist Foundation from Zug, with a total amount of CHF20 million for a research centre on breastfeeding. The family owns Medela, the leading electronic breastmilk pump manufacturer.
According to the Tages-Anzeiger newspaperExternal link, the University of Zurich does not receive as much external funding as other institutions in the country. The top spot is held by the Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETH Zurich) – its neighbour in Zurich’s university quarter. It took in CHF367 million in 2017. ETH Zurich is not planning publish a similar list as its neighbour, it told the newspaper, but usually communicates details if requested.
In terms of percentage, the University of St Gallen leads the way at 35% third-party monies. The university is currently under pressure following an expenses scandalExternal link concerning a professor and is also planning transparency measures on third-party funding, the newspaper said.
Universities in French-speaking Switzerland do not currently publish a transparency list for third party funding like that of the University of Zurich, the Swiss news agency Keystone-SDA foundExternal link. The ETH Zurich’s sister organisation, the EPFL in Lausanne, said it had “no legal basis for publishing this kind of list”, while the University of Lausanne, for example, said such information could be obtained on demand.
Popular Stories
More
Life & Aging
Zurich: how the world capital of housing shortages is tackling the problem
In Switzerland more people are being referred to electrical therapies or psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy. Are there similar approaches where you live?
Is your place of origin, your Heimatort, important to you?
Every Swiss citizen has a Heimatort, a place of origin, but many have never visited theirs. What’s your relationship with your Heimatort? What does it mean to you?
This content was published on
After reaching a low point at the end of 2024, the Swiss job market showed the first signs of a slight recovery in the first quarter.
This content was published on
Switzerland's dioceses are making arrangements for the faithful to attend the Pope's funeral, including public screenings.
Vulnerable tenants hit hardest by Zurich evictions
This content was published on
More tenants are evicted in Zurich than anywhere else in Switzerland, which particularly affects older people on low incomes.
This content was published on
Swiss National Bank Q1 profits weighed down by foreign currency investments, which the rise in gold was unable to offset.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Zurich University to launch breast-feeding research centre
This content was published on
Thanks to a CHF10 million donation, the faculty of science at the University of Zurich is to launch a “unique” centre for breast-feeding research.
University professors made to disclose outside activities
This content was published on
The unanimous decision is intended to raise the transparency of professors’ alliances and interests outside of their teaching responsibilities, such as in cases when they serve on a company’s board of trustees or advise a health insurance company. It applies to professors at the University of Zurich, Switzerland’s largest university, with nearly 26,000 students. Zurich’s…
This content was published on
Nestle subsidiary Nestec will participate in the appointments committee for these two “Nestlé Chairs” and will also get a veto right. Each appointment has to be approved by Nestec. This is according to a contract that has been seen by the Swiss news agency and the Zurich-based Wochenzeitung weekly. The rights go further than had…
UBS funding casts doubt on university independence
This content was published on
Ursula Jauch is categorical. “It’s a Faustian pact. UBS has had a major reputational problem for years and is employing sophisticated marketing to clear its name,” the University of Zurich (UZH) philosophy professor declared. In April 2012 UZH and the Swiss bank surprised many by announcing a CHF100 million ($112 million) sponsorship deal to fund…
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.