Bilateral Programmes
Bilateral Programmes strengthen Switzerland’s international cooperation in education, research and innovation (ERI). Two complementary instruments – joint research projects of the Swiss National Science Foundation and Leading House pilot activities – foster targeted partnerships with regions outside Europe. These programmes significantly contribute to Switzerland’s positioning in the global scientific community and help to advance the country’s international ERI strategy.
Long-term partnerships
The Confederation’s bilateral programmes were launched in 2008 to help diversify international partnerships and provide effective instruments for cooperation. These programmes allow Switzerland to expand research and innovation cooperation with non-European countries that are of interest to Swiss ERI stakeholders due to their strong scientific and technological potential. Bilateral programmes further strengthen Switzerland’s international appeal and visibility in the ERI domain and are grounded in the principles of mutual interest, joint funding and scientific excellence, with the goal of fostering long-term sustainable partnerships. These programmes will be continued in accordance with the dispatch on the promotion of education, research and innovation for the 2025–2028 period.
The Confederation’s bilateral programmes consist of two complementary instruments:
Joint Research Projects (JRPs)
The Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) promotes Joint Research Projects in collaboration with institutions from partner countries on behalf of SERI. These projects run for three to four years and enable Swiss researchers to work with international partners on specific research projects. JRPs are jointly supported by both countries, with each funding agency financing researchers from its own country. The calls for proposals are often thematically focused, with topics selected on the basis of their relevance to the two countries involved.
Leading House pilot activities
Under the Leading House model, SERI commissions selected Swiss higher education institutions to create opportunities for new research and innovation cooperation with specific non-European regions. These Leading Houses develop targeted cooperation instruments tailored to the interests of the Swiss research and innovation community, including seed funding for pilot projects focused on research and innovation, support for international workshops and seminars, and small mobility grants. In addition, the Leading Houses represent the interests of the Swiss research community vis-à-vis partners in the respective regions and provide them with relevant local contacts and expertise.
In consultation with the Swiss Conference of Rectors of Higher Education Institutions (swissuniversities), the following higher education institutions have been mandated as Leading Houses for the regional implementation of projects and activities for the period 2025–2028
- North Africa and Middle East: Fachhochschule Westschweiz (HES-SO)
- Subsaharan Africa: Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute (Swiss TPH) in cooperation with the University of Basel
- Latin America: University of St. Gallen (HSG)
- Asia / Pacific: University of Zurich (UZH)
- South Asia and Iran: Zürcher Hochschule für Angewandte Wissenschaften (ZHAW)
Diversifying and strengthening international partnerships
The Confederation’s International Strategy for Education, Research and Innovation aims to maintain Switzerland’s leading global position in these areas. Achieving this goal depends on internationally active ERI stakeholders, supportive framework conditions and adequate funding. Bilateral programmes are a key instrument for implementing the Confederation’s international strategy. An external evaluation commissioned by SERI in 2020 confirms their considerable added value for Swiss researchers and institutions. These programmes help diversify bilateral research collaborations and contribute significantly to the marked increase in new scientific publications with partners in the target countries. Overall, the evaluation highlights the programmes’ vital role in building strong and lasting international networks among institutions and researchers. In the 2021–2024 funding period, over 600 research and innovation projects were supported under the Confederation’s bilateral programmes.
Documentation
International ERI strategy
Switzerland´s International Strategy on Education, Research and Innovation. Strategy of the Federal Council
Evaluation of Switzerland’s bilateral cooperation programmes in science and technology, prepared by IRIS group for the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation