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Oana Ciobanu: "Research, affected by the referendum in Switzerland"
Alexandra Mănăilă - Reporter
4 April 2014
The results of the Swiss referendum on 9 February threw the whole Europe into a fever. The Swiss voted with a 50.3% majority for the reintroduction of immigration quotas. The second part of the interview with Oana Ciobanu, researcher at the University of Applied Sciences in Western Switzerland and the University of Geneva, taken during the International Conference "Rethinking EU immigration: legal developments, management and practices", focused on the effects of the referendum results upon the academic environment and shows the perspective of Swiss people and particularly of migration researchers in this country.
Rep: What is the people’s frame of mind after the referendum?
O.C.: Switzerland is very heterogeneous, on the one hand there are Zurich and Geneva, very cosmopolitan, international cities who voted against the referendum, and on the other hand the mountain villages, the countryside towns, where people voted mainly for. I cannot tell you anything about the frame of mind in Switzerland, but I can tell you about researchers’ frame of mind. Research is affected, as the European Community (EC) froze the funds for Switzerland. The irony is that this turns against a population who voted mainly against it. University rectors stood against this draft law, not to mention that many university researchers are foreign. The programmes already signed will continue but Erasmus programme will be frozen in the future. The Swiss state intends to compensate this cancellation of funds through the Swiss Foundation for Science. In addition participation to Horizon 2020 is more difficult, it appears that certain conditions will have to be met.
Rep: Do Swiss researchers feel pressed by the EU, who penalizes this way the referendum result?
O.C.: On the one hand, this is the law in Switzerland, a referendum is organised for any legal change and they have to accept the decision made. On the other hand, they realise that they may be isolated in the research field and they might no longer have the same opportunities they had before. As regards elderly migrants there is currently very little research, there is more to be done in this respect. More research on elderly people in general and comparative research at European level.
Rep: How have you adapted in Switzerland? Have you felt treated as an immigrant?
O.C.: I believe the case of persons with university degree is somehow different from the others’. I have not been discriminated. Moreover in our office in Switzerland my colleague is Swiss but originating from Rwanda, another colleague is Swiss originating from Chile. I have another colleague from Argentina and a few Swiss colleagues. Another professor I collaborate with is Belgian, this is the reality of Geneva! This is the privileged status of researchers. I have never been discriminated in my relationship with authorities, it has never happened to me. I felt like any other person who came to use the services of that office.
Rep: Do you plan to settle in Switzerland or to come back?
O.C.: The case of researchers is very different, they go to a country, they feel good and want to stay there or they may leave for another country where other projects of interest to them are being implemented. I am open towards a potential departure from Switzerland just as I am also open to staying there, should I be offered an interesting project.
Rep: What is the people’s frame of mind after the referendum?
O.C.: Switzerland is very heterogeneous, on the one hand there are Zurich and Geneva, very cosmopolitan, international cities who voted against the referendum, and on the other hand the mountain villages, the countryside towns, where people voted mainly for. I cannot tell you anything about the frame of mind in Switzerland, but I can tell you about researchers’ frame of mind. Research is affected, as the European Community (EC) froze the funds for Switzerland. The irony is that this turns against a population who voted mainly against it. University rectors stood against this draft law, not to mention that many university researchers are foreign. The programmes already signed will continue but Erasmus programme will be frozen in the future. The Swiss state intends to compensate this cancellation of funds through the Swiss Foundation for Science. In addition participation to Horizon 2020 is more difficult, it appears that certain conditions will have to be met.
Rep: Do Swiss researchers feel pressed by the EU, who penalizes this way the referendum result?
O.C.: On the one hand, this is the law in Switzerland, a referendum is organised for any legal change and they have to accept the decision made. On the other hand, they realise that they may be isolated in the research field and they might no longer have the same opportunities they had before. As regards elderly migrants there is currently very little research, there is more to be done in this respect. More research on elderly people in general and comparative research at European level.
Rep: How have you adapted in Switzerland? Have you felt treated as an immigrant?
O.C.: I believe the case of persons with university degree is somehow different from the others’. I have not been discriminated. Moreover in our office in Switzerland my colleague is Swiss but originating from Rwanda, another colleague is Swiss originating from Chile. I have another colleague from Argentina and a few Swiss colleagues. Another professor I collaborate with is Belgian, this is the reality of Geneva! This is the privileged status of researchers. I have never been discriminated in my relationship with authorities, it has never happened to me. I felt like any other person who came to use the services of that office.
Rep: Do you plan to settle in Switzerland or to come back?
O.C.: The case of researchers is very different, they go to a country, they feel good and want to stay there or they may leave for another country where other projects of interest to them are being implemented. I am open towards a potential departure from Switzerland just as I am also open to staying there, should I be offered an interesting project.
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