Future Perspectives

and internationally. Thanks to the dedication and passion of our staff, students and trusted partners, we were able to translate knowledge into action, and hence, take science to impact.

A pivotal moment for Swiss TPH was the signing of the new performance agreement with the University of Basel that provides a slight increase in core contributions to Swiss TPH, assuring stability for our future. With this and our increased funding from the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI) and the two Basel cantons from the year before, Swiss TPH is now in an excellent position to address global health’s greatest challenges.

Transformation and change On 1 April 2022, Swiss TPH’s new headquarters “Belo Horizonte” officially opened in Allschwil. The new, modern building, which was masterfully designed by Basel architects Kunz und Mösch, includes five floors of innovative working areas, cutting-edge laboratories and biobanks, as well as seminar rooms, a library and our cafeteria, Belo Café.

The building was the largest and most complex project that Swiss TPH ever pursued. Thanks to stringent project organisation, clear roles and responsibility and the tireless efforts by all individuals involved, the project was completed in time and within budget. Trust and respect at all levels were key ingredients of this project. Swiss TPH is now located in the midst of an emerging, dynamic life science and biotech cluster, which continues to attract additional research institutes, start-ups and private companies. Indeed, a bustling ecosystem for interdisciplinary collaboration, innovation and entrepreneurship is underway in the BaseLink area in Allschwil. Perseverance and progress As the world is learning to live with COVID-19 and other health threats, we must ensure that as a global community, we are better prepared for when, inevitably, future threats arise. Pandemic preparedness is no longer a ‘nice to have’ but a must in order to ensure societies are equipped, have appropriate surveillance systems in place, and react quickly and efficiently to emerging and re-emerging challenges. We must work together to ensure that we do not only persevere, but thrive. Swiss TPH is ready to play its part, be a leader and put our unique and expansive network into action.

I would like to thank all of our staff and students, partners and funders for the terrific collaboration and partnership. Together, we will continue towards our mission of making the world a healthier place.

Prof. Dr. Jürg Utzinger Director, Swiss TPH

→ From left to right: Renato Mösch, Conradin Cramer, Martina Hirayama, Jürg Utzinger, Monica Gschwind, Nicole Nüssli-Kaiser, Andreas Burckhardt, Marcel Tanner, Nicole Probst-Hensch, Philipp Kunz, Torsten Schwede and Stefan Mörgeli at the inauguration of Swiss TPH’s headquarters on 1 April 2022.

→ On 1 April 2022, the new Swiss TPH headquarters opened on the BaseLink site, an emerging life science cluster in Allschwil. Around 700 employees and students will now work, study and pursue research in the new building.

A Lasting Commitment to Swiss TPH

Dr. Andreas Burckhardt has been Chairman of the Board of Governors – the chief advisory board of Swiss TPH – since 2016. He will be stepping down from his role at the end of 2022. He joined us to discuss how the Board of Governors works, the opportunities presented by Swiss TPH’s new headquarters, and the institute’s role in fighting future pandemics.

“The first time we spoke was just before you became Chairman of the Board of Governors in 2016. Back then, you stressed that fundamentally, you didn’t want to do anything too different from your predecessor, Prof. Dr. Felix Gutzwiller. Looking back now, do you feel the same?”

Dr. Andreas Burckhardt: “I believe in the value of continuity. I am not the kind of person who comes into a new job and immediately turns everything upside down. My task was to bring my work and leadership experience in politics and the private sector to benefit Swiss TPH. You can’t do that by acting like a general; the only way to do it is to listen, take account of changes in the environment around you, and work together with other people to find solutions. A Chairman is not supposed to work towards a monument of his own.”

“How do you see the role of the Board of Governors? Is it an advisory body or more like an executive board, actively influencing the strategic position of Swiss TPH?”

