Partner Country of the Month: Switzerland
Our south-western neighbour Switzerland is known for punctuality, mountain landscapes straight out of „Heidi“, political neutrality, and a high quality of life. While most European countries base their national identity on a common language, multilingual Switzerland identifies as a voluntary nation, based on the shared values of direct democracy, autonomy, and the willingness to compromise. A semester abroad in Switzerland gives you the chance to explore the unique local culture – as well as the Alps and lots of delicious cheese.
With the "Partner Country of the Month" campaign, we want to shine a spotlight on the wide diversity of countries, regions and partner universities of TU Dresden that our students can explore during a semester abroad.
Table of contents
General facts and figures about Switzerland
Official name: Swiss Confederation
Capital: officially none, de facto Bern (seat of government)
Population: 8.06 million
Official languages: German, French, Italian, Romansh
Currency: Swiss franc (CHF), 1 € = 0.96 CHF
You can find further facts, figures and information on Wikipedia, on the website of the German Federal Foreign Office, or on wikivoyage and MySwitzerland.
Languages in Switzerland
Switzerland is multilingual, so in order to not play favorites with one of the languages, Switzerland’s country code CH derives from Latin Confoederatio Helvetica. The languages are regional. 66 % of Swiss people speak German natively, 23 % French, 8 % Italian and <1 % Romansh. One or two of the other national languages are usually taught at school.
Swiss French and Italian are quite similar to how those languages are spoken in France and Italy. Mutual intelligibility is a given. However, this is not the case with Swiss German, or Schwyzerdütsch. The Swiss dialects differ greatly from Standard German, especially in pronunciation, but there are also variations in grammar and vocabulary.
Does this mean that knowing some Standard German will not help you in German-speaking Switzerland? No worries. While everyday conversations are normally held in Swiss German, Swiss people understand Standard German and use it in writing and formal contexts. Also, most Swiss people speak English (with the exception of the francophone region).
The courses offered by our partner universities take place in the respective regional language (mostly German) or in English. For your application, you need at least B2-level proficiency in the language of instruction. Please check the exact language proficiency requirements at your university of choice before applying. If you need to brush up your skills, check out the language courses offered by TUDIAS or VHS.
Did you know that ....?
- „All for one, and one for all“ is not only the motto of the Three Musketiers, but also of Switzerland? It promotes solidarity among Swiss citizens and has traditionally been invoked during natural disasters, and recently during the COVID pandemic.
- in Switzerland, some people swim home from work? Bathing in the many lakes and rivers is very popular, and river currents can easily carry you over longer distances. You can bring your belongings in a dry bag when commuting this way. If you prefer a quick dip during a break, why not visit a Badi (official bathing site). Zurich, Switzerland’s biggest city, can boast the highest density of Badis. They also double as bars and open air cinemas on summer evenings.
- the Swiss Anti PowerPoint Party was striving for a popular referendum to ban the use of PowerPoint? The APPP sees itself as the advocate of all those who are bored by the “assisted reading” of mandatory PowerPoint presentations, promoting instead the use of flip-charts and speaking freely. Not only Swiss citizens can become members, as the APPP is an “international movement (in the organizational form of a Swiss party)”.
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you can rent a guinea pig in Switzerland? Since 2008, Swiss law mandates the keeping of guinea pigs in groups of at least two. Keepers of single pigs can be charged a fine. But what if only one pig out of a pair dies and you don’t want to end up in an endless cycle of guinea pig purchase? No worries – a young, resilient rental guinea pig can keep the old one company for the rest of its life.
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the Swiss are the European champions of rail travel by a clear margin? Switzerland also has one of the world’s highest railroad densities. Even better, 99.98 % of Swiss railroad tracks are electrified, making them very sustainable, as renewable energies make up the majority of Swiss electricity (about 80 %).
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the Internet was invented in Switzerland – or, more accurately, the World Wide Web? Researchers at CERN wrote the code for this system of interconnected websites in 1989, and published the first page in 1990. Swiss inventions also include Velcro, aluminium foil, LSD, and of course the famous Swiss Army knives.
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all of the Swiss population can be housed in nuclear shelters? During the Cold War, many European countries built shelters to withstand weapons of mass destruction. Many have since been dismantled, but not in Switzerland, where they have taken on double functions. Today, the country has around 370,000 shelters with space for about 9.3 million people – more than Switzerland’s current population. Internationally, it’s an exception that every single resident is guaranteed a spot.
Cooperations with Universities in Switzerland
You can find all cooperations of TU Dresden in our database. Under Questionnaires, the experiences of previous exchange students can help you with impressions of our partner universities. Asking professors in your own faculty who might have direct contacts to your partner university of choice is also a good idea. Here you can find the contact persons and application deadlines for your faculty.
