FernUni Switzerland celebrates its 30th anniversary

FernUni Switzerland was founded in 1992 to offer students from peripheral regions, professionals and top athletes the opportunity to study. To celebrate its 30th anniversary in a fitting manner, the university institute held an anniversary party on Friday, June 23 at the Simplonhalle in Brig, which was attended by around 250 people.

Strong support from authorities at federal, cantonal and municipal level

During his address, Christophe Darbellay, State Councillor and Head of the Department of National Economy and Education, expressed the unanimous political will of the Canton of Valais to accompany the FernUni Switzerland on its way to becoming a Valais University by 2027. "With the HES-SO Valais-Wallis, the Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne, the Universities of Lausanne and Geneva, the Distance Learning University of Switzerland (FFHS), the University of Teacher Education Valais (PH-VS) and the research institute Idiap, Valais has important players in the field of tertiary education. However, Valais is missing one piece of the puzzle - a Valais University - to complete the higher education landscape. This missing piece is the FernUni Switzerland."

Silvia Studinger, Vice Director of the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI), pointed out the importance of the university institute in the Swiss higher education landscape. "Thanks to the subsidies from the federal government, FernUni Switzerland is now independent and benefits from funding on a par with that of other universities. It also has a high-quality distance learning model, which is key in today's society."

Mathias Bellwald, Mayor of Brig-Glis, proudly presented his city as a true urban center of education: "In Brig-Glis, young people have the opportunity to complete their entire education, from kindergarten to vocational training to university degrees. This is a unique advantage for Brig-Glis to play a central role and contribute to the training of a qualified workforce."

At the subsequent Strategy Days in Zermatt, Roberto Schmidt, President of the State Council and Head of the Department of Finance and Energy, emphasized the need and legitimacy for distance learning in today's society. "In Valais, we suffer from a shortage of qualified workers. With the support of the Canton of Valais, FernUni Switzerland can counteract this through its success."

From FernUni Switzerland to the University of Valais

FernUni Switzerland is stepping up its efforts to meet the requirements for accreditation as a full university from 2027. In addition, internationally renowned professors will continue to be engaged to ensure the quality of research and to strengthen the centers of excellence within the five faculties. "FernUni Switzerland wants to anchor itself in the Swiss higher education landscape and live up to the trust of students, academics, the canton of Valais, the founding cantons (Schwyz, Bern, Solothurn, Lucerne), the federal government and politicians in order to establish itself as a fully-fledged and internationally recognized institution," explains Dr. Damien Carron, Director of Academic Services.

The structural requirements have been met: At the end of 2021, FernUni Switzerland will have moved into its new university campus jointly with the Fernfachhochschule Schweiz (FFHS) in the Rhonesand district of Brig. This building provides the university institute with a location for internationally integrated research activities and university training opportunities based on the findings of its research, thus strengthening its anchoring in Valais. This innovative construction was noted as an example of best practice in the Cantonal University Report 2021.

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