“UZH should benefit from this momentum”

UZH News met with Ralph Ossa to discuss his motivations and the opportunities he sees in the current state of the world.

Ralph Ossa, what motivated you to stand for election to the Executive Board of the University?

Ralph Ossa: After serving as a department head for four years and as chief economist at the WTO for two and a half years, I realized that I really enjoy collaborating with people and taking on responsibility. It’s an essential part of who I am, and I’d like it to be a part of my work at UZH. After my experience at the WTO, I can’t really imagine returning to a role focused solely on research and teaching role without any executive responsibilities.

You mentioned your time at the WTO. How will this experience shape your work on the Executive Board of the University?

The WTO sees itself very much as an organization driven by its members. I see a parallel here with university self-governance. At the WTO, I dealt with diplomats from 166 countries on a daily basis, and they couldn’t have been more different. In this role, people skills and the ability to build bridges are essential, even when things get complicated.

What does successful leadership mean to you?

To me, leadership isn’t about making top-down decisions but rather ensuring that we work together toward a shared goal. Above all, it involves listening, mediating and opening up new channels of communication. As department head and, especially, as chief economist at the WTO, I have proven that this approach works and that I can be a successful leader in complex organizations.
In addition, my academic track record gives me a certain credibility among my peers. This is a key factor in knowledge organizations such as universities.

In your research, and particularly at the WTO, you have delved into political issues. To what extent are these relevant to your position as vice president?

I’m currently concerned with the situation in the US, which reveals a significant divide between society and the scientific community. In order to counter such a development, UZH needs to maintain its roots in Swiss society and actively strengthen trust in science.

Ralph Ossa earned his PhD from the London School of Economics and worked at Princeton and the University of Chicago before joining UZH. In 2017, he was appointed full professor of international trade at UZH. His research focuses in particular on politically relevant issues such as the economics of trade wars and trade negotiations, and the extent to which countries benefit from international trade. In 2018, he received an ERC Consolidator Grant for his research on trade agreements. He was Head of the Department of Economics at UZH from 2019 to 2022 and joined the World Trade Organization (WTO) as Chief Economist in 2023. This summer, he returned to UZH as UBS Foundation Professor of Economics.

On 1 August 2026, he will succeed Christian Schwarzenegger as Vice President Faculty Affairs and Scientific Information on the Executive Board of the University.

You will succeed Christian Schwarzenegger as Vice President Faculty Affairs and Scientific Information. What are the challenges in this portfolio?

I see the current situation primarily as a historic opportunity to help UZH achieve even greater scientific excellence and international visibility by pursuing an ambitious professorships policy. With our professional governance, solid funding and attractive location, UZH has the ideal conditions to benefit from this momentum.

Does that mean you will advocate for UZH to actively try to recruit researchers from the US?

Science happens in a global community, which is why we advertise openings for professorships internationally. My goal is to ensure that UZH offers an environment that is attractive to outstanding researchers – regardless of where they’re currently employed. However, current developments in the US are prompting some scientists to seek a change. In such situations, naturally, we want UZH to be perceived as a compelling option.

Speaking of attractive workplaces: you’ll be responsible not only for UZH’s professors, but also for the entire staff. What relevant developments do you see for UZH in this regard?

It’s important to me that all employees see themselves as an essential part of UZH. The university can only be successful as a community, and mutual appreciation is the basis for this.
A key development in human resources is digitalization. Much of the groundwork has already been laid, but now that implementation has started, processes and roles are changing noticeably. It will be crucial to shape this change so that it makes people’s everyday work easier and further strengthens UZH’s appeal as an employer.

Scientific information is increasingly driven by data. What challenges does this pose for the university?

The primary task remains preserving knowledge and making it accessible. However, the research data comes in many technical forms, making it significantly more complex to manage, secure and document. At the same time, access must remain easy and free. Fulfilling this mission under digital conditions is a core task for the university.