April 11, 2025

Government councilor Mustafa Atici visits the FMI

We recently had the pleasure of welcoming an important politician from Basel at the FMI: Mustafa Atici, Member of the Executive Council of the Canton of Basel-Stadt and Head of the Department of Education. He was accompanied by Dr. Ariane Bürgin, Head of Higher Education. Our guests toured FMI’s new building, received an overview of our research — with a focus on our work on antipsychotics — and exchanged with the FMI Director, group leaders, PhD students, and postdocs.

Both Atici and Bürgin showed great interest and asked thoughtful questions throughout their visit. They were particularly intrigued by the FMI’s unique dual affiliation with Novartis and the University of Basel, and expressed keen interest in our collaborative efforts with both institutions. They were also impressed by the diversity of our institute, noting the many nationalities represented among our researchers.

“Atici emphasized the important role the FMI plays in the broader Basel life sciences ecosystem, which he is committed to supporting and strengthening. He also expressed optimism about the future of fundamental research in Switzerland, even amid today’s challenging global landscape.

“Exchanges like these are an important part of fostering ties between research and policy makers,” said FMI Director Dirk Schübeler. “It was great to experience Councilor Atici’s interest in the work we’re doing at the FMI and our scientists, and his strong appreciation for the importance of basic research for the Basel Life Science cluster.”

We look forward to continuing the dialogue.

Group leader Georg Keller explaining some of his research on antipsychotics

 

Meeting with students, postdocs and group leaders