Calls for an Additional University of Applied Sciences in Agricultural Sciences in Eastern Switzerland

Is there a need for an additional university of applied sciences offer in agricultural sciences in eastern Switzerland? This is what three members of the cantonal council in the middle, Barbara Dürr, Heidi Romer-Jud and Stefan Koller, want to know in an advance.

They refer to the existing offer in Switzerland: At the university level, there is the ETH in Zurich for studying agricultural sciences. At the technical college level, the University of Applied Sciences for Agricultural, Forestry and Food Sciences (HAFL) is available in Zollikofen BE.

Hardly any Eastern Swiss students

Around 800 students from all over Switzerland are currently attending the HAFL. The number of students from Eastern Switzerland has steadily decreased in recent years to just ten people in agronomy and two in forestry.

The location of the educational institutions has a significant influence on the number of students, the parliamentarians note. “A major loss of agricultural know-how in the eastern part of Switzerland” is therefore to be expected in the medium and long term.

The government should now, together with the surrounding cantons, examine the establishment of an educational offer in agronomy. This can also be developed together with the HAFL with specializations in agricultural science, livestock science and plant science.

Thurgau is in charge

The St. Gallen government wants to accept the order. It will support clarifications of the potential, according to the recently published answer. However, the leadership lies with the canton of Thurgau, which would also be the location for such a training offer.

However, an independent degree in agronomy at the Ostschweizer Fachhochschule Ost is “not realistic from the point of view of the government”. However, cooperation with the HAFL is conceivable.

Apparently, there have already been clarifications: The HAFL had declared its willingness to “examine a decentralized range of teaching services in eastern Switzerland” to the canton of Thurgau in principle. Among other things, the financing is still open.