Auteur/autrice : Nadine Richon Salzmann

Dear Dean, how are you?

Laurent Moreillon: I am well, as are my family and friends, considering what we have been going through for almost eight weeks now.

My life and our lives have changed a lot with the lockdown. We all perceive how small we really are and that a mini virus can confuse a whole society as well as the entire planet.

These are difficult times, in terms of human lives and the economy, but also in terms of the climate emergency. But confinement does not only have disadvantages. It has enabled us to realise that we can also, under certain conditions, work at a distance and thus save kilometres of transport and hours of travel time, for the sake of a better society.

I am still concerned about the disconcerting behaviour of some people, in public, as if the problem were behind us. What I fear is a second wave, much more serious than the first, the first having perhaps only been a warning?

What have been and are the emergencies for your faculty?

As early as Friday afternoon, March 13, 2020, we understood, at the Dean’s office, that nothing would ever be the same again. First of all, we had to organize, as a matter of urgency, the pursuit of « decent » teaching for our Bachelor and Master students. We had to set up some 200 courses for the whole Faculty, even though most of the teachers were not used to this kind of knowledge sharing with their students. We were able to rely on a brilliant task force within the FDCA, which was able to set up the procedures and support professors who were sometimes in disarray.

The FDCA community really played the game, whether it was the students, the assistants, the staff (PAT), or the teachers. I am very grateful to them.

With the distance learning courses barely up and running, we had to urgently set up the arrangements for the June 2020 exam session. We had to make strategic decisions concerning the years of Bachelor I and II (Law) and Bachelor I (ESC) and organize, for the rest, the modalities of distance examinations. We believe we have done our utmost, but no one is safe from technical risks during this session.

In addition, we are organising the preparation of the August session as well as the start of the academic year next September. Each time, we have to define several scenarios according to different circumstances and adapt them as we receive information from the Rectorate and the health and political authorities. This requires a total and, it must be said, exhausting investment on the part of the Dean’s office and the implementation team of our three schools.

Under what conditions, or at least what state of mind would you like us to approach deconfinement?

Once again, things will not be the same from now on and certainly never will be the same again. What we absolutely must avoid is falling back into the same traps: traps for quickly and hastily restarting the economy, traps for recklessly rebuilding social and friendly relations, and traps in terms of exaggerated optimism. At the same time, we must learn from what we are experiencing: even if it is still a question of improving the technique, distance learning courses have partly proved their worth and, to overcome the very high numbers of university students, perhaps this is something that should be developed? In a completely different field, the development and use of digital technology show to what extent society is now concerned: data protection, control of each other’s movements, drawing up lists of people who are immune to COVID-19… What kind of society will we live in tomorrow, in the light of laws proclaiming a state of health emergency? We need to completely rethink our economic, social, legal and political relations in an increasingly disoriented world. I believe that the University must and will contribute to these reflections.

Cher doyen, comment allez-vous ?

Laurent Moreillon : Je vais bien, ainsi que mes proches, compte tenu de ce que nous vivons depuis bientôt huit semaines.

Ma vie et nos vies ont beaucoup changé avec le confinement. Nous percevons toutes et tous à quel point nous ne sommes pas vraiment grand-chose et qu’un minivirus peut dérouter toute une société comme la planète entière.

Nous vivons des moments difficiles, qu’il s’agisse de vies humaines, de l’économie, mais également de l’urgence climatique. Le confinement n’a cependant pas que des désavantages. Il nous a permis de réaliser que nous pouvions aussi, à certaines conditions, travailler à distance et donc économiser des kilomètres de transport et des heures de déplacement, ce pour une meilleure société.

Je reste inquiet au sujet du comportement déconcertant de certaines personnes, en public, comme si le problème était derrière nous. Ce que je crains c’est une seconde vague, beaucoup plus sérieuse que la première, cette première-là n’ayant peut-être été qu’un avertissement…

Quelles ont été et sont les urgences pour votre faculté ?

Dès le vendredi après-midi 13 mars 2020, nous avons compris, au Décanat, que plus rien ne serait comme avant. En premier lieu, il a fallu organiser, en toute urgence, la poursuite d’enseignements « décents » à l’égard de nos étudiantes et étudiants en Bachelor et en Master. Nous avons dû mettre sur pied quelque 200 cours pour toute la Faculté, alors que la plupart des enseignant·e·s n’étaient pas habitué·e·s à ce type de partage de connaissance avec leurs étudiantes et étudiants. Nous avons pu compter sur une brillante task force, au sein de la FDCA, qui a pu mettre sur pied les procédures et épauler des professeur·e·s parfois en déroute.

La communauté FDCA a vraiment joué le jeu, qu’il s’agisse des étudiant·e·s, des assistant·e·s, du PAT et des enseignant·e·s. Je leur en suis très reconnaissant.

Les cours à distance étant à peine mis sur pied, nous avons dû, dans l’urgence toujours, définir les modalités de la session d’examens de juin 2020. Nous avons dû prendre des décisions stratégiques concernant les années de Bachelor I et II (Droit) et Bachelor I (École des sciences criminelles) et organiser, pour le reste, des modalités d’examens à distance. Nous pensons avoir fait le maximum mais personne n’est à l’abri de risques techniques durant cette session.

Nous organisons, en outre, la préparation de la session d’août comme de la rentrée universitaire de septembre prochain. Nous devons chaque fois définir plusieurs scénarios en fonction de différentes circonstances et les adapter, au fur et à mesure des informations que nous recevons de la Direction et des autorités sanitaires et politiques. Cela demande, au Décanat et à l’équipe mise en œuvre de nos trois écoles, un investissement total et, il faut le dire, épuisant.

Dans quelles conditions, ou du moins quel état d’esprit aimeriez-vous que nous abordions le déconfinement ?

Encore une fois, les choses ne seront désormais et certainement plus jamais les mêmes. Ce qu’il s’agit absolument d’éviter c’est de retomber dans les mêmes pièges : piège pour relancer à toute vitesse et de façon bâclée l’économie, piège pour retrouver de façon imprudente des relations sociales et amicales et piège face à un optimisme exagéré. En même temps, nous devons tirer des enseignements de ce que nous vivons : même s’il s’agit encore d’améliorer la technique, les cours à distance ont en partie fait leurs preuves et, pour contrecarrer la surpopulation d’étudiant·e·s universitaires, peut-être est-ce une piste à développer ? Dans un tout autre domaine, le développement et l’utilisation du numérique montrent à quel point la société est dorénavant concernée : protection des données, contrôle des déplacements des uns et des autres, établissement de listes de personnes immunisées contre le COVID-19… Quelle société de demain allons-nous connaître, à l’aune de lois proclamant l’état sanitaire d’urgence ? Nous devons totalement repenser nos relations économiques, sociales, juridiques et politiques dans un monde de plus en plus déboussolé. Je pense que l’Université doit et va contribuer à ces réflexions.

Dear Professor, dear Dean, how are you?

I’m fine under the circumstances. However, we are still faced with uncertainty. The economy is collapsing, many people are at risk of losing their jobs, and people are still dying, but the University has been able to put all possible means at our disposal so that we can continue our primary missions, which are teaching and, for those who can, research. We must now make sure that we keep up the pace. I am confident that we will do so.

What have been and are the emergencies for your faculty?

We have had to face the unknown and make a series of quick decisions while avoiding being driven by anxiety and fear. Being proactive rather than reactive. As for the University as a whole, the priority was initially to ensure the transition to online teaching, to ensure that everyone stayed at home, to maintain administrative operations, and above all to remain united. The other task was to close our laboratories and suspend much of the field research we do. The situation is now moving in the right direction. An enormous amount of work is being done, on the one hand for the organisation and modalities of the examinations, and on the other hand for the gradual reopening of our laboratories. From the outset, I have been extremely impressed by a collective effort in the face of an unprecedented event. Thanks to the skills of the people essential to the faculty, things can be set up with a certain serenity.

Do you already sense the end of confinement, under what conditions or at least in what state of mind would you like us to tackle it?

The epidemic and the confinement it has imposed on us came suddenly. We have to admit that this brutality is the result of collective denial, of our vulnerability, and of the fragility of our societies. This epidemic reminds us once again of our duty of humility towards nature, and this confinement allows us to reflect on it. Our teachings and research will probably never be the same again. Are we at a « tipping point » where the relationship between man, his environment, health and our economic models need to be rethought? I like to think so, and I think the University is playing its part in thinking about it.

Cher professeur, cher doyen, comment allez-vous ?

Je vais bien étant donné les circonstances. Cependant, l’incertitude nous guette toujours. L’économie s’écroule, de nombreuses personnes risquent de perdre leur emploi, et des gens meurent encore, mais l’Université a pu mettre tous les moyens possibles à notre disposition pour que nous puissions continuer nos missions premières que sont l’enseignement et, pour celles et ceux qui le peuvent, la recherche. Nous devons maintenant nous assurer de tenir la distance. Je suis certain que nous y arriverons.

Quelles ont été et sont les urgences pour votre faculté ?

Nous avons dû faire face à l’inconnu et prendre une série de décisions rapides tout en évitant d’être menés par l’angoisse et la peur. Être proactif plutôt que réactif. Comme pour l’ensemble de l’Université, la priorité a été dans un premier temps d’assurer la transition des enseignements en ligne, de veiller à ce que chacun reste chez soi, de maintenir le fonctionnement administratif, et surtout de rester solidaires. L’autre tâche a été de fermer nos laboratoires et de suspendre une grande partie de la recherche que nous faisons sur le terrain. La situation évolue maintenant dans la bonne direction. Un travail énorme est effectué, d’une part pour l’organisation et les modalités des examens, et d’autre part pour la réouverture progressive de nos laboratoires. Depuis le début, j’ai été extrêmement impressionné par un effort collectif face à un événement sans précédent. Grâce aux compétences des personnes indispensables à la faculté, les choses peuvent se mettre en place avec une certaine sérénité.

Pressentez-vous déjà la fin du confinement, dans quelles conditions ou du moins dans quel état d’esprit aimeriez-vous que nous l’abordions ?

L’épidémie et le confinement qu’elle nous a imposé sont arrivés soudainement. Nous devons admettre que cette brutalité est le résultat d’un déni collectif, de notre vulnérabilité, et de la fragilité de nos sociétés. Cette épidémie nous rappelle une fois de plus notre devoir d’humilité envers la nature, et ce confinement nous permet d’y réfléchir. Nos enseignements et nos recherches ne seront probablement plus jamais les mêmes. Sommes-nous à un « point charnière » qui fera que la relation entre l’homme, son environnement, la santé et nos modèles économiques doivent être repensés ? J’aime le croire et je pense que l’Université joue son rôle en y réfléchissant.

Dear Professor, dear Dean, how are you?

Jean-Daniel Tissot : It is a period of war that is getting longer, while waiting for a vaccine to be developed or for this virus to disappear altogether, like its predecessors SARS and MERS. For me, Carl von Clausewitz is not far away, neither is Tzu Sun… We are in a war of WE against WE. The « I »  is disappearing. It is strange to wonder how you are, but oh how salutary: for a long time we have been lost between the verb to be and the verb to have. What matters to me is to use today the verb to act: action with responsibility in the service of solidarity. But to be frank: I am preoccupied, busy, tired, but alive. Then the ME fades into the WE. This is my reality.

What have been and are the emergencies for your faculty?

Faculty emergencies are part of managing a new Janus. For some, go to the front, for others, stay home. The reality of daily life is full of surprises, uncertainty, selfishness for some, generosity for others: this is an observation, not a criticism. We are passing from an era characterized by each one for himself (because I am worth it) to a phase of renewal which is that of each one for all (we are one, with the risk of fractures…). It is the management of the risk of fractures that exhausts me. It is obvious that this troubled period modifies the rhythms of life, sleep is bad… But globally, the FBM is coping, the mobilization is major, the dynamic is beautiful. There is a lot of courage, strength, energy and solidarity. All this takes us and carries us along with dynamics oriented towards solutions and not towards problems.

Your students are also invested in this fight…

Everyone wants to get involved, even if it is mainly the last year students that are being mobilized. Some have fallen ill, and we are rediscovering that medicine can be a dangerous activity for those who practise it. Some of our students are clearly committed to doing it, others are ready and waiting, as in The Desert of the Tartars. But all of them are doing an experiment that will be validated in terms of study credits. There remains the question of examinations at the Swiss level: for some years now, we have had to confront our students with real clinical situations but this activity is suspended today, with the risk of returning to a MCQ… I hope that our authorities will decide instead to give these students their Master’s degree and even the medical diploma in recognition of their experience from this exceptional crisis, including those of our students who are part of the populations at risk and have had to stay at home, we can all recognize them for their commitment and their reflection on the meaning of care.

Do you feel that physicians may be a little too present in the media at the moment?

I would say yes. Society has agreed, in the name of public health, to listen to those who represent it, and the economy has been broken. That was right, but a second paradigm shift will have to take place, in which doctors and epidemiologists will have to put themselves at the service of society and not just the sick individual. Using our medical knowledge and our discoveries to assist the authorities, knowing that nothing is certain with this virus. We are making bets at the moment and we will also need economists, sociologists, philosophers…

Do you already sense the end of confinment, under what conditions or at least in what state of mind would you like us to approach it?

No one has seen anything coming (but for years I have been predicting to my relatives and family a return of the plague, in the symbolic sense of the word). I don’t know how we’re going to get out of this war, but we’re going to come out different and with deference to each other and to nature. Clearly, the University, the Faculty of Biology and Medicine will come out of this crisis with a form of greatness if and only if they truly realize that they are at the service of mankind and society and not the other way around. And, on a personal level, with the awareness that we are all mortal and fragile. Imagine this crisis if we did not know about microbes, if viruses had not been discovered: like the Black Death, divine punishment would have been evoked. So let intelligence be at the service of reason. With this notion, whatever our beliefs, whatever our spirituality, that love of neighbour is a reality that makes human beings different and qualifies them: humans are living beings filled with spirituality… However dark the future may seem, it will be enriching! Let us fill it with hope!