A national campaign to promote semesters abroad

Movetia is teaming up with more than thirty Swiss universities to raise awareness among students about the added value of a semester or an internship abroad. The national campaign kicks off on Tuesday, 29 October and will continue throughout November. Luisa Lambertini, Rector of Università della Svizzera italiana: "USI acknowledges the importance of student mobility and supports it through various services. We offer our students a wide variety of exchange options, from traditional study abroad and structured exchange programmes to double and joint degree programmes with some of the world's leading universities."

"Enrich your resume", "Fancy getting to know a new culture?" or "The place not to be missed": these are the messages of the learningbygoing campaign launched by Movetia, the national exchange and mobility agency. The shared objective of the 33 universities and Movetia is to spark students' interest in spending time away from their home institutions. They aim to raise awareness of the personal and professional benefits of studying or interning abroad, increase the number of mobility opportunities, and align more closely with the national strategy. A study period or internship abroad has become essential to every student's curriculum.

"The Swiss university system is outstanding. However, in our interconnected world, it is also essential to enhance our intercultural competencies. Exposure to a new culture or another language can significantly improve a resume, especially for a candidate seeking their first job." says Luciana Vaccaro, President of swissuniversities and Rector of the University of Applied Western Switzerland (HES-SO). "I don't know anyone who has regretted going to study abroad. I myself am a pure product of international mobility," she continued. The President of the ETH Board, Michael Hengartner, confirms: "The stays abroad that I have been able to do during my career have given me a lot. It is a unique opportunity that is academically and personally enriching".

Luisa Lambertini, Rector of USI, also supported the initiative: "Università della Svizzera italiana values student mobility and actively supports it through various services. We provide our students with diverse exchange options, including traditional study abroad programmes, structured exchange initiatives, and double or joint degree programmes in partnership with some of the world's leading universities".

Promoting mobility, a goal shared by the Confederation and the cantons

Switzerland still has a long way to go in terms of mobility, with its rate stuck between 15% and 16% for several years. In comparison, Europe has set ambitious targets through its "Europe on the Move" initiative: by 2030, 23% of university graduates should have spent time abroad. To promote mobility, the federal government is launching a campaign supported by dedicated resources approved by Parliament, which will continue to increase under the FRI Message 2025-2028. The Federal Council aims for re-association with the Erasmus+ programme by 2025. This re-association would significantly enhance the conditions for both institutional and individual student mobility.

Campaign widely supported by universities

The nationwide communication campaign will run for one month starting 29 October. It features three student "influencers" who will share their perspectives on mobility across different language regions. Thomas Jacquet (@thomaasjqt) studies law in Fribourg, Agostino Papa (@papadoc) is currently studying abroad in Hong Kong at the Università della Svizzera italiana, and Cristina Rubies (@cristinarubies), originally from Spain, now lives in Zurich after gaining various international experiences. She regularly shares insights about her expat life with her followers. These three individuals will be prominently featured in all campaign materials, which universities will adopt and promote across their online platforms and campuses. The campaign will kick off with a teaser video filmed at the universities of Fribourg, Zurich, and Lugano, showcasing the influencers.