International scientific cooperation

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Presentation of the Unit

Because research knows no borders, the International Scientific Cooperation Unit supports research and collaboration projects between Switzerland and other countries. Its activities focus specifically on the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, as well as the Francophonie.

As a body of the HES-SO and as part of its mandate as Leading House MENA, awarded by SERI, the Unit is responsible for developing mechanisms for international scientific partnerships and promoting knowledge sharing, whilst safeguarding the interests of the Swiss scientific community. To fulfil its mission, the Unit publishes several calls for proposals each year, thereby supporting research across a wide range of fields, from the basic sciences to the social sciences and the arts.

The International Scientific Cooperation Unit also promotes applied research and training in the field of appropriate technologies for sustainable development through its ETA programme. This programme aims to encourage scientific collaboration between the HES-SO and the Francophonie through calls for proposals open to all scientific disciplines. The projects supported are firmly rooted at a local level and tailored to human, economic and environmental contexts.