Swiss elected chair of top European research universities group

University of Geneva Rector Yves Flückiger has been elected chair of the League of European Research Universities (LERU). The move comes at a time of uncertainty over Switzerland's future in the European research funding programme Horizon Europe. "I am pleased and honoured to take on the role of LERU Chair," said Flückiger, who is also president of the swissuniversities, the sector’s umbrella body, in a statement on Saturday. "Over the past two decades, LERU has done outstanding work to advance the interests of frontier research, innovation, and education in Europe, and I fully intend to continue doing so, notwithstanding the many challenges currently facing it both inside and outside Europe,” he added. Kurt Deketelaere, Secretary General of LERU, which is made up of 23 universities –including Oxford and Cambridge, as well as the Swiss universities of Zurich and Geneva – also welcomed the election. "I am very much looking forward to continuing the collaboration with Yves and to...