A panel of development cooperation experts joins HAFL Hugo P. Cecchini Institute as strategic advisory board members

On 16 December 2020 the Institute convened its first strategic advisory board, bringing together a panel of external experts and BFH-HAFL senior leaders to discuss the strategic direction and the Institute’s role in the sustainable development agenda. Comprising a representative from each BFH-HAFL division (Agriculture, Forest Science, Food Science and Management, Transdisciplinary Subjects), the Director of BFH-HAFL and four external stakeholders, the strategic advisory board (SAB) provides guidance for strategic decision-making. 

The external members of the SAB have been chosen as a representative group of development and research experts that can drive thought leadership across the Institute areas of expertise. They bring with them a wealth of diverse experience and insights from policy, development and cooperation. As the mandate is “ad personam”, the views expressed by the board members are personal ones and not the views of their respective institutions. The current members include:

According to the Head of HAFL Hugo P. Cecchini Institute, Dr Dominique Guenat, “the strategic board provides a platform for discussion on how the Institute can best position itself to serve as a reliable partner to the global research and development community. I’m very happy with the insights brought in by the external members, which help us gauge which challenges we’re best suited to address considering our strengths in applied research and our unique value proposition”.

The Institute was founded in January 2020, and convening a forum that brings together experts from development cooperation is one of its first key stepping stones. Meeting twice per year, the SAB will further guide the Institute’s strategy as it continues to build on the BFH-HAFL foundation in the AR4D arena.