Study in Switzerland

Study in Switzerland

Switzerland is famous the world over for many things: Heidi, banking, cows, cheese, chocolate, you name it. While some are more fictional than others, let’s fill you in on some particular facts & figures about Switzerland.

• Democracy: In Switzerland citizens can challenge any law passed by Parliament – provided they can gather 50,000 signatures against the law within 100 days. If successful, a national vote is held and voters decide by a simple majority whether to accept or reject the law. Swiss citizens also vote on constitutional amendments or in referenda several times a year. For instance, Swiss voters rejected by 66.5 per cent a proposal to give themselves one additional week of annual leave in a national referendum in 2012.

• There are four national languages: German, French, Italian and Romansh, although English is increasingly popular. Every child in Switzerland has to learn at least two national languages as well as English. Our universities of teacher education are heavily investing in language teacher didactics.

• Switzerland is the “water tower” of Europe. It has more than 1,500 lakes, and you are never more than 16 km from a lake within the country’s borders. Water is by far the most common energy source. But not only with hydro-electric dams. For instance, the premises of the Swiss National Supercomputing Centre in Ticino are cooled using water from Lake Lugano, while the waters of Lake Geneva are used by the Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne, the grid in Geneva, and several companies along the UNESCO World Heritage lake shore.

• By 1767, Swiss scientist Horace Benedict de Saussure had already invented the first solar collector – an insulated box covered with three layers of glass absorbing sunlight and creating temperatures of 110 degrees Celsius. In 2010, Prof. Michael Graetzel (EPFL) was awarded the Millennium Technology Prize for his invention of a low-cost solar cell that could be used to build electricity-generating windows mimicking photosynthesis.

• Talking of solar power, you might have heard about Solar Impulse, a Swiss long-range experimental solar-powered aircraft that circumnavigated the earth in 2015-2016. It was piloted by Swiss explorers André Boschberg and Bertrand Piccard. Solar Impulse holds 17 world records and has proven that clean technologies can really achieve the impossible.
• • Switzerland is not all mountains, as in the south you will easily find palm trees in the canton of Ticino. How to get there? Since 2017, Switzerland has been able to boast the longest tunnel in the world as an engineering masterpiece. The Gotthard tunnel measures 57 km in length and runs 2.3 km under the Alps. It took 17 years to build. The masterpiece was constructed with the expertise of Swiss universities.
  • Still care for a hike? There are more than 4,400 mountains over 2,000 m high, 24 of them over 4,000 m. The highest is – not the Matterhorn – the Monte Rosa (Dufourspitze) at 4,634 m, situated on the Swiss/Italian border. Epic landscapes are frequently used as locations for the Indian Bollywood filming industry. Around 800 Bollywood films are shot in Switzerland each year, more than in any other country outside India.
  • • Switzerland’s climate is not really only about snow and ice – cold, snowy winters come and go, but you will find that temperatures can exceed 30–35°C in the Swiss plateau in summer.
    • Basic relativity was, in fact, theoretically coined by Albert Einstein, who developed his theory of relativity (E=MC2) in Switzerland. Having renounced his German citizenship to avoid military duty in the German army, he successfully applied for a Swiss passport. He developed his theory of relativity – his famous formula E=MC2– while studying and living in Bern.

    • Where to sleep? Student residence, apartment-sharing, small studio? All of these are possible in Switzerland! 

      In Switzerland, only a few universities offer the opportunity to live directly on campus. But there are many other possibilities.

      Student residence
      A student residence is a very practical solution. Warning: the number of rooms in student residences is limited!

      Free housing market / Apartment-sharing
      You will find rooms on the free housing market. Many students choose to share a flat. The prices can vary significantly depending on the city.

      Help: how can I find a place to stay?
      Do you need help? Your Swiss universities provide you with information about housing in the area! Depending on the location, finding accommodation can be difficult. Make sure you start to look for accommodation early enough!

    • In Switzerland, only few students at bachelor and master’s level hold a scholarship or grant. Most students finance their programme and costs of living through part-time work. While tuition fees vary between CHF 500 and CHF 2,000 per semester/term, the costs of living are high though. Furthermore, grant availability for PhD students is much higher.

      1. Does your government offer study grants and scholarships through which you could finance your stay in Switzerland?
      2. If you are an exchange student, does your home university offer scholarships for studying 1-2 semesters in Switzerland?
      3. Would you be eligible for a student job alongside your study programme in Switzerland?
      4. Check out the funding opportunities of Swiss universities and companies. Several universities have grants/scholarships at faculty/department/institute or student body level. Make sure to check out these grants when you have chosen your study programme.