Green light for the new Faculty of Biomedical Sciences, "A crucial step forward for USI and the entire Italian-speaking part of Switzerland"

On November 24, 2014, the Parliament of the Canton Ticino approved with 66 votes in favour, 2 abstaining and 1 against, the foundation of a new Faculty of Biomedical Sciences and the creation of a Master school in Human Medicine at the Università della Svizzera italiana.

Piero Martinoli, the USI President and leader of the project from its inception in May 2009, expressed his deep appreciation towards the many partners involved. “Today’s vote represents an important step forward for the whole of the Italian-speaking part of Switzerland and for its university. I truly believe that the new Faculty will bring important benefits not only to the medical and scientific communities, but will produce significant social and economic effects as well. Not only will it contribute substantially to the innovation processes currently underway in the region south of the Alps, but it will also allow Ticino to take active part in solving an urgent national problem: the shortage of physicians trained in Swiss universities. My most sincere gratitude therefore goes to the team that has managed to pursue this complex project with determination, to the State Council and the Parliament of the Canton Ticino, as to the other partner universities”.

The new Faculty will include the Institute of Human Medicine, responsible for organising and managing the Master in Medicine, in partnership with the Swiss faculties of medicine for the relevant Bachelor programmes and with the University of Basel as the reference university. The new Faculty will include the Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB, affiliated to USI since 2010) with its doctoral training activities, and will create a Centre of Advanced Studies in Biomedical Entrepreneurship (CASEbiomed). Other training and research synergies will be further developed with the Faculties of Communication Sciences, Economics and Informatics, as well as with other important research institutes currently established in the region.

During the next University Council, scheduled for December 5th, USI will define the objectives of the Faculty Constituent Council, which will be responsible for setting the agenda and regulations for the appointment of professors.

The project phases and related documents are available here:
http://www.press.usi.ch/en/risorse-giornalisti/progetto-creazione-facolta-scienze-biomediche.htm