Dr. Andreas Burckhardt: “Swiss TPH’s strategic aim and overall scientific direction needs to be identified and implemented by Swiss TPH’s Directorate. For the Board of Governors, it’s more a question of how we reconcile that direction with our budget constraints. Above all, the Board of Governors acts as the bridge between Swiss TPH, the private sector and politics, as well as the scientific community and society at large. My great asset as a member of the Board of Governors has been the fact that I am familiar with the political landscape in northwestern Switzerland. There are some significant differences in terms of culture and expectations between the urban Canton of Basel-Stadt and the more rural Canton of Basel-Landschaft, as well as between the various political parties and between the cantonal governments and the Swiss federal government. Navigating that landscape takes experience and political skill.”

“What have you achieved for Swiss TPH in your time as Chairman?”

Dr. Andreas Burckhardt: “One important milestone has been completing the new Swiss TPH headquarters on the BaseLink site in Allschwil, and doing it on time. We celebrated the grand opening on 1 April 2022. I was the Chair of the steering committee on that project, so I was in more of a supervisory role rather than involved in the day-to-day operations.”

“What opportunities do you think the new building will bring for Swiss TPH as far as research, education and services are concerned?”

Dr. Andreas Burckhardt: “The new building is an important moment for the institute. For the first time in its history, Swiss TPH now has the chance

to set up a unique infrastructure to help the staff of some 900 individuals continue to make major contributions to improving global health, both now and in the future. That work will take place in an innovative environment focused on life sciences, one that promotes an exchange between industry, the scientific community and many start-ups.”

“In contrast to the University of Basel, which has its various departments located in the city, the new Swiss TPH building is almost a bit isolated. Is there any danger of science shutting itself off from society?”

Dr. Andreas Burckhardt: “I don’t think so. Despite being in the city, some of the university’s departments are highly fragmented. That creates a risk that the different departments become disconnected from each other, when really everyone should be looking beyond their own specialist areas and boundaries towards multidisciplinary collaboration. This fragmentation leads to tunnel vision. The COVID–19 pandemic has made the shortcomings of that tunnel vision all too obvious. This demonstrates the benefits of bringing diverse disciplines together in an emerging life-science hub.”

“Switzerland is looking to reform the way it prepares for and fights pandemics in the future. There are increasing calls for the creation of a national centre of excellence to be set up. To what extent do you think Swiss TPH could take on that role of a centre of excellence?”

Dr. Andreas Burckhardt: “Swiss TPH’s public health expertise is unique within Switzerland. When it comes to the COVID–19 pandemic, and indeed future pandemics, it is not just a question of understanding individual viruses and how they spread, but also about modelling and monitoring epidemiological risks, taking into consideration mental health, the complex interplay between veterinary and human medicine and other topics of concern. Swiss TPH brings all of that expertise together under one roof.”

“You will be handing over to your successor as Chairman or Chairwoman of the Board of Governors on 1 January 2023. What advice will you give to that person?”

Dr. Andreas Burckhardt: “Maintaining a good relationship between the Board of Governors and the Directorate is absolutely essential. As far as Swiss TPH’s scientific work is concerned, the Board of Governors has to be able to rely on the Directorate, so one of the Board of Governors’ most important jobs is to make sure the Directorate is capable of meeting its challenges. At the same time, it is also crucial for the Board of Governors to remain anchored in the scientific community, in politics and in business.”

Dr. Andreas Burckhardt

A member of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), he was a part of the Basel Citizens Parliament from 1981 to 1989 and served as member of the Citizens Council and President of the Bürgerspital Basel from 1989 to 1997. He became a member of the Grand Council in 1997. Burckhardt reached the pinnacle of his political career in 2006/2007 when he became President of the Grand Council. After years in the legal department of a fiduciary company and an insurance company, he was Director of the Basel Chamber of Commerce from 1994 to 2001. Burckhardt was Chairman of the Executive Board of Bâloise Holding AG between 2011 and 2021. He has been Chairman of the Board of Governors since 1 January 2016, working tirelessly to promote the interests of Swiss TPH.