Basic principles of the Vetsuisse strategy

With its two locations in Bern and Zurich, the Vetsuisse Faculty is the accredited training facility for veterinary medicine in the whole of Switzerland. The health and well-being of animals is at the heart of all the faculty’s activities. However, the Vetsuisse Faculty also sees itself as an essential partner in the “One Health” concept together with the other faculties and institutions of both universities and conducts research, training and continuing education as well as a wide range of services at the highest level.

Strategy


Portrait

History of the Vetsuisse Faculty
In early 2003 the official go-ahead for the Vetsuisse project was given, i.e., the merger of the two veterinary faculties of Bern and Zurich to a Vetsuisse Faculty Switzerland. So far, this is the largest and most important cooperation project in the Swiss higher education area that serves quality assurance in research, teaching, service and the expansion of the international competitiveness of Switzerland in veterinary medicine. In March 2006, the parliaments of the cantons of Bern and Zurich have adopted the Vetsuisse Concordat, which provides the legal basis for the Vetsuisse Faculty. The official creation of the Vetsuisse Faculty took place on the 1st September 2006.

Concordat (PDF)


Structure and management
The Vetsuisse Council is the Supreme strategic organ of the Vetsuisse Faculty, which consists of the two Presidents of the universities, each with one further member of the Executive Board of the University, and one member of the governing Council as well as one representative of the competent Cantonal Directorate. The Vetsuisse Council sets the strategic objectives for the planning.

The Vetsuisse Faculty Executive Board consists of the Vetsuisse Dean and the Location Deans. The Vetsuisse Dean directs the Faculty and represents them against the outside. He or she is in particular responsible for the elaboration and implementation of planning, the allocation of resources at both locations of the Vetsuisse Faculty, application for appointments, cooperation with national and international committees and public relations. The Vetsuisse Dean is supported by the Locations Deans that are in particular responsible for specific affairs of Bern and Zurich. Further common Faculty organs are the Vetsuisse Faculty Assembly as well as the committee for business promotion and the research and teaching committees.


Organigram

Members of the Vetsuisse Council
Prof. Dr. Christian Leumann, Präsident des Vetsuisse-Rats und Rektor Universität Bern
Prof. Dr. Michael Schaepman, Vizepräsident des Vetsuisse-Rats und Rektor Universität Zürich
Prof. Dr. Doris Rentsch, Senat Universität Bern
Dr. Urs Oberholzer, Universitätsrat Zürich
Dr. Christoph Pappa, Universitätsleitung Bern
Prof. Dr. Elisabeth Stark, Universitätsleitung Zürich
Prof. Dr. Dorothea Christ, Bildungsdirektion Zürich
Daniel Schönmann, Amt für Hochschulen Bern

Members of the Vetsuisse Council and the Vetsuisse Executive Board
Prof. Dr. Roger Stephan, Vetsuisse-Dekan und Standortdekan Zürich
Prof. Dr. David Spreng, Standortdekan Bern


Members of the Permanent Vetsuisse Committees
The following Vetsuisse Faculty commissions were formed as cross-location Faculty structures:

  • Teaching committee
  • Research committee
  • Committee for business promotion