Swiss Academies of Arts and Sciences
New genomic techniques, intellectual property and crop development: European academy recommendations
A new statement of European academies provides recommendations to help overcome obstacles posed by the current IP system so that all stakeholders can fully benefit from new genomic techniques. These techniques, such as CRISPR-Cas, entail a significant potential to contribute to sustainable crop development and food security. However, the current intellectual property system poses challenges for breeders and farmers: patenting harvested materials is controversial, and there are concerns about unintentional patent infringement as well as monopolisation of these technologies and the resulting plant varieties. After exploring how the current IP system affects the operations of European breeders and farmers, the statement provides recommendations to overcome possible obstacles. These recommendations were drafted by an expert task force of the All European Academies (ALLEA), co-chaired by Heinz Müller, member of the Swiss Academies’ Forum for Genetic Research and formerly with the Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property.
Swiss Young Academy SYA
Innovative Teaching Formats at the Science-Society Interface: Reflections and Future Directions in Swiss Higher Education
Science-society dialogue is crucial for addressing pressing societal challenges. One important avenue for strengthening this link, in an inter- and transdisciplinary perspective, is teaching formats that encourage students to engage in the public sphere. However, an illustrative collection of best practices in Swiss higher education has been lacking so far. This practice-driven report draws on a non-exhaustive stocktake of existing courses in Switzerland and participatory workshops among lecturers. It features illustrative examples from Swiss higher education institutions and introduces a new typology of science-society teaching formats, offering educators a structured way to design and analyze courses across six dimensions. In addition, the publication discusses both the opportunities and challenges of implementing such teaching formats. To further advance science-society education, the report identifies three priority areas for action.
Swiss Academy of Sciences SCNAT
Strategy for natural history collections in Switzerland
Thirty-seven institutions, take a decisive step towards unlocking the full potential of natural history collections in Switzerland. Together, they publish and endorse a strategy based on 6 pillars and 52 key activities to better preserve collections, ensure their accessibility and promote their use for science and society.
