By Florian Moeri, Junior Project Manager
On September 18, it was a Swiss day at Fudan University: Students came to a face-to-face event to learn more about Switzerland, its university landscape and its innovative strength.
A series of presentations and an exhibition stand helped to illustrate the benefits of studying in Switzerland.
The interested audience was welcomed by Wang Ying (Head of Division for Exchange Programs, Foreign Affairs Office, Fudan University) and Rahel Gruber (Head of Operations & Co-Deputy CEO, swissnex China). In the following, Dr. Nicola Hofer (Junior Project Manager, Academic Relations, swissnex China) gave an introduction to the Swiss Higher Education, Research and Innovation Landscape. He demonstrated that Switzerland has more to offer than just chocolate, cheese, watches and pocketknives. Especially in the fields of education, R&D, innovation and high technology, Switzerland regularly ranks among the global frontrunners.
The academic landscape in Switzerland comprises twelve universities awarding doctorate degrees, as well as eight universities of applied science, which offer a more practice focused approach to studying.
Fudan University itself is one of the best educational institutions in China. Accordingly, it was not surprising that three representatives of very renowned and globally operating Swiss companies could be won to talk about the Swiss innovation best practices and their latest innovations:
Philipp Fritschi (Director GF Food Technology Asia, Bühler Group): Mr. Fritschi spoke about the daily contact of billions of people with Bühler technologies. The influence ranges from the surface coating of our phones, lipsticks and nail polishes to the improvement of beer quality. The company strives to create innovations for a better world, with a special focus on healthy, safe, and sustainable solutions. Big Data being an important part of the production is mentioned several times – especially as a focus in Asia.
Dr. Martin Kusserow (Schindler EPFL Lab Manager & Principal Engineer, New Technologies Department): Schindler’s Swiss-engineered elevators, escalators and moving walks are in demand worldwide, and this 24/7. Using the example of the elevator, Dr. Kusserow explained the many different technologies required in a single, compact product. In order to illustrate how to handle new disruptive technologies, he presented the elevator maintenance of the future, enabled through AI.
Dr. Meng Chen (Head of Biometrics, Roche Product Development Center in China): Roche is a global pioneer in pharmaceuticals and diagnostics, focusing on scientific progress. Dr. Chen gave a presentation entitled “Building a Healthy China – co-create the future with Roche”. This is not without reason: The amount of innovative treatments brought to China has increased considerably in the last year. This is due to China’s healthcare ambition, summarized in the program “Healthy China 2030 Plan”. It is the national strategy to improve health indicators to the level of high-income countries. Following a preview of Roche’s strategy, the presentation concluded by stating that China and personalized healthcare represent a great opportunity for synergy.
In addition to the long companies’ histories and the continuous expansion in the Chinese market, “Collaborative Innovation” (also with Universities) was another keyword throughout all presentations.
To round off the event, Dr. Xie Tianwu (Associate Professor, Institute of Radiation Medicine, Fudan University) gave a lecture on study and career opportunities in Switzerland. Dr. Tianwu has a special connection to Switzerland as he has studied and worked in Geneva from 2011 to 2019.
Using many beautiful pictures taken during his time in Switzerland, he was able to motivate the students to consider Switzerland as a possible destination abroad.
From Left to Right: Rahel Gruber, Head of Operations & Co-Deputy CEO, swissnex China; Dr. Nicola Hofer, Junior Project Manager, Academic Relations, swissnex China; Dr. Martin Kusserow, Schindler EPFL Lab Manager & Principal Engineer, New Technologies Department; Dr. Xie Tianwu, Associate Professor, Institute of Radiation Medicine, Fudan University; Dr. Meng Chen, Head of Biometrics, Roche Product Development Center in China; Philipp Fritschi, Director GF Food Technology Asia, Bühler Group; Libing Gu, Head of Academic Relations, swissnex China.
The top rankings and the world class innovation are the main reasons for studying in Switzerland. Another interesting fact is that Albert Einstein – who gave his name to the event – decided to study at ETH Zurich and later even became a Swiss citizen. Last but not least, Einstein was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1921; he is regarded as the epitome of a researcher and a genius!
A big thank you goes to our speakers as well as to our sponsors Lindt and Ricola who made this event possible.
Click here for more pictures of the event.
Click here for an overview of Swiss Higher Education Institutions.