ISSUED: 13 July 2022
MEDIA CONTACT: Dana Costa
SHEPHERDSTOWN, WV — Science, technology, and engineering (STEM) students from Shepherd University can study abroad in Switzerland now that the University has signed an agreement of cooperation with the School of Engineering at the Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW).
The agreement will allow students from each institution to enroll for classes on exchange and opens the possibility of other areas of collaboration in the future such as faculty and staff exchange and collaboration on academic programs and research.
Photo courtesy ZHAW School of Engineering
The ZHAW, located in Zurich, Switzerland, was established in 2007 following the merger of four different institutions, one of which served as Albert Einstein’s first teaching post, and has more than 14,000 students. ZHAW School of Engineering offers programs in aviation, computer science, data science, and transportation, as well as several programs in engineering, with classwork available in English in all subjects. The school also offers project work opportunities with industry partners.
Dr. Samuel Greene, director of Study Abroad, noted that the agreement will bring affordable and practical study abroad opportunities for STEM students.
“Many students in STEM think that it will be impossible for them to study abroad because of the difficulty in taking classes relevant to their major,” Greene said. “By partnering with a leading Swiss university with specialized programs in the sciences offered in English, our students in majors and minors such as computer science, data analytics, and engineering can gain invaluable cross-cultural experience without sacrificing the quality of their education or their time to degree.”
Greene pointed out the Swiss university offers interesting project work opportunities with local partners that will provide practical experience for Shepherd students and that Shepherd will benefit from the international presence of Swiss students on campus.
Exchange agreements are among the most affordable paths to study abroad because students pay tuition at the same rate as their home institution and are eligible to apply most financial aid to their program. Greene observed that “this agreement will allow our students to study in Switzerland at a similar cost to a semester living on campus in Shepherdstown, plus the cost of airfare.”
Students interested in studying in this program or any study abroad offering can contact Greene.
More information about the program at ZHAW can be found on the Exchange Students Studying in Switzerland webpage.
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