Ralph Ossa elected as Vice President Faculty Affairs and Scientific Information
The Board of the University has elected economist Ralph Ossa to succeed Christian Schwarzenegger as Vice President Faculty Affairs and Scientific Information. Ossa will take up his post on 1 August 2026.
Professor Ossa is a leading expert in international trade, economic geography, and global value chains and holds a Professorship at the Department of Economics. His research focuses on international economics, particularly policy-relevant issues. From January 2023 to June 2025, he served as chief economist of the World Trade Organization. Previously, he was chairman of the Department of Economics from 2019 to 2022 and co-editor of the Journal of International Economics.
When asked about the relevance of political issues in his new position, Prof. Ossa said, “UZH needs to maintain its roots in Swiss society and actively strengthen trust in science.”
Read the full interview with Prof. Ralph Ossa about his new role, motivations, and the opportunities he sees in the current state of the world.
communication@oec.uzh.ch
