Pedagogical Sciences/ 2 The problem of the Specialist Training 

Zakordonets N.I. 

Ternopil national pedagogical university named after Volodymyr Gnatiuk, Ukraine

SWISS HIGHER EDUCATION SYSTEM

Education has always been an overriding priority in Switzerland, as evidenced by an out­standing level of resources allocated to Swiss schools and different types of universities. Switzerland’s unique dual education and training system provides a vast range of educa­tional options, from vocational training and apprenticeships to university-level courses.

Higher education in Switzerland, fitting into the general dual system, covers the range from academic to applied studies by charging two types of institutions with the different training tasks. Twelve doctoral/research universities (ten cantonal universities and two Federal Institutes of Technology) offer theoretically oriented, scientific bachelor’s, mas­ter’s and doctoral degrees. Professionally oriented studies are offered at the 8 universities of applied sciences (“Fachhochschule”) and at the 14 universities of teacher education. In the universities of applied sciences integrated are also the top education in music, theatre, and fine arts. At all the different types of universities the Bologna declaration is implemented.

Ten cantonal universities and two Federal Institutes of Technology are currently the only research universities in Switzerland that are allowed to confer doctoral degrees. The ten cantonal universities are in Basel, Berne, Fribourg, Geneva, Lausanne, Lucerne, Neuchatel, St. Gallen, Italian-speaking Switzer­land, and Zurich. Most of them have been evolving over a number of centuries in step with societal and economic needs, always in harmony with a humanist ideal.

Practice-oriented university-level education is offered by seven universities of applied sciences regulated by public law and one private university of applied sciences. These universities are organised regionally and all have several campuses. Universities of applied sciences (UAS) provide a practice-oriented education, accommodat­ing the needs of both students and the job market. They offer an excellent learning environment: small campuses, a communal atmosphere, a good learning infrastructure, well-equipped laboratories, a good student/faculty ratio, small study groups, student-oriented classes, and highly qualified teachers who are often involved in research and/or professional practice.

In addition to their bachelor’s and master’s degree programs, the UAS offer a wide range of federally recognised courses in continuing education (MAS - Master of Advanced Studies/EMBA - Executive Master of Business Administration) to facilitate lifelong lear­ning among graduates. Their flexible organisation allows UAS to respond quickly to the needs of both students and the professional environment. As the education they receive is practice-oriented, students graduating from UAS have very good prospects on the job market. The most recent studies show that 96 % of students find employment in their professional field within twelve months of graduating. The educa­tion supplied by the UAS meets the demands of the job market. A UAS degree also serves as an entry qualification to further studies at universities both in Switzerland and abroad.

Switzerland is not a member of the European Union, but its higher education system is highly internationalised. Until now the Swiss universities have signed numerous agreements for exchange and co-operation with other universities in the entire world, and they participate in a number of bilateral and multilateral mobility and co-operation programmes. Since the beginning of the 1990s they have been intensified even further because of the education programmes of the European Union. At the moment Switzerland is neither a member of the EU nor of the EEA. This means that if it is to participate in EU education and training programmes a bilateral agreement must be concluded between the EU and Switzerland.

Cooperation and transfer possibilities between the different types of Swiss higher educa­tion institutions are essential. A perfect balance between cooperation and division of tasks are the objective of Switzerland’s higher education institutions. The Rectors’ Conference of the Swiss Universities (CRUS), the Rectors’ Conference of the Swiss Universities of Applied Sciences (KFH), and the Swiss Conference of Rectors of Universities of Teacher Education (COHEP) therefore encourage exchange programmes and work together readily. An example for this cooperation between the three Rectors’ Conferences is the agree­ment concerning the permeability between the different types of universities. Under de­fined conditions students of one type of university can continue their studies at another type of university.

Switzerland has superior qualities and skills in education, science and technology which are recognised internationally. The competitiveness of Switzerland is due to the considerable investment into research. On a percentage basis, the amount Switzerland spends on research and development in relation to gross domestic product (GDP) puts this country near the top of the list. More than two-thirds of these resources come from the private sector with the major interest coming from the chemical, pharmaceutical, electronics, and metallurgical industries.

So, the Swiss higher education system has the following essential characteristics: institutional diversity, comprehensive choice of education with the accent on continuity and modernity, the competitive quality of its teaching and research and its internationality. Swiss universities offer a rich education programme at various tertiary levels. This offer ranges from classical university disciplines to the most up-to-date education and research branches which respond to and advance continuing developments in knowledge and in turn meet the rapidly changing needs of students, society and the economy.

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3.                  Shackleford, P.   Global Tourism Trends. // Tourism Management, vol.18, #2, 1987. – p. 35-49.

4.                  Travel and Tourism: A New Economic Perspective. – Brussels, World Travel and Tourism Council, 1993.