It was in Switzerland that the great Pestalozzi advanced pedagogical science, advocating the introduction of universal education. It was here, according to the Swiss, that Albert Einstein created his theory of relativity, which revolutionized world physics. Incidentally, 2005 is widely celebrated in Switzerland as the Year of Einstein.
And, of course, one cannot fail to note that this very country is the world champion in the number of Nobel laureates per capita, and ranks fourth in the world in their absolute number. Of those who received this prestigious prize, 20% were children of university professors, and four people came from families of industrialists and businessmen. However, among the laureates there are also sons of a railway worker, a farmer, a mining master, a foreman, and a musician. The conclusion is simple: they all have in their briefcases a diploma of a good education.
Every seventh - with a briefcase
The explanation is not far to seek: in Switzerland, education and science are among the main priorities of the state. Suffice it to say that more than $9,000 per year from budget funds is spent per schoolchild - more than, for example, in Great Britain and Japan. In Switzerland, whose population does not reach 7.5 million people, there are approximately 1.1 million schoolchildren and students.
Swiss education has a pronounced international 'flair'; it is highly valued throughout the world, attracting with its quality, thoroughness, and rich palette of study programs. All these pluses add up to one big plus. That is why many foreigners come here to study. Their share of the total number of students at some Swiss universities reaches up to 20%, and in Geneva every third person who annually sits on university benches has come from abroad. In Switzerland, educational work is taken seriously - suffice it to say that it, for example, ranks seventh in the world in terms of the length of the school year.
Higher education in Switzerland is managed by both the cantons and the confederation. This must be kept in mind by domestic students who want to study in this country: after all, as a result, both the programs and the requirements for applicants to educational institutions may differ from canton to canton. It should also be borne in mind that Switzerland is implementing an education reform, including higher education. It is oriented towards the requirements of the Bologna Convention on a unified European educational space and aims to introduce a two-tier system of 'bachelor - master'. In many universities, such degrees already exist.
Each has its own advantage
Switzerland has 12 classical universities, where more than 90 thousand people study, and several dozen technical universities. The first Swiss university was founded by Pope Pius II in 1460 in Basel. Erasmus of Rotterdam, one of the greatest humanists of the late Middle Ages, taught in this temple of science. It was also there, in Basel, that the first 'Encyclopedia' in history appeared (1559).
The University of Basel did not remain in solitude for long - already in the 16th century Calvin founded a university in Geneva, then its counterparts appeared in Lucerne, Bern, Zurich, and other cities. The first thing that distinguishes Swiss universities is their centuries-old educational tradition, as well as the volume and quality of scientific research. In particular, at the University of Fribourg, about 50 seminars on various problems are organized per year, work is carried out on at least 200 scientific projects, and 1,500 scientific publications are made. The advantages of universities also include a high level of teaching and the quality of the scientific infrastructure.
Universities differ from technical and other higher education institutions in the fundamental nature of their educational programs and scientific research. At the same time, many technical universities have their own advantages - they respond more flexibly to market needs, and introduce 'fashionable' and especially popular specializations more quickly. Overall, the Swiss higher education system is capable of satisfying the individual educational needs of each student.
German will take you to Basel, French to Lausanne
However, there is one limitation that cannot (or is very difficult to) circumvent - the languages in which instruction is conducted. Thus, the universities of Basel, Bern, Lucerne, St. Gallen, and both higher education institutions of Zurich are located in the German-speaking part of the country, and accordingly, instruction there is conducted in German. In Neuchâtel, Lausanne, and Geneva, teaching is conducted in French. At the University of Fribourg, both languages are officially recognized. There are also Italian-language universities. As a rule, all Swiss professors also speak English, so foreigners who know only English can also study in Swiss graduate school.
At university, students study for four to six years - depending on the faculty. However, due to the fact that many of them combine study with work, the duration of study may stretch to five to seven years. The academic year consists of two semesters: winter (mid-October to early March) and spring (mid-April to mid-July).
Admission to a university in Switzerland comes down to a competition of certificates. The regulations on the convertibility of diplomas and certificates are established for the current year by a special commission (KFZ-Arbeitsgruppe). To enter the 'French' universities of Geneva, Lausanne, and Neuchâtel, our compatriot only needs to present a secondary education certificate with good grades (not lower than fours in all subjects) and pass a special unified exam for foreigners. But in a German-speaking university, our applicant most likely will not be accepted: it is assumed that he will additionally complete a Foundation program or study for one or two courses at a domestic university and thus compensate for the difference in the duration of school education.
The 'scariest' exam session
Applicants are admitted to universities without restrictions, however, upon completion of the first year, everyone takes a serious exam, after which up to 50% of students are screened out. The same exam will have to be taken after the second year of study.
Upon graduation, graduates are awarded a licentiate degree (Lizentiat) or a diploma (Diploma). These degrees correspond to a master's degree. To obtain a doctoral degree, one must study for another three years.
A unified exam for foreigners wishing to enter Swiss universities is held in November in Freiburg. To get to it, you must first contact the admissions committee located there. The exam lasts two days. On the first day, candidates write written papers in language and mathematics (four and three hours). On the second day, there is an interview in language (20 minutes) and mathematics (15 minutes). Mathematics may be replaced by another basic discipline - history, biology, chemistry, etc.
The university organizes preparatory courses for foreigners. There are three types: summer (from July to October), intensive (from October to July), and special pre-university preparation courses.
The application for admission to the university includes a clause on financial guarantees. This means either a statement from an account in a Swiss bank with at least $20,000 on it, or a guarantee from a private individual or company that the necessary amount will be paid by them.
In Switzerland, diplomas of professional technical, evening and correspondence education, as well as certificates from external schools, are not accepted for consideration. The Swiss do not accept young people under the age of 18 for study.
Where to get money?
Elite private educational institutions in Switzerland are fabulously expensive. At the same time, a foreigner can find a program that will cost him only 500 Swiss francs per semester (excluding living expenses). But in any case, you can try to get financial aid (it is easier to get it for master's and postgraduate programs). True, to reduce the financial burden, during the academic year you can work on a student visa 15 hours a week (and during holidays - without restrictions). Usually you can earn 15-20 francs per hour, but it is quite difficult to get a temporary job. Third and fourth year students have the right to assist professors at the department for a certain remuneration. The material well-being of graduate students and participants in research projects is much better - their salary allows them to live in Switzerland even with a family.
Swiss diplomas in economics, law, banking, management, languages, physics, chemistry, mathematics, and biology are highly valued worldwide. According to expert estimates, economics is best taught in St. Gallen, law in Freiburg, Lausanne and Neuchâtel, history in Neuchâtel, philological specialties in Geneva, and exact sciences at the technical universities of Zurich and Lausanne. In a word, there is no superlative degree that would not apply to Switzerland. It is no coincidence that Richard Wagner and Marc Chagall, Winston Churchill and Nikolai Gogol loved to visit here, and Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky even baptized his daughter Sophia in the local Orthodox church. To get to know this beautiful country better and also to receive an excellent education here - is that not a wonderful plan for life in the coming years?