Swiss Study Foundation

Swiss Study Foundation Fund for talented young people
legal form	Foundation, endowment
founding	1991
Seat	Zurich
purpose	Promotion of students at universities and technical colleges
Chair	Antonio Loprieno
Managing directors	Klara Sekanina
Website	studienstiftung.ch

The Swiss Study Foundation is an organization for the promotion of gifted students in Switzerland . As a national institution, it advocates broad promotion of excellence at all universities and technical colleges. The aim of the private non-profit foundation is to support talented young people in their endeavors to take on responsibility in all areas of our society. It promotes high-performing, broadly interested students whose personality, creativity and intellectual abilities lead to special achievements in science, business, culture and politics. The support is seen as a supplement to the course and places great value on intellectual and communicative skills: knowledge is deepened by being placed in interdisciplinary contexts. The development of a personal network is also promoted. The contacts to interesting people and institutions enable personal future prospects. The office is located in Zurich. The Studienstiftung is financially supported by the federal government, a large number of foundations and companies, the alumni and friends' association, and private donors. Since it was founded in 1991, the Swiss Study Foundation has invested almost 45 million francs in the national promotion of talented students and has supported a total of 2,118 particularly talented students and doctoral students.

History of the Swiss Study Foundation

Anton Schärli (dipl. Phys. ETHZ) and Eric Kubli (biologist at the University of Zurich) are working with experts from universities and business to develop a working paper on the establishment of a Swiss Study Foundation based on the model of the Study Foundation of the German People. Elisabeth Stumm (biologist) joins as the third founder. The paper is sent to around 60 leading personalities from universities, business, politics and administration in the consultation process and triggers a positive response.

The foundation was established on November 4, 1991 with the aim of promoting talented young people at university level. Anton Schärli takes over the management of the newly established office. Elisabeth Stumm supports him as an employee. A nine-member foundation board is constituted, chaired by Hans Künzi, professor em. of the University and ETH Zurich, former government councilor of the canton of Zurich and national councilor. In 1992 the foundation began its sponsorship activities and the first summer academy on the subject of “Dynamic Systems, Chaotic Behavior” took place with nine participants. After the premature death of Anton Schärli in 1995, Men Wieland took over the management.

From 1996 a build-up phase took place:

• Professionalization of the office due to the increasing number of sponsors
• Broader recruitment of students and high school graduates as well as volunteers, elaboration of a selection process
• Division of the work within the Board of Trustees: a committee and commissions for special tasks are formed
• Broader support for funding

The Association for the Promotion of the Swiss Study Foundation was founded in 1996. Jakob Nüesch , former President of ETH Zurich , becomes the first President . Markus Huppenbauer will be the new head from 2000 . In the transition period, Hansjörg Büchi will take over the management.

During the consolidation phase in 2000 , the range of subsidies and financial support are expanded, the previous educational formats were didactically revised and new educational modules (e.g. intellectual tools) developed. The foundation structures are being adapted and divided into strategic (foundation board) and operational tasks (office).

• 2001: Ten year anniversary of the Swiss Study Foundation.
• 2002: New President of the Board of Trustees - Meinrad Eberle (formerly Director PSI) replaces Hans Künzi.
• 2003: Founding of the alumni organization, first president becomes Alex Bircher (physicist and entrepreneur).
• 2004: New President of the Friends' Association - Eric Kubli succeeds Jakob Nüesch.
• 2005: New director of the Studienstiftung - Cla Reto Famos succeeds Markus Huppenbauer.
• 2006: Growth phase, further expansion of the funding offer:
  • The "Univers Suisse" education and scholarship program is being launched with the Sophie and Karl Binding Foundation to facilitate communication between the different parts of the country.
  • "Kick-off" events are now being held to provide orientation for those newly admitted to the foundation.
• 2007: 15 years of funding activity - anniversary celebration with a lecture by the President of the German Study Foundation, Gerhard Roth, on the subject of "Brain and Talent" in Zurich and a symposium "15 years of the Swiss Study Foundation - which elite funding does Switzerland need?" with Federal Councilor Pascal Couchepin in Bern. A donation from the Mercator Switzerland Foundation of 3.85 million Swiss francs enables the Foundation to be continuously expanded for the next 5 years.
• 2008: Antonio Loprieno, Rector of the University of Basel and President of the CRUS, takes over the presidency of the Board of Trustees from Meinrad Eberle. In a strategy paper, the Board of Trustees defines goals for the years 2008–2012 in order to establish itself as a national institution for promoting excellence throughout Switzerland.
• From 2009 the offer of the Swiss Study Foundation will be expanded:
  • With the support of the Ernst Göhner Foundation, six scholarships will be awarded annually to students in need for the next five years
  • The "Mercator College for International Tasks", a program to promote young talent for international organizations and working environments, is being launched jointly with the Mercator Switzerland and Germany Foundations and the German National Academic Foundation.
  • PhDBox, a new series of events for doctoral students, starts.
• 2011: The Studienstiftung organizes a public anniversary celebration on the topic of "Perspectives for the promotion of excellence" for the 20th anniversary. The Ernst Göhner Foundation is launching a scholarship program for excellent artists in training. The Sophie and Karl Binding Foundation extends its support for the "Univers Suisse" program for another five years.
• 2012: New system for the allocation of financial support: annually two annual scholarships are awarded to support one to two-year study abroad and research stays. In addition, the Studienstiftung awards grants and grants for visits to congresses, library visits and internships abroad on two dates every year.
• 2013: The Board of Trustees sets the strategic goals for 2013–2017. In addition to the goals set in the strategy paper for 2008–2012, it is decided to consciously integrate a global perspective.
• 2014: The newly revised website of the Swiss Study Foundation goes online. It is now available in four languages ​​and is also connected to Facebook and Twitter.
• 2015: The “Mobility - Infrastructure - Innovation” program supported by the Werner Siemens Foundation enables the Swiss Study Foundation to focus on MINT topics with an interdisciplinary approach.
• 2016: 25th anniversary of the Swiss Study Foundation. The event will be officially celebrated in Bern on November 4th.
• 2017: Funded, alumni and foundation activists take part in the interactive workshop to develop the 2019–2023 strategy of the Swiss Study Foundation. Plans and visions for an even more present, more participatory, more committed and even more interdisciplinary foundation were discussed.
• 2018: Approval of the new strategy for the years 2019–2023 by the Board of Trustees of the Swiss Study Foundation.
• 2019: New Director of the Study Foundation - Dr. Klara Sekanina succeeds Prof. Dr. Cla Famos.

Funding program

Educational program

The Swiss Study Foundation offers its sponsors an educational program that complements their studies, which gives students the opportunity to look beyond the boundaries of their subject area and nourishes their curiosity. The interdisciplinary educational offer includes the following programs and events:

Summer academies

The summer academies are a core element of funding from the Swiss Study Foundation. Interdisciplinary topics are dealt with independently in interdisciplinary groups of a maximum of twenty students. Two to four lecturers per academy guarantee optimal supervision and excellent learning and teaching conditions. The meeting takes place in educational centers that are located away from the large agglomerations in inviting landscapes. In this intensive teaching and learning atmosphere, a network of personal acquaintances is created. This is also maintained on excursions and in evening discussions.

Intellectual Tools (IT)

The “Intellectual Tools” seminar series offers two to three-day intensive modules to prepare for the world of work, in which basic knowledge from non-subject areas of science and so-called soft skills are acquired. Corresponding basic knowledge of central areas (e.g. law, politics, ethics or economics) is conveyed in a concentrated form, and basic communication skills (e.g. rhetoric, communication, presentation) are acquired.

Culture Matters

With the thematic focus on "Culture Matters", the foundation enables its students and doctoral students to both theoretically reflect on their own culture and experience them in practice. The focus of the events with a focus on culture are questions such as “Is everything cultural?”, “Can I belong to two cultures?”, “Am I cultivated?”, “Can you criticize cultures?”, “Who owns culture?”, "What use is culture in the economy?"

GraduateBox

The aim of the GraduateBox program is to impart skills in the areas of work and communication methodology to the recipients at the master's or doctoral level, to give them ideas and concrete examples for career planning and to prepare them for their future leadership role.

Univers Suisse

The “Univers Suisse” education and exchange program was launched by the Swiss Study Foundation in collaboration with the Sophie and Karl Binding Foundation. It is intended to raise awareness of the value of a diverse yet unified Switzerland. The main elements are the binding exchange scholarships and the summer academy “Le Tableau de la Suisse”.

Mercator College

The Mercator College for International Tasks supports 20 German and four Swiss university graduates from all disciplines who are striving for responsible work in international fields. The aim of the program is to promote a stronger presence of German-speaking staff in management positions in international organizations and globally active NGOs.

Werner Siemens program

In order to strengthen the MINT area (mathematics, computer science, natural sciences and technology), the Studienstiftung will be offering the sponsored students the strongly interdisciplinary program "Mobility - Infrastructure - Innovation" financed by the Werner Siemens Foundation.

Individual support

Networking and support at the place of study

Throughout the course of their studies, a personal contact person from a large pool of university lecturers who work on a voluntary basis is at their side with advice and action. They each accompany an interdisciplinary group of students at their place of study and organize regular meetings to foster mutual relationships. This allows students to build a cross-disciplinary, personal network at their university. The supervisors are also available to the students for individual concerns and general study questions.

Advice from the office

The office of the Swiss Study Foundation can provide further help with study and professional questions. It offers individual solutions and arranges further contacts.

Who's who and crisis coach

An address database, the "Who's Who" in the member area of ​​the foundation website, makes it easier for the sponsored to access the network of the Foundation. Students who no longer know what their study situation, their career or their personal development are, professional coaches are available free of charge for consultations Available.

Financial support

The Swiss Study Foundation makes a subsidiary contribution to the costs of studying abroad, attending congresses, internships and projects with grants and grants. A large part of the living costs and tuition fees are covered by scholarships. All scholarships offered in cooperation with the funding partners of the Swiss Study Foundation are merit scholarships: we support promising people and projects.

Annual scholarship

The annual scholarship of the Swiss Study Foundation is awarded for one to two-year studies abroad or for longer, very complex research stays. It is seen as start-up funding for a longer study abroad or as funding for a one to two-year master's degree or an extensive research stay.

Mercator College for international tasks

The Mercator College for International Affairs is a project of the Swiss Study Foundation and the Mercator Switzerland Foundation in cooperation with the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA). Highly qualified, German-speaking university graduates from all disciplines who are striving for management positions in international organizations and NGOs are funded. During a 13-month program, the students work in two to three international organizations or in globally active NGOs, non-profit organizations or commercial enterprises. A practical question designed by the students themselves determines the choice of workstations as a project. In addition, seminars are held to develop leadership and key skills.

Bärbel and Paul Geissbühler scholarships

The Bärbel and Paul Geissbühler scholarships are excellence scholarships: They are financed by the Bärbel and Paul Geissbühler Foundation and only benefit those who are funded in the MINT area who can demonstrate excellent school and academic achievements and who have little funds to finance their bachelor's degree - or master's level. Nine renewable grants have been available annually since 2018.

Binding Scholarships

These scholarships have been awarded since 2007 as part of the “Univers Suisse” program launched with the Sophie and Karl Binding Foundation to study donors who want to work across language barriers and who want to study at a Swiss university or technical college in another part of Switzerland.

Ernst Göhner Scholarships

The Swiss Study Foundation has been awarding these scholarships since 2009 in cooperation with the Ernst Göhner Foundation . They are financed by the Ernst Göhner Foundation and benefit talented students who do not have enough funds to finance their studies. Only students who have already been accepted into the Studienstiftung can apply. Since 2014, an additional six renewable scholarships have been distributed to people who have at least a bachelor's degree and are trained to teach full-time or part-time at a recognized university institute or complete teaching internships in this way.

Ernst Göhner scholarships for artists in training

The Swiss Study Foundation has been awarding these scholarships since 2011 in cooperation with the Ernst Göhner Foundation. They are advertised to the public and are aimed at talented and committed artists in training who have already been accepted into the Studienstiftung or would like to be accepted.

Suyana Scholarships

The Suyana scholarships have been awarded since 2012 in cooperation with the "Foundation Suyana", which is active in development cooperation in South America. They benefit student donors with excellent school and academic achievements who have little funds to finance their studies.

Werner Siemens Fellowships

The Werner Siemens Foundation Fellowships have been awarded to outstanding STEM students since 2016 with the aim of supporting and bringing them together. They are expected to get involved in teaching and promoting the MINT areas in society as well as in the interdisciplinary funding program of the Studienstiftung.

Admission to the Studienstiftung

The foundation invites the best high school graduates who are resident in Switzerland or Liechtenstein to apply through the school rectorate. Other candidates are recommended by lecturers at universities, colleges or technical colleges, the Science Olympiads or “Schweizer Jugend forscht”. The application is generally open to all students at universities and technical colleges.

basic requirements

• Residence in Switzerland or Liechtenstein (Swiss citizenship is not a requirement)
• Excellent Matura (reference value: grade average 5.3) or comparable performance in the professional Matura
• Or very good grades in your studies (reference value: grade average 5.3), or comparable performance in other assessment systems
• Or appropriate academic performance in the case of outstanding performance in non-university areas (special voluntary work, politics, culture, etc.)

Further requirements for applicants

• Efficiency
• Broad interests, intellectual curiosity and creativity
• Openness, creativity and enjoyment of interdisciplinary exchange
• Inner motivation and enthusiasm
• Communicative competence, also in foreign languages, especially in the national languages
• A sense of responsibility and commitment

Expectations of applicants after their admission

• Very good performance at the university (benchmark: grade average 5.3)
• Commitment outside of studies (e.g. special voluntary activities, politics, culture, etc.)
• Active participation in the event program of the Swiss Study Foundation
• Participation in group meetings at the place of study
• Annual submission of a report on the course of your studies as well as your activities within and outside the Foundation

statistics

The information is as of December 2019:

Number of beneficiaries	754, of which 386 women and 368 men
New additions 2019	125
Total beneficiaries since the foundation of the Studienstiftung	2118
Approved applications for financial support 2019	144
Graduations 2019	200, 13 of them with a doctorate
Number of events in 2019	102

Well-known former sponsors (selection)

The following list includes former scholarship holders of the Swiss Study Foundation who have gained prominence in the public sphere. The list provides an overview by subject area and occupation (selection)

politics

• Balthasar Glättli , born 1972; Studied philosophy, linguistics and modern German literature, since 2011 National Councilor, Green Canton ZH; Owner of the company “politbüro kampagnen und webdesign”, Zurich; Vice-President of the Swiss Tenants Association. Funded from 1993 to 1996.
• Nadine Masshardt , born 1984; Study of history and philosophy; since 2013 national councilor, SP Canton Bern ; 2006 to 2013 member of the Grand Council of the Canton of Bern; 2004 to 2010 city councilor in Langenthal; Project manager at a communications agency, funded from 2004 to 2011.

Media / culture

• Barbara Bleisch , born 1973; Studied philosophy, German and religious studies; since 2010 moderator and editor of “Sternstunde Philosophie” at SRF; since 2005 research assistant at the ethics center of the University of Zurich and lecturer for ethics at various universities and technical colleges. Funded from 1999 to 2007.

University / research

• Simon Grand , born in 1968; Assistant professor for strategic management at the University of St. Gallen. Main research areas: strategic management, strategy design, management innovation, entrepreneurship. Academic Director of the RISE Management Innovation Lab, Research Fellow at the Zurich University of the Arts. Funded from 1993 to 1997.
• Cornelia Halin Winter , born 1974; Assistant Professor for Drug Discovery Technologies at the Institute for Pharmaceutical Sciences at ETH Zurich. Studied biochemistry at the ETH Zurich. Funded from 1996 to 2002.
• Sebastian Hiller , born 1976; Professor at the Biozentrum of the University of Basel. Main research area “Decoding of membrane proteins with NMR spectroscopy”. Studied molecular biology and biophysics at the ETH Zurich. Funded from 1996 to 2006.
• Dina Pomeranz , born 1977; Assistant professor for microeconomics at the University of Zurich. Member of the Poverty Action Lab and the National Bureau of Economic Research. On the board of the development organizations Evidence Action and TamTam - Together Against Malaria. Funded from 2001 to 2010.
• Oliver Jens Schmitt , born 1973; Professor for the History of Southeast Europe at the University of Vienna. Studied Byzantine, Neo-Greek and Eastern European History in Basel, Vienna, Berlin and Munich. Funded from 1994 to 2000.
• Wendelin J. Stark , born in Zurich in 1976; Professor of Chemical and Bioengineering, ETH Zurich. Supervisor of the Swiss Study Foundation. Study of chemistry. Funded from 1996 to 2002.
• Jörg Stolz , born in 1967; Professor of Sociology of Religion at the University of Lausanne. Studied sociology, religion, economics and philosophy. Funded from 1995 to 2000.
• Francesca Verones , born 1984; Associate professor at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) in Trondheim, in the “Industrial Ecology” program. Study of environmental engineering at the ETH Zurich. Funded from 2004 to 2013.

Society / Social

• Michel Bachmann , born 1980; Studied Organization Studies / Social Entrepreneurship at the University of St-Gallen and in Tilburg (NL). Co-founder and management of a “hub” in Zurich, advisor at Global Shapers Community. Founder of deceler8. Funded from 2000 to 2010.
• Raphael Jerónimo Calderón , born 1984; Study of political science and international relations; Founder and managing director of euforia , a non-profit youth organization based in Geneva, Ashoka Fellow 2012, board member at WWF Switzerland and lecturer at the University of Geneva. Funded from 2005 to 2010.
• Nadine Felix , born in 1975; Study of philosophy; Managing Director of the Mercator Foundation Switzerland. Funded from 2002 to 2008.
• Nicola Forster , born 1985, studied law; Founder and President of the think tank foraus - Foreign Policy Forum , Board of Trustees of Science et Cité , Curator of the World Economic Forum Global Shapers Zurich, Vice President of the Law & Economics Club, Visiting Fellow Foundation for Science and Politics. Member of the Mercator College for International Tasks 2013–2014

art

• Nils Althaus , born 1981; Studied biochemistry at the ETH Zurich. Songwriter, cabaret artist and actor. Awarded Shooting Star 2007 and nominated four times for the Swiss Film Award. Tours in German-speaking Switzerland with several self-written solo programs. Funded from 2001 to 2006.
• Stefan Eichenberger , born 1984; Studied media and communication science, philosophy and sociology at the universities of Friborg and Bern. Afterwards master's degree in film realization at the Zurich University of the Arts. Film producer, u. a. by PARVANEH (Oscar nomination 2015), NEULAND and HEIMATLAND. Funded from 2009 to 2013.
• Sarah Rumer , born 1978; 1. Study of music; Solo flutist of the Orchester de la Suisse Romande and lecturer at the Lucerne School of Music; Funded from 1998 to 2006.
• Julia Schiwowa , born 1983; Training as a soprano with a minor in orchestral conducting at the Zurich University of the Arts. Singer and author, band leader of her own formation "Julia Schiwowa & Band", part of the Close Harmony formation The Sam Singers, co-founder of the international initiative "art but fair", managing director of the SingStimmZentrum Zurich. Funded from 2002 to 2007.
• Lena-Lisa Wüstendörfer , born 1983; Studied conducting as well as musicology and economics, artistic direction of the Junge Orchester Basel, the Uni Orchester Bern, the Academic Orchestra Basel as well as the Messias-Chor Zürich and the Comic-Opera Zürich. Funded from 2003 to 2013.

Economy / industry

• Andreas Juchli , born 1977. Studied human medicine at the University of Zurich. Managing Director of JDMT Medical Services AG and member of the Finance Commission of the Swiss Study Foundation. Funded from 2001 to 2005.
• Stefan Tuchschmid , born 1979; Studied electrical engineering and information technology at the ETH Zurich. Founder and managing director of VirtaMed, recipient of the MICCAI Young Scientist Award 2007 and Swiss Economic Award 2013. Funded from 2000 to 2006.

Web links

• Official website

Other sources

• Article in the Aargauer Zeitung on June 28, 2007

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Mission statement of the Swiss Study Foundation
2. ↑ Archived copy ( memento of the original from January 16, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. 
3. ↑ PDF
4. ↑ http://www.studienstiftung.ch/partner/forderverein/
5. ↑ https://www.facebook.com/fondetudes.studienstiftung
6. ↑ https://twitter.com/fondetudes
7. ↑ http://www.studienstiftung.ch/bildungsprogramm/
8. ↑ http://www.studienstiftung.ch/stipendien/
9. ↑ Profile of Jerónimo Calderón
10. ↑ Contrast film: HEIMATLAND
11. ↑ JDMT Medical Services AG
12. ↑ VirtaMed