Henry Peter appointed to the USI Council

On 2 July, Henry Peter, Full professor of Company Law at the University of Geneva, was appointed President of the Foundation for the Lugano Faculties of Università della Svizzera italiana (USI). Thereafter, on 7 July, the Council of State of the Canton Ticino, by government resolution, appointed him to the University Council. The appointment to the USI Council is effective immediately and will run until 31 December 2023. In addition to his professional expertise, Prof. Peter brings to USI his distinctly international flair and extensive academic experience.

Henry Peter, 1957, is Full professor at the Law School of the University of Geneva - the same university where, in 1988, he obtained his PhD degree, following a period as visiting scholar at the University of California at Berkeley, which he joined thanks to a fellowship granted by the Swiss National Fund for Scientific Research. Between 1998 and 2012, he set up and has been head of the Master in Business Law postgraduate program of the Universities of Geneva and Lausanne. From 2006 to 2017 he was the head of the Department of Commercial Law at the University of Geneva Law School. In September 2017, he was appointed by the Rectorate of the University of Geneva to create and direct the Geneva Centre for Philanthropy (www.unige.ch/philanthropie). One of his main research interests is the analysis of sound governance in both public and private sectors. He is the author or editor of more than 120 publications (books and articles) in his various fields of expertise. He holds academic posts at various Swiss and international universities and is a member of federal commissions, committees (both sector-specific and non-profit and philanthropic) and boards of directors. In addition to his teaching and research activities, Henry Peter is a partner in a Swiss law firm (Lugano office).

The University Council – also referred to as USI Council – is one of USI’s central bodies together with the Rectorate and the Academic Senate. According to the Law that regulates the Università della Svizzera italiana, the University Council represents USI’s highest authority and closely monitors its activities.