Emeritus Professor Bertil Cottier: "It has been a beautiful dream, but now I begin a new chapter"

Professor Emeritus Bertil Cottier will bid farewell to the academic community of Università della Svizzera italiana on Wednesday, 11 December 2024, with the Lectio Magistralis "From Challenging New Technologies to Desperate Lawmakers: Is It Still Possible to Regulate Cyberspace and AI?". The lecture will take place in the West Campus Lugano Auditorium from 6 pm.

Given this important event, the culmination of a long and prestigious career at our university, we met with Professor Cottier. Below is an interview conducted by the Institutional Communication Service.

Dear Professor Cottier, you practically saw the birth of Università della Svizzera italiana, where you began teaching in 1997. Can you share why you chose to come to Lugano and what your experience has been like?

"I would say that I was chosen to come to Lugano. About six or seven months before the courses started, I received a call from Eddo Rigotti, the Dean of what is now the Faculty of Communication, Culture, and Society (previously called the Faculty of Communication Sciences EN). He was looking for a professor of communication law. There were few experts in Switzerland in this field, and even today, the numbers remain low. I must have made it onto Rigotti's list because of my experience and qualifications. My doctoral thesis focused on the accessibility of information, and afterwards, I worked for a few years at the Federal Office of Justice in a small department that dealt with media law. I remember that Eddo's invitation to come to Lugano was very straightforward, but I didn't speak Italian at the time, so I immediately expressed my concerns about the language barrier.
However, he told me there was no problem and that I could start by teaching in French. Before agreeing, I informed him that I wanted to visit Lugano to see the new university. So, I travelled to Ticino, where Eddo Rigotti showed me the university. There was only the main building at that time, and he also explained the vision for the new Faculty of Communication Sciences. What I liked, and what convinced me to say yes, was the opportunity to engage with communication experts. Teaching media law at a Faculty of Law would typically focus solely on the legal system. At a time when we were experiencing the first internet revolution, with incredible legal problems such as the management of cyberspace, having the chance to talk to colleagues who studied communication and communication technology was an enormous opportunity to ask questions and create a dialogue between the two fields. I believe that then as now - or rather, especially now with the arrival of artificial intelligence (AI) - interdisciplinarity was indispensable, as no one knew the whole problem. Still, one had to combine different knowledge and skills. So, in the end, I accepted Rigotti's offer and came to Lugano".

Throughout your career, you have trained and inspired many students. Looking back, what were the most significant moments in research and teaching?

"Certainly, an important moment, not only for me but also for the Faculty, was when we expanded our education by offering master's courses. This allowed USI, which was initially cantonal and somewhat federal, and therefore all in all national, to open up towards Europe and the world. The university initially focused on Swiss and, to some extent, Italian students. However, over time, it opened its doors to international students by offering the chance to take courses in English. I believe this shift was truly enriching. Students who come from abroad and later return to their home countries carry with them valuable connections to Switzerland. I think that embracing a global perspective has been a pivotal moment in the development of USI. Additionally, a personally significant experience for me was my time serving as Dean of the Faculty of Communication Sciences. As a professor, you engage in both teaching and research, which come with their own set of traditional challenges. In contrast, you encounter the management issues accompanying this role as Dean. Even a relatively small university like USI has thousands of people, making it comparable to a large company. Here, academic management is a very special subject that is not taught. You need to understand the perspective of the academy in the country's institutions and their social role. This reflection on the position and role of the university is particularly intriguing, especially when it comes to conveying the university's vision to colleagues and explaining how individuals contribute to the larger community. We have been—and still are—all pieces of a jigsaw puzzle, and the image that emerges is that of USI within society."

Going beyond academia, you have also been involved in commissions at cantonal, federal and international levels. Which achievement has made you most proud?

"Let me emphasise from the outset that I believe there is no distinct academic world separate from the rest of society; they are interconnected. It is crucial to build bridges between academia and the broader community. We conduct research, and society should be able to benefit from and utilise this research. This belief is why I have participated in several commissions — to encounter new challenges and enhance my teaching experience. That is why I joined the Federal Media Commission (COFEM), even though it was already closer to my field, but I also represented USI in the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF), which deals with the legal framework of the SNSF and its budget. These commissions provided me with valuable opportunities to engage in dialogue with society. I often emphasise the importance of teachers being able to address real-world cases, as this benefits both their teaching practice and society at large. On an international level, I am currently very active with the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI), of which I am the president."

