The afternoon will be organised into two 90-minute sessions, each presenting two conferences  (a total of four 30-minute conferences with 15 minutes for discussion at the end of each conference). The first afternoon session (2pm–3.30pm) will be dedicated to presenting the Swiss education system and its particularities (federalism, innovation, dual-track vocational education and training, continuing education); the second (4pm–5.30pm) will focus on Switzerland’s position in an international educational context.

These four conferences will highlight the particularities of the Swiss education system by exploring its characteristics and ability to adapt to evolutions within society with which it is confronted (e.g., digital teaching, vocational curricula, internationalisation, privatisation, the influence of the job market on educational content, inclusive learning, the connection between work and education).

The conferences will be broadcast live from a conference room where the guest speakers, the moderating team, and a limited audience will be present. The conferences will be broadcast on the congress’s platform where online participants can ask questions using the chat function.

Theme 1: Swiss governance in terms of education (conf. 1)

The Swiss education system is notable for its significant decentralisation, or, in other words, its high degree of federalism. The regions are given a certain amount of autonomy regarding educational policy, while the Confederation plays the role of coordinator, ensuring inter-cantonal laws and agreements are being respected. But how does this work in real terms? What are the links between Swiss society and federal, regional, and cantonal governance? Which domains are coordinated? How much room for manoeuvre do the cantons have? What are the restrictions and freedoms?

Theme 2:Higher education in Switzerland (Part 1)  (conf. 2)

Swiss universities and federal institutes of technology are an uncontested mark of Swiss excellence in this domain (Shanghai Ranking 2020: ETH Zurich is ranked 20th, the University of Geneva is 59th, the University of Zurich is 56th, EPFL is 83rd and the University of Basel is 88th; five universities in the world’s top 100). These academic institutions have seen impressive growth since the 2000s and have had significant international impact. Why are they so successful? What are their strengths? What challenges lie ahead? How do they stay at the top?

Theme 2: Higher education in Switzerland (Part 2)  (conf. 3)

In the 2000s, Switzerland undertook an in-depth reform of its higher education system, particularly through the introduction of universities of applied sciences (UAS) to tertiary education. Why reform? What are the aims of UAS? Why are they so successful? What links do they create with the job market? Where do they stand internationally?

Theme 3: Switzerland’s dual system for vocational education and training  (conf. 4)

Another particularity of the Swiss education system lies in the dual system for vocational education and training – an aspect inherited from Germanic traditions which has been extended throughout Switzerland to French- and Italian-speaking regions. This system is the envy of many countries, but how does it work? Despite the overall efficiency and quality of the system, one of the main challenges for apprentices is combining and integrating their experiences at work with what they learn at school. How do you promote the integration of knowledge, skills and attitudes? Can we use technology and its potential to facilitate the connection between vocational learning in different locations?

Maag Merki, K., Emmerich, M. & Holmeier, M. (Hrsg.) (2017). Educational Effectiveness Theory. Further developments in a multilevel context. London, New York: Routledge. Kim, K. G., Oertel, C., Dobricki, M., Olsen, J. K., Coppi, A. E., Cattaneo, A., & Dillenbourg, P. (2020). Using immersive virtual reality to support designing skills in vocational education. British Journal of Educational Technology, 51(6), 2199-2213.