Christina Bouldin, can you tell us a bit about your career path that lead you to the Faculty of Medicine?

CB: After studying physics at Imperial College London, I worked briefly for Reuters before joining the European Physical Society to oversee the creation of a new scientific journal, Europhysics Letters. Then came a change of direction: I had the opportunity to become the administrator of the Physics Section at the UNIGE Faculty of Science, where I discovered the academic world and how it works. Eleven years later, in 2004, this experience enabled me to become administrator of the Faculty of Medicine, in charge of HR and budgets. In 21 years, this position changed a lot as the institution evolved, which made for a complex and exciting time.

Emma Acampora, a biologist by training, you have been a scientific associate at the Faculty of Medicine for a number of years. What drew you to the post of administrator?

EA: After ten years as a scientific associate, I saw the position of administrator as both a challenge and a natural progression. In fact, when I was working for the Vice-Dean for Undergraduate Teaching, I took on more and more responsibility and independence, while also being a source of ideas. I felt ready to take on this strategic role, which I knew alreday about through my many collaborations with Christina. I see my new role as one of facilitator, turning ideas into action and making projects happen.

You both studied science. Is that an advantage in a faculty like ours?

EA: Having experience of research and its constraints, as well as of day-to-day life in a lab, gives us a more complete view of the issues.  We have a certain sensitivity to management difficulties, notabely budgetary ones, and to the particular dynamics of the scientific world.

Christina, from your point of view, what have been the major changes in 20 years?

CB: Without a doubt, the increasing digitalisation, which has profoundly transformed the way we work. When I arrived, for example, voting at the College of Professors was cast on paper ballot, which we collected in  boxes then counted by hand. Now, everything is electronic. This has simplified processes, but it has also led to an acceleration of requests, and a fragmentation of attention.  We need to be able to take a step back  in order not to get scattered and remain efficient. Today, requests are constant - we have to react quickly, and we expect the same of our contacts!

My role an administrator has lead me to work closely with four successive deans. Each of them has his own strategic priorities, which we have to be able to support. The university hospital environment is also very demanding. One of the challenges of the job is to ensure the continuity of practices and compliance with certain, while promoting innovative developments and supporting change.

The Faculty of Medicine - the 2nd largest at UNIGE - has more than 2,000 staff members and an annual budget of almost CHF 200 millions. A big machinery to manage?

CB: Indeed! And one of the most striking developments in recent years has been the increase in external private funding, compared with public funding. The world of research is diversifying and public-private partnerships are increading. Last year only, we opened more than 360 funds, with all that entails in terms of accounting management, issuing employment contracts and staff monitoring. However, the Faculty of Medicine depends on a superstructure - the University. One of the challenges of the administratoris position is also to act as a spokesperson for the specific needs of medicine and contribute to the institution's decisions.

Let's talk about the future: what are the main challenges ahead?

CB: There are many, starting with the general budget cuts demanded by the State, and their impact on our activities. The precarious status of part of the teaching and research staff is one of our major concerns: how can we stabilise certain posts without jeopardising PhD training? And more broadly: is the training we offer in line with the needs of the economy and society?

EA: The issue of human resources will be central for me, with a particular emphasis on training and skills development. For example, it is essential to support and train teams effectively when new tools are introduced. Otherwise, employees and the institution may suffer, which is not good, if we want to maintain our excellence.

It is also important to identify and develop talent who can grow. Such support, at every stage of a career, helps to maintain motivation and the desire to work, experiment and develop. Having benefited from these opportunities myself, I now want to pursue and encourage an ambitious and caring HR policy. An imminent challenge is the G'Evolue project, the reform of the job evaluation and remuneration system for staff at the State of Geneva, which is also part of this strategy. Taking part in this project in its early stages - with a deadline set for the end of 2027 - gives us the opportunity to identify the issues, anticipate the challenges and seize the opportunitie.

CB: More broadly, one of the major issues will also be the University governance.  Decisions are increasingly being called into question. Socially, the relationship with hierarchy and decision-making bodies is changing profoundly. This can be beneficial, but it also creates a degree of instability and will require us to invent new ways of organising relations between the various spheres of the institution.

Christina, you will be leaving your post in a few weeks' time. What will you take away from your years at the Faculty of Medicine?

CB: One of my greatest pleasures has been working with others, as part of a team to bring a project to success. I probably discovered this shared pleasure during my years here. Working in a team needs to be learnt, but what a reward! One of the challenges that remains for me is to pass on to Emma what she will need, without overloading her so that she can in turn take a fresh look at issues. She then can build on the past without it weighting on her!

And do you already have plans for retirement?

CB: I'm ready for the next stage! A few trips are already planned, but for the first time in a very long time, I'd like to take the freedom of time and discovery. And also to give myself the chance to continue to learn and develop, but in a different way.

Interview with Emma Acampora in our new section
"2 minutes with...