Studying, Teaching, Continuing Education
UZH uses its wide range of degree programs to allow students to construct individual and interdisciplinary educational paths.
To meet the changing demands of society and the labor market, UZH is constantly refining its range of courses. Innovative teaching methods encourage students to take initiative and work independently.
UZH specializes in promoting interdisciplinary education. Considering the rapid rate of technological and societal change, transferable skills are becoming increasingly important alongside in-depth specialist knowledge. These skills include critical thinking, problem solving, taking different perspectives into account and working in diverse teams.
As a comprehensive university with the most extensive and diverse range of academic programs in Switzerland, UZH provides excellent conditions to facilitate interdisciplinary and flexible educational pathways. UZH aims to make the most of this potential. Following the establishment of the one-of-a-kind School for Transdisciplinary Studies in 2021 and after becoming a member of the Una Europa interdisciplinary university alliance in 2022, the university took another significant step in this direction in 2024. The Executive Board of the University and the faculties agreed to prioritize interdisciplinary courses, simplify the transfer of credit for studies completed elsewhere, and facilitate cross-faculty studies. This means that UZH now has improved conditions for future-oriented teaching, allowing students to make the most of the diverse disciplines on offer and achieve their individual study goals in a flexible way.
UZH is characterized not only by diversity in its academic cultures, but also by the diversity of individuals who come together to study and work here. Equal opportunities, diversity and inclusion are core values in university life. By launching the UZH Accessible project in 2024, UZH aims to remove physical and digital barriers to participation in teaching and research. The aim is to not only facilitate access to buildings and rooms, but also to digital infrastructure. As part of the project, frequently used websites and teaching materials are being adapted, and processes such as handling academic accommodations should be standardized. At the same time, it is crucial that all members of UZH get involved and become aware of these issues. UZH is planning measures to foster a culture of inclusion.
UZH is constantly developing its course content and teaching methods, reinforcing its position as an attractive, innovative and future-orientated educational institution. The UZH Teaching Fund has supported over 160 projects involving courses and modules, as well as 12 at the program level since 2016. In 2024, around 7,500 students per semester benefited from the latter. Examples of newly developed Bachelor’s and Master’s programs include Applied Mathematics and Machine Learning, Biodiversity, Evolving Languages and Global Futures. Since 2024, a new funding line known as engage_now has supported initiatives and projects started by students themselves – for example, participation in international research competitions or expert conferences. Digital technologies, especially AI, are strong drivers of development in teaching and studies. UZH considers this topic a top priority. It has a wide range of skills in all faculties to shape the digital transformation of teaching and studies creatively and responsibly. It brings this potential together for the benefit of the entire university and coordinates the various development impulses. The Digital Charter, which was adopted in 2024 as part of UZH’s digital strategy, serves as a guideline.
UZH is strengthening its international and interdisciplinary orientation through its membership in Una Europa. The European university alliance brings together 11 research-intensive universities with a shared vision for innovative education. Since joining in 2022, UZH has been working with its partner universities to develop new teaching methods and student mobility models. As part of a joint Bachelor’s program in European Studies, UZH offers specializations in law, philosophy, history and politics. The first cohort of mobility students is expected to arrive at UZH in spring 2025. A joint Bachelor’s degree in Sustainability is also being planned. In addition, students are actively involved in shaping the Una Europa university alliance as part of a local task force set up at UZH in 2024. UZH’s participation in Una Europa is co-financed by Movetia, the national agency for the promotion of exchange and mobility in the field of education.
In 2024, UZH developed a range of digital tools to better support students in planning the various phases of their studies. In the future, prospective students will be able to use a guide and an interactive digital assistant to find degree programs at UZH that match their talents and interests. Compact orientation aids, including tips on studying, information on student life and guidelines on UZH’s principles and cultural values, will help students ease into university life. As part of its digital strategy, UZH is also developing an AI Buddy that will act as a digital companion for students, as well as supporting teaching staff. Furthermore, the web-based planning software Moses Med was introduced especially for medical students in 2024. The software generates an individual digital timetable for all students based on their courses and core elective modules, as well as other data. This helps to optimize individual timetables, while also making the faculty’s planning tasks more efficient.
UZH is adapting its teaching and study spaces in order to meet constantly changing requirements. To enable more flexible course design, UZH has equipped two lecture halls with interactive hybrid settings at each of the City, Irchel and Oerlikon campuses. People from outside can be connected to and interact with those on site via video and audio channel. To make its buildings more accessible for students and employees with disabilities, UZH carried out a comprehensive survey as part of the UZH Accessible project. The accessibility of 75 buildings was tested in accordance with SIA specifications, including door mechanisms, handrails, lighting and disabled toilets. Structural adaptations were developed based on this survey.
Too few doctors are being trained in Switzerland in relation to demand. With the Med500+ project, UZH is preparing to significantly increase the number of places at the Faculty of Medicine. The prerequisite for this is a corresponding political decision. This would require adjustments to staff and infrastructure, for example. UZH will develop proposals for the Board of the University by summer 2025. At the same time, the Faculty of Medicine is pressing ahead with a reform of the curriculum. One of the aims is to make the study of human medicine more practice-oriented and to more closely interlink preclinical and clinical training. In addition to hospitals, medical practices are to be increasingly integrated into practical training. There are also plans to expand the simulation program and introduce new teaching modules to promote students’ practical and communication skills.
