By Claudio R. Boër, Senior advisor, swissnex China

In October and November, there have been several events and agreements signed with the intention of furthering Sino-Swiss collaborations in education, research and innovation.

11.10.2019 2nd Swiss Aging and Healthcare Symposium

In the second Swiss Aging and Healthcare Symposium, organized by the City of Lugano, there was a large number of participants from greater China. The event, coordinated by CHOLLEY SA, a local cosmetic dermatology company with notable footprints in China, has been opened by the Mayor of Lugano and the Chinese participants were given an introduction to the role of swissnex in China by Prof. Claudio Boër.

14.10.2019 2nd Southern Swiss Innovation Forum

An exchange of ideas between the political, economic and scientific worlds on the topic of innovation, analyzed from three different perspectives: The European, the Swiss and the regional level. The focus of the three sessions is a reflection on innovation and the influence of digitalization and sustainability in our region, provided by the participation of prestigious personalities and by success stories of innovative regional companies.

Claudio Boer, Senior Advisor, swissnex China was in the Panel: Policy and Innovation - How is innovation policy interpreted, do we need new concepts of sustainability? How can we facilitate a sustainable effective interaction between science, economy and society?

International: Claudio Boër, Senior Advisor, swissnex China and SUPSI’s Board Vice president
Europe: Giovanni Azzone, President Arexpo s.p.a
Otto Bruun, European Advisor for Innovation at SwissCore
Enrico Nardelli, President Informatics Europe, Università di Roma “Tor Vergata”
Switzerland: Christoph Eymann, National Council member, Canton of Basel-Stadt
Ticino: Christian Vitta, State President of the Canton Ticino and Director of the Department of finance and economy
Fabio Regazzi, National Council member and President of AITI
Marco Borradori, Mayor of Lugano

There was also an interesting meeting between the students, the press and the audience with the Robot Sophia, an anthropomorphic robot with very realistic facial interfaces and voice based on AI. I was the moderator of the meeting.

25.10.2019 4th Sino-Swiss Symposium of UAS

Concept

The aim of the symposium is to show the functioning of SUPSI, through concrete examples of initiatives activated in particular in Mendrisio, a region of Ticino, where in September 2020 a new campus will be inaugurated. In particular, the dimension of relations with our stakeholders will be examined in depth, with examples of projects in favour of the local community that have been carried out with the involvement of institutions, companies, students, teachers and researchers.

Objectives

The objective are to enhance the specificities of applied universities in economic, social and cultural development; to strengthen the relations between the Swiss and Chinese universities of applied sciences and to encourage exchanges and projects between SUPSI and the partners of the Chinese UAS present.

Promoters

The event is organised and promoted in partnership by the Chinese Embassy in Switzerland, the China Education Association for International Exchange (CEAIE) in Beijing and SUPSI.
This is the fourth Sino-Swiss UAS Symposium to date organised in Switzerland, following the 2018 Symposium at the HTW in Chur, the 2017 Symposium of the HES-SO in Freiburg and the 2016 Symposium of the FHNW in Olten.

Participants

About 30 members of the Chinese delegation including embassy officials, rectors, managers of Chinese UAS and representatives of Chinese institutions.
Representatives of SERI and its International Relations Division.
The community of executives, professors, lecturers, researchers, managers and referents of international relations, students and institutional and corporate partners SUPSI, most involved with the issues and projects presented.
UAS International Relations guests. Institutional guests.

Mrs.Beatrice Ferrari (SEFRI) exchanging gifts at the UAS Symposium

04.11.2019 Signing Ceremony MOU Agreement SUPSI-UAD Zhejiang University

The two universities will collaborate on projects and training in the field of sustainable architecture. Ten years after the first collaboration between the Department of Construction and Design (DACD) with Zhejiang University, the Institute of Sustainability applied to the built environment (ISAAC) and the degree course in architecture SUPSI signed an agreement with the Architectural Design and Research Institute (UAD) of Hangzhou (China). A collaboration that opens up further development prospects for the SUPSI Department of Construction and Design (DACD) both in the didactic field and in the field of applied research.

After 9 editions of the Sino-Swiss Workshop which saw architecture students from SUPSI and Zhejiang involved in different projects and travels between China and Ticino, the interest was born to deepen this already fruitful collaboration not only in the field of training, but also in the development of research projects and pilot projects involving both Swiss and Chinese industrial and private partners.

The aim is to develop, for the three-year period 2020-2023, a joint innovative pilot project involving the two partners in the development of a low carbon sustainable building demonstrator that integrates innovative technologies and involves Chinese and Ticino companies.

With these excellent premises, on 4 November, together with a delegation from the city of Lugano, a cooperation agreement was signed in Hangzhou between SUPSI and Zhejiang University. The agreement establishes the cooperation between the two institutions for the development of a program that implies an innovative and sustainable approach in applied research linked to the construction sector through innovative projects involving leading ecological technologies.

The delegation of the SUPSi and the City of Lugano in front of the main building of the UAD in Hangzhou.

07.11.2019 Sino-Swiss Forum for Innovation and Technology Transfer

Aude Pacton, Head of International Relations, swissuniversities

Opening Remarks

Martina Weiss, Secretary General, swissuniversities
Kai Xu, Programme Officer, International Cooperation Department, China Education Association for International Exchange

Fostering Innovation in Switzerland

Beatrice Ferrari, Head of Bilateral Relations, State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation

Sino-Swiss Cooperation Examples in Innovation and Education

Claudio Boer, Vice President, University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland (SUPSI) & Senior Advisor, swissnex China