A landmark referendum to cap Switzerland’s population could harm research collaboration between universities in the country and the European Union, the��head of an umbrella body��has said, warning of a “volatile” period in the run-up to the vote.

Luciana Vaccaro,��the president of Swissuniversities, said the proposal could have far-reaching consequences for Switzerland’s relationship with the EU and its research system.

“If the referendum goes through, there could be an obligation for our government to stop the free movement of people, and this could affect our relationship with the European Union. This is the aim of the party supporting the proposal,” said��Vaccaro,��who is also the��rector of the University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Western Switzerland.

The referendum, put forward by the right-wing, populist Swiss People’s Party (SVP), is set for a national vote on 14 June. It requires the government to impose restrictions if the country’s population, currently at 9.1 million, exceeds 9.5 million.��

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Proposed actions include denying entrance to newcomers, including asylum seekers and the families of foreign residents. The government would also be obliged to end its free-movement agreement with the European Union (EU) if the country’s population reached 10 million.

It comes at a sensitive moment in Switzerland’s relationship with the EU, following the signing of a new package of bilateral agreements earlier this year. Any change to free movement rules could have knock-on effects for Switzerland’s participation in European research frameworks, including the next phase of the EU’s flagship funding scheme Horizon Europe, Vaccaro explains.��

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“If this referendum goes through, and the free movement of people is jeopardised, the European Commission could react [by saying that there] is no legal stability,” she warned. “We could enter a period of great uncertainty.”

According to a recent opinion poll, voters in the country are evenly split on whether they support the proposal. The survey, carried out by polling firm GfS Bern for public broadcaster SRG, shows 47 per cent of the 19,728 respondents are in favour of the proposal and 47 per cent against, according to a Reuters report.��

Vaccaro also warned that stricter rules would impact universities’ ability to��recruit staff and attract talent. “If at any point there is a restriction on the free movement of people, there’s a chance we could be limited in our capacity to hire.”

She warned that early-career researchers could be particularly affected, as Switzerland’s attractiveness as a destination for European talent partly depends on access to EU-linked research opportunities.

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The debate over immigration has become increasingly emotional and polarised across Europe. Vaccaro,��who took on the role��of president at Swissuniversities in 2023, said universities had become more willing to speak publicly on political issues that directly affected higher education and research.

She pointed to the 2014 “Mass Immigration Initiative”, which strained Switzerland’s relationship with the EU and temporarily limited the country’s access to key European research programmes and grants. “At the time there was a culture that universities should stay behind the scenes, but we have learned our lesson that this should not be the case,” she said.��

Vaccaro said Swiss universities were far more publicly active during the current campaign, giving interviews that were picked up by more than 20 Swiss media outlets. “But Swiss universities have little influence compared to, say, an association of entrepreneurs. So I hope many different voices can rise up at this moment and be listened to,” she added.��

Looking ahead to the vote, Vaccaro said the stakes were unusually high. “This could be a very volatile few weeks,” she warned. “I’m very worried.”

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seher.asaf@timeshighereducation.com��