Alice Delorme Benites Appointed New Head of ZHAW’s Department of Applied Linguistics

The University of Applied Sciences Council of the Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW) has appointed Professor Dr. Alice Delorme Benites as the new head of the Department of Applied Linguistics. She will assume the position on November 1, 2026, succeeding Daniel Perrin, who is retiring after leading the department since 2017. ZHAW, Canton of Zurich, and UEPO announced the appointment.

Background and Experience

Delorme Benites has been affiliated with the ZHAW since 2013, beginning her career at the Institute for Multilingual Communication as a lecturer. She progressed to become Deputy Head of Didactics Innovation in 2018 and was appointed Professor of Human-Machine Communication in 2022. Shortly after, she took on the leadership of the Institute for Multilingual Communication. Since 2024, she has also served as the Deputy Director of the Department of Applied Linguistics. ZHAW

Educational Background

Delorme Benites holds a Master’s degree in Applied Foreign Languages from Université Lumière Lyon (France), earned in 2003, and a doctorate in German as a Foreign Language from the University of Siegen (Germany), completed in 2011. She also has extensive further training in leadership and higher education management. ZHAW

Department Overview

The Department of Applied Linguistics at ZHAW is the only linguistic department within a Swiss University of Applied Sciences and one of the largest in Europe. It currently has 891 students enrolled and employs 204 staff members. UEPO The department focuses on creating and imparting practical, future-oriented knowledge and skills for language, media, and communication professions, integrating artificial intelligence with human expertise.

Transition and Future Outlook

Daniel Perrin, the outgoing department head, will retire at the end of October after leading the department since 2017. The ZHAW Rector, Regula Jöhl, expressed gratitude to Perrin for his commitment and wished Delorme Benites success in her new role. ZHAW