Reviews of National Policies for Education Tertiary Education in Switzerland The Swiss university system is of a high international standard. It is complemented by a broad system of vocational training, parts of which were recently upgraded to the tertiary level. Tertiary education reform is in a dynamic phase in Switzerland as it grapples with national and global challenges emerging from the transition to a knowledge society. This review makes recommendations for further improvements to the tertiary education system in Switzerland. OECD's books, periodicals and statistical databases are now available via www.SourceOECD.org, our online library. This book is available to subscribers to the following SourceOECD theme: Education and Skills Ask your librarian for more details on how to access OECD books on line, or write to us at
[email protected] www.oecd.org ISBN 92-64-10308-2 91 2003 03 1 P -:HSTCQE=VUXU]Z: Tertiary Education in Switzerland Switzerland has made major strides in improving access to and providing greater diversity of tertiary education. The report recommends additional measures for improving permeability in access routes and for building closer relationships between different parts of the tertiary sector. It also advocates expanding areas of study in the newly created universities of applied sciences, and for more flexible arrangements to meet the learning needs of adults. The already high quality of research of Swiss universities needs to be strengthened in the area of social sciences. While the Swiss system gets high marks in coping with internationalisation, the flow of Swiss students studying abroad needs augmentation. The report also offers a range of recommendations in the area of the overall steering of the system and in improving effective internal management of the tertiary sector, two of the biggest challenges for reforms. There are also recommendations for improving the Swiss knowledge base on tertiary education. Reviews of National Policies for Education OECD reviews of national education policies provide a well-established means for member countries to engage their peers in reviewing their country’s policies. This report was prepared at the invitation of the Swiss authorities. It is divided into two parts: a background report, prepared by the Swiss authorities, and the OECD examiners’ report. « Reviews of National Policies for Education Tertiary Education in Switzerland © OECD, 2003. © Software: 1987-1996, Acrobat is a trademark of ADOBE. All rights reserved. OECD grants you the right to use one copy of this Program for your personal use only. Unauthorised reproduction, lending, hiring, transmission or distribution of any data or software is prohibited. You must treat the Program and associated materials and any elements thereof like any other copyrighted material. All requests should be made to: Head of Publications Service, OECD Publications Service, 2, rue André-Pascal, 75775 Paris Cedex 16, France. REVIEWS OF NATIONAL POLICIES FOR EDUCATION Tertiary Education in Switzerland ORGANISATION FOR ECONOMIC CO-OPERATION AND DEVELOPMENT ORGANISATION FOR ECONOMIC CO-OPERATION AND DEVELOPMENT Pursuant to Article 1 of the Convention signed in Paris on 14th December 1960, and which came into force on 30th September 1961, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) shall promote policies designed: – To achieve the highest sustainable economic growth and employment and a rising standard of living in member countries, while maintaining financial stability, and thus to contribute to the development of the world economy.