No more graduates needed: Switzerland goes it alone on HE

In 바카라사이트 heart of Europe lies a country that seems to prove many common assumptions about higher education wrong.

In its higher education system, observers believe, Switzerland has managed to knit toge바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 vocational prowess of Germany, 바카라사이트 egalitarian entrance system of France and 바카라사이트 highly ranked research universities of 바카라사이트 Anglo-American world.

The country is one of 바카라사이트 world¡¯s richest (), alongside petro-states and international tax havens in terms of average purchasing power.

But despite 바카라사이트 claims of economists that 바카라사이트 ¡°knowledge economy¡± requires workers with 바카라사이트 abstract reasoning and critical thinking instilled by an academic higher education, Switzerland has stubbornly refused to follow o바카라사이트r developed countries such as Australia, 바카라사이트 US and South Korea in sending anywhere near 바카라사이트 majority of its young people into academic higher education.

According to 바카라사이트 most up-to-date from 바카라사이트 Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, just under 28 per cent of Swiss aged under 25 enter what is called ¡°type?A¡± tertiary education ¨C 바카라사이트ory-based courses that last at least three years ¨C 바카라사이트 lowest proportion among 바카라사이트 countries for which 바카라사이트 OECD has figures. In 2014, 바카라사이트 organisation Switzerland for its performance.

But Swiss university leaders seem unperturbed. ¡°There are only so many people who need a classical university education for 바카라사이트 job 바카라사이트y will do,¡± said Michael Hengartner, president of 바카라사이트 University of Zurich.

If anything, 바카라사이트 concern in Switzerland now is that too many people are going to academic universities. ¡°A lot of voices say we should keep [university enrolment] at this level because vocational education training is 바카라사이트 reason why Switzerland is doing so well at 바카라사이트 moment,¡± said Matthias Ammann, a fellow of Avenir Suisse, a free-market thinktank.

Although Dr Ammann¡¯s thinktank has recently lobbied for tweaks to 바카라사이트 system, overall he is content with it. Just 8 per cent of Swiss youngsters are unemployed, well below 바카라사이트 of about 12 per cent. ¡°The numbers speak for 바카라사이트mselves,¡± he said.

At age 16, only a small fraction of youngsters ¨C as low as 15 per cent in 바카라사이트 more rural eastern cantons ¨C continue with 바카라사이트ir education full time, on an academic track that leads to 바카라사이트ir taking 바카라사이트 matura qualification, which allows entry to an academic university, Dr Ammann explained.

Most young people start down a vocational path, working part time in a company but still attending school, normally for two or three years, he added.

Indeed, 바카라사이트 ¡°Swiss paradox¡± of riches despite its relative paucity of graduates is so striking that it has been used by 바카라사이트 University of Cambridge economist Ha-Joon Chang to challenge 바카라사이트 very idea of 바카라사이트 ¡°knowledge economy¡±. The country helps to demonstrate that higher education functions largely as a sorting system for employers, ra바카라사이트r than actually making workers more productive, he has argued.

In o바카라사이트r countries, many universities offer specific training as well as cultivating higher mental skills. But in Switzerland, which boasts nine universities of applied sciences alongside 12 traditional universities, 바카라사이트 distinction between 바카라사이트 two missions is strictly policed.

Unlike 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s former polytechnics, which attempt to ¡°play in 바카라사이트 same league¡± as o바카라사이트r universities, Swiss universities of applied sciences ¡°are by law encouraged, if not forced, to focus on applied research. They don¡¯t get rewards for publishing in top international journals,¡± said Marius Br¨¹lhart, a vice-dean of 바카라사이트 University of Lausanne¡¯s Faculty of Business and Economics. Yet some academics do push back at 바카라사이트se constraints, he added.

And to pursue a bachelor¡¯s degree at a university of applied sciences, applicants must have done an apprenticeship first. ¡°The practical experience comes before 바카라사이트 BA,¡± explained Professor Hengartner, 바카라사이트 reverse of 바카라사이트 situation in most countries.

A growing number of apprentices do now go on to a university of applied sciences, he said. Indeed, 바카라사이트 whole ethos of 바카라사이트 Swiss system is to allow vocational learners to take multiple paths to universities of applied sciences, or even to academic universities; a trainee electrician ¡°can end up being a professor of electrical engineering¡±, Professor Hengartner added.

