Universities in Switzerland have stated the government’s planned 2% annual hike in education and research funding for 2025-2028 will likely be cancelled out due to a forecast increase in prices.

“There is a risk that the universities will have to live with stagnation or even a reduction in their real resources during this period,” said Luciana Vaccaro, president of Swissuniversities, during an interview with Le Temps newspaper.

She went on to add that Swiss universities predict a rise in student number over the next few years: “The funding proposed by the Federal Council will inevitably jeopardise the quality of teaching and research,” Vaccaro told Le Temps.

Switzerland’s government has allocated a budget of CHF29.7 billion ($32.6 billion) for education, research and innovation during 2025 and 2028, and at the end of last week, unveiled a consultation process on the proposals. Comments from stakeholders can be submitted up until the 24th September deadline, and the government’s plan will then be presented to parliament, Swiss Info reports.

Furthermore, during a press release published last Friday, the Swiss government said its plans aim to ensure that “Switzerland retains its leadership position in education, research and innovation.”

In addition, the government said that within the 2025-2028 period, it would “address major challenges” in the sector. “This includes providing reliable support to the cantons for VET (vocational education and training), professional education and higher education in order to provide the necessary skilled workers on the labour market,” according to the press release.

“The ETH Domain (federal institutes of technology) will also be provided with a solid increase of its funding.” A further priority is continuing education and training, “which is important to enable lifelong learning.”