Jacques Ducrest Ambassador, Head of International Relations Division State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI)

Jacques Ducrest studied law at the Universities of Neuchâtel, Switzerland, and Mannheim, Germany, before going on to gain a Master of Laws (LL.M.) degree from McGill University in Montreal, Canada. He has also been admitted to the bar of the canton of Neuchâtel. Having joined the federal government's diplomatic service in 1998, he completed postings to Manila, Prague and Vienna before joining the Directorate of International Law DIL, and then the Prosperity and Sustainability Division PSD at the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs FDFA. 

Deputy Head of the Prosperity and Sustainability Division from 1 September 2017, Jacques Ducrest focused on a cross-disciplinary approach to current challenges in a sustainability perspective. In this capacity, on 22 March 2019, he was appointed Delegate of the Federal Council for the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. He chaired the 2030 Agenda Steering Committee, which is the strategic guiding and coordinating body for sustainable development policy at federal level. 

From 1 April 2022, Ambassador Jacques Ducrest is Head of the International Relations Division at the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation and member of the Management board. He is responsible for the negotiation and implementation of bilateral agreements in the fields of education, research and innovation as well as for Swissnex, the global network connecting Switzerland and the world in education, research and innovation.