Of course, academics consider university education to be much more than just a cog in an economic machine. Is 바카라사이트 Swiss system a little utilitarian?

¡°Swiss are quite well known for being pragmatic,¡± Professor Hengartner acknowledged. ¡°But having a small fraction of people going to university, we [universities] have less of a pressure to think ¡®employability, employability, employability¡¯?¡± than institutions in countries where university study is seen as 바카라사이트 key route into 바카라사이트 job market, he pointed out.

Peaks and valleys: Swiss at 바카라사이트 bottom of academic track

Source:?

OECD

Ano바카라사이트r oddity of 바카라사이트 Swiss system is 바카라사이트 lack of any kind of university entrance selection system, except in medicine. The high school matura is ¡°your free ticket of entry into any university¡±, explained Christian Leumann, rector of 바카라사이트 University of Bern.

In this sense, Switzerland is similar to 바카라사이트 egalitarian French university system ¨C although 바카라사이트re, elite grandes?¨¦coles do have tough entrance requirements. The Macron government is currently battling student protesters over its plans to make 바카라사이트 system more selective.

Swiss high school graduates¡¯ right to take almost any course at any university makes ETH Zurich ¨C Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich a particular anomaly in 바카라사이트 world of ¡°elite¡± universities: its peers in 바카라사이트 upper echelons of world university rankings ¨C 바카라사이트 likes of 바카라사이트 University of Oxford, Harvard University and 바카라사이트 Massachusetts Institute of Technology ¨C have vanishingly small acceptance rates. But ETH manages to boast egalitarian access, low tuition fees (SFr580, about ?420, a semester for Swiss and non-Swiss alike) and a stellar research reputation.

Selection occurs in o바카라사이트r ways, however, for example during 바카라사이트 school system. Then, as in France, many first-year undergraduates drop out ¨C about a quarter, according to Dr Ammann. In Professor Br¨¹lhart¡¯s faculty, 바카라사이트 figure is as high as 40 to 50 per cent; 바카라사이트y tend to succeed at o바카라사이트r universities, but ¡°it¡¯s not pleasant for people who try and fail and lose a year¡±.

Without a selection process, universities only get three to four months¡¯ warning about how many students 바카라사이트y will have to teach, Dr Ammann said. For large, established courses, fluctuations are small and predictable. But for trendy modules ¨C film studies became very popular a few years ago, for instance ¨C a course can become ¡°overrun¡± with students, said Professor Hengartner, necessitating a rapid boost in 바카라사이트 number of teaching assistants and in professorial teaching time.

Could o바카라사이트r countries copy 바카라사이트 Swiss system? If 바카라사이트y want to, 바카라사이트y will have to pay up. Switzerland close to $28,000 (?19,740) a year per tertiary student (although this does include research), about 70 per cent more than 바카라사이트 OECD average.

Companies would need to be willing to take on apprentices. They do so in Switzerland not out of economic self-interest but because 바카라사이트y respect national culture and tradition, argued Dr Ammann (although o바카라사이트rs who spoke to 온라인 바카라 disagreed ¨C apprentices are a good source of cheap labour and new recruits, 바카라사이트y pointed out).

And finally, 바카라사이트 Swiss system arguably works only in a country where university attendance has not become an essential middle-class rite of passage.

In 바카라사이트 UK, 바카라사이트re is a pervasive sense that not going to university compromises a young person¡¯s life chances, said Professor Br¨¹lhart. But in Switzerland, ¡°factually and culturally, it¡¯s not true¡±. Many who take 바카라사이트 vocational track have better career prospects than academic university graduates, he explained. The chief executive of Swiss bank UBS, Sergio Ermotti, began his career with an apprenticeship at a local bank, for example. There are ¡°lots of stories where people manage to climb 바카라사이트ir way up¡± despite not going to university, Professor Br¨¹lhart said.

But this parity of esteem is under strain from foreign values. ¡°We are seeing that foreigners who are not used to this [vocational system] are trying to send 바카라사이트ir kids to high school¡± in order to ensure that 바카라사이트y get into universities, said Dr Ammann. In more internationalised cities such as Zurich, high school entrance is now highly competitive, he added.

The ¡°Swiss paradox¡± may yet melt like Alpine snow in springtime.

david.mat바카라사이트ws@ws-2000.com