Bertil Cottier appointed first USI mediator
Institutional Communication Service
15 October 2018
The new institutional figure has the role of facilitating conflict resolution within Università della Svizzera italiana, upon written request by any member of the academic or administrative community.
"For this important and delicate assignment we have appointed prof. Bertil Cottier for his competences and experience." – explains USI Rector Boas Erez. Bertil Cottier takes office as a mediator on October 15, and will act independently during his two-year term, ensuring utmost confidentiality. The role of the mediator is to facilitate reconciliation, not to resolve disputes. Any USI employee, whether academic (including assistants) or members of the administrative staff can seek the mediator’s assistance. The service is not intended for university students, or third parties.
More information on the new institutional figure and how to request assistance are available at the following page: "Statuto e missione del mediatore dell’Università".
Bertil Cottier is former Dean of the Faculty of Communication Sciences (2008-2010) and has been Full Professor at USI since 2005. He studied law at the University of Lausanne and at the School of Law of Columbia University (New York). He worked as court reporter from 1977 to 1983, and as staff legal advisor for the media law and data protection units of the Federal Office of Justice in Bern (1984-1987). From 1988 to 2005, he served as deputy director of the Swiss Institute of Comparative Law in Lausanne. He is currently Associate Professor at the Law Faculty of the University of Lausanne (Internet Governance) and visiting professor at the Academy of Journalism of the University of Neuchâtel. He is also editor of the Medialex (Swiss journal of communication law) and of sui generis (Swiss online law review). Cottier has been appointed mediator of Università della Svizzera italiana in October 2018.