HES-SO

Haute école spécialisée de Suisse occidentale; engl.: University of Applied Sciences and Art Western Switzerland

refers to a group of institutions of higher education situated in Western Switzerland. The university is divided into six faculties: Design and Fine Arts; Business, Management and Services; Engineering and Architecture; Music and Performing Arts; Health; and Social Work.

The Swiss State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI) commissioned the HES-SO as the Leading House (LH) for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. The mandate will last from 2017 to 2020 and its overall goal is to develop scientific collaborations between Switzerland and countries of the MENA region.

The Leading House MENA has set three strategic goals:

• Further development of the research cooperation between Switzerland and countries with a high development potential in the above mentioned region with funding instruments designed according to the interests of the Swiss research community
• Increase of knowledge on countries with a high development potential among the Swiss research community through the availability of contacts and know how
• Representation of the interests of the Swiss research community towards potential partners in the region.