Statutory Event - Stéphane Berthet - The risks of international collaboration !
Today, in the face of the global challenges we are confronted with, international collaboration is essential, and in this context, universities have an important role to play in helping to find solutions to these challenges. That said, with the changing geopolitical landscape and the resulting tensions, the management and governance of risks associated with international collaboration has become increasingly important for universities, and this is not without significant challenges. Research, results, and data generated are often the target of hostile acts. Thus, certain partnerships may involve risks for both researchers and universities, particularly in terms of cybersecurity, research integrity, ethics, freedom of expression and academic freedom, threats to individual researchers, and the misuse of research for military purposes. How can such a situation be managed?
Dr. Stéphane BERTHET studied physics at the University of Geneva, where he obtained his doctorate in astronomy and astrophysics in 1991.
From 1992 to 2003, he worked at the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation, implementing Swiss research policy as a specialist in the fields of space, ground-based and space-based astronomy, and thermonuclear fusion. In this capacity, he represented Switzerland in numerous international research institutions, such as the European Space Agency, the European Southern Observatory, and the Euratom European Fusion Program. In 2001, he was appointed Deputy Director of the Swiss Space Office, then in 2003 to the University of Geneva as Secretary General, a position he held until October 2018, before being appointed Vice-Rector in charge of international and interinstitutional relations on November 1, 2018.
He is an expert in the accreditation and evaluation of universities in Switzerland, France, and Belgium, among others. He sits on various boards and chairs the Audit Committee of the University of Bordeaux and the Strategic Orientation Committee of the University of Clermont Auvergne, and is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Agence universitaire de la Francophonie.
