Claudio Bassetti appointed Rector of USI

The USI Council has appointed Prof. Dr med. Claudio Bassetti as the new Rector of the Università della Svizzera italiana. He will officially take office on 1 September 2026. Born and raised in Ticino, Claudio Bassetti is a neurologist with over 30 years of clinical, academic, and managerial experience. He is currently Dean of the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Bern and, since 2024, has also served as Director of Research and Education (DLF) at the Inselspital in Bern, where he is a voting member of the Executive Board.

Claudio Bassetti was born in Bellinzona in 1958. He earned his medical degree from the University of Basel in 1984, trained in neurology in Bern and Lausanne, and completed research fellowships in experimental neurophysiology (Basel) and sleep medicine (Ann Arbor, United States). In 2000, he was appointed Professor of Neurology at the University of Zurich. Formerly Head of Neurology at the Ospedale Regionale di Lugano (EOC), he founded and directed the Neurocentro della Svizzera italiana in 2009. In 2012, he relocated to Bern, where he was appointed full professor at the University of Bern and Director of the Department of Neurology at the Inselspital, guiding the institution to become an international centre of reference. In his dual role as Dean and Director of the DLF at the Inselspital, Claudio Bassetti has worked tirelessly to strengthen collaboration between the University and the Hospital, promoting excellence in patient care, teaching, and research.

Throughout his career, he has worked as a general neurologist with a keen interest in teaching clinical skills, while focusing his expertise on stroke and sleep. His research has spanned both human and animal models. He has authored over 660 scientific publications (H-index 115) and 10 books. He has served as President of the European Academy of Neurology, the European Sleep Research Society, and the Swiss Neurological Society, and was the founder of the Swiss Federation of Clinical Neuro-Societies. In 2018, he was elected a member of the Swiss Academy of Medical Sciences. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the Ente Ospedaliero Cantonale (EOC) and of the Foundation Board of the Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB). He is married and has three children. He speaks six languages and enjoys music, history, literature, and sport.

The selection of the new Rector of USI was conducted through a public call for applications, which attracted numerous high-calibre candidates: "We are very satisfied with the outcome of this selection process. The appointment of Professor Claudio Bassetti is a highly valuable choice for USI, both for his excellent scientific profile and his well-established managerial experience. We are delighted to introduce the University's new leadership team, who will guide USI in defining a shared vision to tackle the challenges of the coming years," stated Monica Duca Widmer, President of the USI Council.

Gabriele Balbi, who has served as Interim Rector of USI since 1 January 2026, also welcomed Professor Bassetti: "This appointment brings a unique phase for USI to a close—a phase that I have had the honour of leading alongside my colleagues in the Rectorate. The interim period has been intense and positive: thanks to the collective efforts of the entire university community, the University has continued to drive forward its projects and priorities with determination. Over these months, together with my colleagues in the Rectorate, we have achieved significant results. To give just a few examples, I am thinking of the approval of the principles of the academic staff reform, the introduction of measures to support research, the selection of the new Director of Operations, the organisation of USI's 30th-anniversary celebrations, and the management of the complex issue of cost-saving measures. More broadly, and this was my main objective, we have succeeded in steering USI through this transition smoothly, and we are ready to open a new chapter with confidence under the leadership of Professor Claudio Bassetti."