We know you have a Scandinavian side and also speak Swedish. Does Northern Europe have something to teach us about the role of the media in society?

"Every year, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) publishes a ranking of countries based on their level of freedom of expression. Scandinavian countries have consistently occupied the top positions in these rankings. While it's possible to debate the specifics of the rankings, I believe the methodology used by RSF is solid, and the results highlight the critical role that a free press plays in a democracy. In Northern Europe, the press plays a crucial role in society, serving not only as a source of information and reflection but also as a counter-power. This function is considered normal and comes with certain privileges that the press possesses but does not misuse, thanks to a strong commitment to journalistic ethics. As a result, people trust journalists. When discussing Sweden, it's important to note that in 1766, it became the first country in the world to adopt a constitutional law guaranteeing freedom of the press. This historical milestone has contributed to a strong position for the media in Sweden and has fostered a culture characterised by a strong work ethic among journalists and great respect from society".

In addition to your academic commitment, you ended your role as President of Reporters Sans Frontières Switzerland. What additional value did this position have for your academic career, and vice versa?

"I served as president for four years when the press was facing a significant crisis. There are several major issues impacting the sector. The first is a funding problem—many newspapers are shutting down due to economic difficulties, which strongly affects the diversity of information available. This leads us to the second issue: the reduction in the diversity of information. A diverse press is essential for a healthy democracy, as we need many different voices rather than the same voice echoed repeatedly. Additionally, there are various obstacles related to the legal framework that the press must navigate. During my term of office, it was perhaps fortunate that we had a president with a certain legal sensitivity, as many of the press's current challenges are linked to legal obstacles. I am not referring to major hindrances or outright censorship but rather to the numerous small barriers that accumulate and complicate the search for information. We have engaged with various parliamentarians, urging them to pay attention to these minor issues. This dialogue is certainly easier with someone knowledgeable in law, as they understand the institutions involved. However, based on my experience, one must be cautious not to overemphasise legal expertise, as it can become counterproductive. While having legal knowledge is undoubtedly an asset, it should be applied delicately".

The subject of artificial intelligence also has an ever-increasing influence in the field of media law. What do you see as the main challenges?

"In addressing the traditional challenges of cyberspace, legal experts faced two main issues. First, the rapid pace of scientific progress meant that the law often lagged behind developments. Second, the complexity of the subject matter required a thorough understanding of every aspect involved. Today, with the advent of artificial intelligence, we encounter an additional challenge: the complete uncertainty surrounding its evolution. While the initial purpose of AI is clear, advances in deep machine learning can lead it to develop in unpredictable and uncontrollable ways. Legally, or even ethically, it becomes difficult to manage a system that one does not know where it is going. The idea, in my opinion, will have to be not so much to have a classic, hence prescriptive, legal text, but to draw up basic principles and then shift the focus to follow-up, with monitoring commissions that can react and take the necessary measures. Instead of empowering parliament to create regulations, we should focus on follow-up commissions that can continuously monitor the development of AI. These commissions should be authorised to take measures to prevent potential abuses. We need to be flexible in our approach and seek new institutional solutions to regulate AI effectively. In conclusion, I would like to mention that this topic will also be the subject of my forthcoming Lectio Magistralis for those who are interested.

What will you miss about USI and Lugano?

"One thing I always tell my friends and acquaintances is that a new chapter has begun. It may sound a bit Scandinavian, but I don't feel much emotional attachment to this change. That said, I had a fantastic experience at USI, a young university that aimed to create something innovative. It has been a beautiful dream. I remain deeply convinced that USI can succeed by staying at a small university with well-defined goals. In my opinion, trying to replicate a traditional university model and ending up as a small institution that attempts to cover too many areas is not optimal. The winning approach is to focus on specific targets—like informatics and communication—and to open up to the world. As I turn this page, I can only express how happy I was with my experience at USI.'.