Board of the University

The Board of the University is the highest governing body of the University. The Board is responsible for strategic decisions and the direct oversight of the University. (University Act (in German)  § 29)

"The University of Zurich is a beacon in national and international higher education, and our canton can be proud of the University’s practiced excellence. As President of the Board of the University and as Minister of Education, I am committed to further strengthening Zurich as a place of higher learning. Research and scholarship provide the foundation for innovation. Or, phrased differently: Our society and economy rely on impulses from universities in order to develop positively and to find the best answers to today’s pressing questions."
Brief Profile

“In the age of digitalization – where almost all knowledge is available online – it is all the more important that we promote ‘out-of-the-box thinking’ and interdisciplinary cooperation to not only maintain but increase the Zurich economic region’s innovative power and the international edge that comes with it.

My vision for the University of Zurich is for it to help shape a space of interconnected knowledge. A space where transdisciplinary work lets borders blur. A space where people come together and ideas thrive. The focus should always be on the matter that is being analyzed and investigated, never on external claims – wherever or whomever they may come from. This is what I’m committed to.”
Brief Profile

“The Swiss education system is the cornerstone upon which our country’s prosperity and social cohesion are built. The University of Zurich plays a key role in this. Identifying societal challenges early on and providing students with the right education requires more than excellence in research and teaching. To make an impact, a university must also have deep roots in society and be able to communicate and implement ideas. Only then can it remain successful in the future.”
Brief Profile

“As a major comprehensive university, the University of Zurich is a key player in higher education and research in Switzerland. Motivated students, innovative instructors and researchers use the university’s state-of-the-art infrastructure to achieve excellence at the international level. Through its close ties with business and industry, the university helps address global challenges and strengthen our society and economy, making effective use of its autonomy and the funds entrusted to it.”
Brief Profile

"Switzerland’s higher education institutions are typologically and content-wise more diverse than those of its neighboring countries, yet they are also more coherent in terms of academics and the programs offered. The University of Zurich plays a pioneering role in this landscape because it has the most diverse range of studies in the whole of Switzerland, but also due to its internationally leading position in numerous areas of research. As such, the Board of the University is confronted with a dual challenge: Our overarching aim is to ensure the outstanding quality of scholarship at the University of Zurich, thus contributing to the international reputation of Switzerland’s higher education system on the whole."
Brief Profile

“Education, knowledge transfer and research in medicine are the cornerstone of all medical care. Without these activities, we would not be able to meet the needs of a society that is constantly developing. The role of a university is to ensure the availability of specialist knowledge about health and diseases. In many areas of medicine, the underlying scientific principles are incomplete, and it is paramount that we investigate them. With the University Medicine Zurich initiative, the University of Zurich has built an environment that focuses on innovation and cooperation in the medical arena. It has thus created an unprecedented education and research cluster of excellence in the life sciences.”
Brief Profile

“The University of Zurich brings together academic excellence in research and teaching and active social responsibility that makes a real difference. Good governance emerges where strategic clarity, diversity and trust come together and where freedom fosters innovation – especially where the realms of business, academia, culture and the public sector intersect. One of the core tasks of the Board of the University is to strengthen this connection between autonomy and responsibility, between excellence and social engagement.”
Brief Profile

“As a major destination for upper secondary school graduates, the University of Zurich bears a great responsibility. It offers these young talents an environment that further hones their critical thinking skills and prepares them to tackle the pressing issues of the future. As a member of the Board of the University, I see my role as a bridge between academic freedom and institutional responsibility, and I am committed to ensuring that the autonomy of the higher education institution is put to use effectively. I envision a university that is deeply integrated into society, one that remains courageous and recognizes that first-class research and first-class teaching are two sides of the same coin.”
Brief Profile

Executive Board of the University

• Prof. Dr. Michael Schaepman, President
• Prof. Dr. Gabriele Siegert,Vice President Education and Student Affairs
• Prof. Dr. Elisabeth Stark, Vice President Research
• Prof. Dr. Ralph Ossa, Vice President Faculty Affairs and Scientific Information
• Prof. Dr. Beatrice Beck Schimmer, Vice President Medicine
• M.A. HSG Daniel Hug, Director of Finances
• Dipl. Bauing. François Chapuis, Director of Real Estate and Facility Management

Representatives of the Professorial Staff

• Prof. Dr. Thomas Gehrmann
• Prof. Dr. Philipp Kaufmann 

Representative of the Students

Roman Merz

Representative of the Junior Researchers

Dr. Philip Zimmermann

Representative of the Senior Researchers and Teaching Staff

Prof. Dr. Valerie Treyer

Representative of the Administrative and Technical Staff

Christina Wentz

Representative of the Cantonal Department of Health

Mariel Baumann, MA, Deputy Secretary General of the Health Department

Representative of the Hospital Advisory Board USZ

André Zemp, Chair of the Hospital Advisory Board USZ