Yves Fournier

Yves FOURNIER* was born in Martigny in 1964 (Switzerland). He obtained a degree in contemporary and Swiss history at the University of Fribourg; he was a history teacher and member of the management of the Collège de l'Abbaye in Saint-Maurice (Switzerland) until 2016, when he was appointed inspector and responsible for the schools of the Second General Secondary level for the Valais (high schools and colleges and ECCG).

After defending his dissertation on political ideology in the inter-war period, he was awarded first prize in the SHVR competition in 1993. Author of numerous articles on political ideology and international history, he has also contributed to the Dictionnaire historique de la Suisse DHS and to various journals, including the Année francophone internationale (Quebec).

His numerous cultural activities have also led him to pursue research in the history of science. After the publication of "Salvan, sur les pas de Marconi" / "Salvan on Marconi's Footsteps" (1996/2000), he contributed with Professor Gardiol to articles published in EMEA Channels (London, 2001), TRACES (Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, 2002) and Microwave Journal ("Salvan, Cradle of Wireless", USA, 2006). He is also the co-author of "Marconi and Salvan: at the dawn of wireless telegraphy" (Ed. Porte-Plumes 2009). President of the Marconi Foundation (Salvan, Switzerland), he received the honorary title of "Cavaliere dell'Ordine al Merito della Repubblica italiana" (Italian Legion of Honour) in 2004.

He was also instrumental in Salvan's recognition as a ‘telecommunications heritage site’ by the ITU (International Telecommunications Union), a title granted in September 2008 in the presence of Princess Elettra Marconi, daughter of the inventor, the President of the Swiss Confederation, Mr Pascal Couchepin, and Dr H. Touré, Secretary General of the ITU.