Biography

Mauro Dell’Ambrogio, the holder of a Doctorate in Law from the University of Zurich, held a number of public offices in canton Ticino from 1979 to 1999 after passing his bar exam: Judge, Chief of the Cantonal Police, Secretary-General for Education and Culture, project manager for the creation of the University of Lugano (USI), and Secretary-General of the USI.
After four years heading up a group of private clinics, he was made Director of the University of Applied Sciences of Southern Switzerland (SUPSI) in 2003. He has been mayor of Giubiasco, a member of the Ticino cantonal parliament and chairman of the Ticino electricity works.

From 2008 to 2012 he has been State Secretary for Education and Research. In January 2013 he took up the post of State Secretary for Education, Research and Innovation.

«Switzerland has responded to the increasing importance of digitalization and thus positioned itself well for the future. We aim to provide the conditions needed to adapt education, research and innovation to the increasingly rapid pace and widespread use of new technologies. This involves increasing support for the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). In addition, greater flexibility in the vocational and professional education system can ensure that education and training programmes are able to respond more quickly to new developments. Continuing education and training programmes can also help to prepare all employees for the digital challenges of the workplace. Partnerships between universities, institutes of higher education, vocational and professional education and training programmes, and companies are becoming increasingly important. Together we can take advantage of the opportunities created by digital transformation.»