QS World University Rankings 2021: Q&A with USI - Università della Svizzera Italiana

If we think of our campuses and buildings, they are constantly open and accessible to students 24/7, 365 days of the year (apart from a few days a year, at the Mendrisio Campus). 

Both the cities of Mendrisio (where the Academy of Architecture is located) and Lugano (with all other faculties) are small and very welcoming. Switzerland’s quality of life, which combines tradition and innovation, is particularly conducive to a great learning experience. Additionally, we are just two hours by train from Zurich and one hour from Milan, Italy, offering endless cultural opportunities.

A fundamental one. USI is a research-intensive university. More than 10 percent of our students pursue a PhD: many of them are involved in research projects funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation or by European Union programs. Our Research and Transfer Service is very active in supporting research activities, from the very definition of suitable funding lines, up to helping to write projects and manage them.

Research activities at USI range from very fundamental to more applied ones. Recently, for instance, Twitter has acquired Fabula AI, a company founded by a team of USI researchers headed by one of our professors. 

Research is closely connected with teaching, ensuring that our courses are constantly updated and beyond the state-of-the-art.

We have several activities aimed at that.

First of all, when designing our study programs, especially at the master’s level, we keep in mind relevant industries or professional roles. In this respect, we invite, on a regular basis, people from the industry to present their experience in class or during ad-hoc events, like at our yearly “Long Night of the Careers”. Also, many programs include either a curricular internship or a field project, which can also be the basis for writing the final thesis. 

We have a very active Career Service, which supports students in finding internships or jobs, constantly monitors the market, follows the career of our alumni, and puts current students in contact with potential employers.

This approach is applied throughout the university, but there are also initiatives specific to individual programs. For instance, at the Academy of Architecture, students are required to have a full year of practical experience in an architect’s studio; the Faculty of Informatics runs practical industry-oriented activities; the master’s in medicine includes bed-side teaching right from the beginning of the program.

There are also ad-hoc courses, designed to connect theoretical knowledge with the relevant industries. For instance, we have a “Tourism Career Lab” in the master’s in international tourism, or the course on “Digital Fashion Communication: Conversations with Industry Experts”, which are run by our Faculties of Economics and of Communication, Culture and Society. 

We also have several double or joint degrees, as well as mobility programs, which help students to visit other countries and learn to cope with different contexts, improving their ability to work in international and highly intercultural environments. Last, but not least, the extensive use of digital communication technologies and a focus on sustainability are very important “assets” for the employability of our students.