Cooperation via Erasmus+
- About Erasmus+
- BFH - Bern University of Applied Sciences
- Forest Sciences
- Architecture
Cooperation via the Swiss-European Mobility Programme
- About SEMP
- University of Bern, see fact sheet for a quick overview
- Medicine
- Psychology
- École Polytechnique Fédérale (EPF) in Lausanne
- Civil Engineering
- Architecture
- Mechanical Engineering (Faculty)
- Electrical Engineering and Information Technology
- University of Lugano
- Business Administration and Economics
- FHO - University of Applied Sciences of Eastern Switzerland
- Social Pedagogy
- Landscape Architecture
- Zürcher Hochschule für Angewandte Wissenschaften (Applied Sciences)
- Natural Materials Technology
- Universität Zürich, see fact sheet for a quick overview
- Medicin
- Physics
- Social Pedagogy
- Communication Science
Don't miss...
Lake Lucerne is a great day trip destination from Zurich or Bern. Going on a boat trip on Lake Lucerne, you will feel like you are carried away to a Norwegian fjord. Mountains surround the turquoise waters of the strangely shaped lake, so with every new bay, magnificent new views open before your eye. Hiking around the lake is another great option for exploring the area. The famous peaks of Pilatus and Rigi are also accessible by cogwheel trains.
Bruno Weber Park is Switzerland’s largest sculpture garden and the life’s work of artist Bruno Weber (1931-2011). Originally trained as a sculptor and painter, he later discovered his interest in architecture and concrete as a material for sculpting large statues. The park, including the unique palatial home he built for himself, is Weber’s vision of a fantastical alternative world.
The Zurich Succulent Plant Collection is the world’s largest collection of these curious plants. It houses about 21,800 succulents of 4,400 species in greenhouses and outside areas that imitate different climate zones. The love for plants runs deep here, and you are welcome to ask any succulent questions. Admission is free.
The St. Beatus Caves are located in a very scenic spot with waterfalls issuing from underneath the cave mouth, making a visit worthwhile for the ascent alone. Inside the cave, you can admire subterranean lakes and waterfalls, as well as fascinating limestone formations. A small museum informs about the history of caving, with interesting discoveries from St. Beatus.
CERN (European Organization for Nuclear Research) is a household name for any science nerd. Located close to our partner city Lausanne, CERN conducts basic research in physics on a grand scale. With the help of several particle accelerators, including the world’s largest and most powerful one, researchers investigate the structure of matter and the interactions between elementary particles. CERN offers free guided tours to visitors – come early, as demand is very high.
Let's get cooking...
The holes in Swiss cheese are known around the world. In truth, cheese can take many forms in Switzerland, with more than 700 varieties being produced in the country. Emmental cheese is probably the most famous, but many Swiss people prefer the aromatic Gruyère. You can enjoy cheese the Swiss way with dishes such as fondue, raclette, grilled cheese bread slice, or savoury cheesecake.
Swiss cuisine can differ greatly from canton to canton, with influences from the respective larger language areas. There are many delicious regional specialties to discover, such as Swiss carrot cake, a dessert made from sweet chestnuts and ice cream, or Geschnetzeltes (ragout) with Rösti. The Swiss invention muesli is popular around the country.
Älplermagronen (Alpine Macaroni)
Älpler or Alpine herdsmen and –women herd the dairy cattle that grazes the Alps (mountain pastures) in summer, and use the milk to produce butter and cheese. Other food items need to be brought up from the valleys, which used to mean that they were carried on the herder’s back. As pasta is easy to transport, this savoury, cheesy pasta dish became an Älpler’s staple. Alpine macaroni are easy to prepare, very hearty, and filling. They are usually served with apple sauce, but jam or caramelized onions are great choices as well.
You can find a recipe for Älplermagronen at mission-food.com, or zuckerjagdwurst.com for a vegan version. En guete!
Contact
Have you had a great time in Switzerland? Do you have tips for places and experiences that are not to be missed? We would be happy to share your experiences here, on social media or, if you want, in information events for other TUD students. Get in touch with us:
© Sven Ellger/TUD
Advice on studying abroad
NameMs Federica Serra
Infocenter/ Study abroad; TUDworldwide: America
Looking for first-hand information?
Would you like to know more about Switzerland? Ask our alumni ambassadors - TUD alumni who are active in many countries around the world and can give you information and advice for your stay abroad.
Getting in touch is very easy: On this interactive world map, markers indicate the cities where our alumni ambassadors live. There is a short profile with contact information for each ambassador.
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