Global Competitiveness and Innovation

Academic programme

Our International Business Summer School offers a varied and intensive programme of specialised studies in International Management and Economics in a Swiss environment.

The Summer School is a two-week seminar, taught in English by internationally experienced lecturers. The courses build on at least two years of business studies; they are academically challenging with a strong applied management focus. Interaction between students and lecturers is highly encouraged. Lecturers are experts in their fields and experienced practitioners.

Our programme offers two different modules; each module includes field trips to different Swiss companies related to the programme topic.


Cultural and social programme

Attractive cultural and social events will make the participants’ stay an unforgettable experience. The programme features a guided tour of Basel as well as excursions to cultural and historical sites in the city and beyond; it also includes field trips to different Swiss companies.

The School of Business provides extracurricular support for the participants.

Course leader

Fan Neifer M.A
University of Applied Sciences Northwestern Switzerland
School of Business

Target group

The programme is designed for international and Swiss Bachelor students. Participants need to be fluent in English (advanced level: European levels B2 written / C1 oral). A letter of motivation, an updated CV and a transcript showing the most recent grade point average are also required.

Course aim

Swissness in Action
By international comparison, Switzerland’s economy is thriving and the country is ranked at top positions in most international economic surveys. This is reason enough for you to take a closer look at the «Swiss way» with a special focus on Basel, one of the most dynamic cities in Switzerland.

«Global Competitiveness» and «Innovation»

Our programme offers two modules. The two subjects «Global Competitiveness» and
«Innovation» will be taught and knowledge transfers from world leading companies arranged
from a specific Swiss perspective. Each module includes field trips to different Swiss companies
related to the programme topic.

The two week program begins with the «Global Competitiveness» module. This has been designed
to set the scene and shows how public institutions in Switzerland try to foster and benefit from
Switzerland's advantages which strongly revolve around innovation.

Innovativeness also explains Switzerland leading position in World Economic Forum's
rankings about global competitiveness. Besides performance measures like GDP per capita,
companies' profits, current account or public budgets as clear indicators of competitiveness
other crucial input factors like public sector efficiency, resource endowment and infrastructure
will be analyzed. Switzerland's comparative advantages from the macro level will be
combined with competitive advantages from the micro level.

The second part of the first week will be focused in International Negotiations. The second
course week will start with innovation, especially product innovation and business model
innovation. The second course week ends with a synthesis of competitiveness thanks to
innovation and thanks to favorable international agreements.

With literature and practical lectures, students first get a theoretical insight. Then with government
and company visits they earn a practical insight into the fascinating world of how
companies try to improve or even revolutionize their products and hone their business models
constantly.

Learning Objectives of the Summer School:

Participants of the summer school learn in pre-course readings (~ 180 pages) about international
trade and companies' competitiveness and the main drivers behind this concept and respective
measurements.

During a first course week they get to know concrete analysis methods about the concept of
countries' comparative advantages and their companies' global competitiveness, and how
governments and companies negotiate favorable terms and conditions.

During the second course week students become familiar with private product innovation and
business model innovation.

Students understand the links between public support factors, innovation and companies'
competitiveness.

Credits info

6 EC
The modules include contact hours, self-study time, preparation work and company
visits. The duration of each module is one week. Our Summer School participants
obtain 6 ECTS credits (or 3 US semester credits) for the two modules.

The ECTS credits are awarded for:
- Adaptation of the preparation literature.
- Writing short briefing papers on questions based on the preparatory literature.
- Participation in the Summer School.
- Review Essay at the end of the two weeks.

Fee info

CHF 1350: The programme fee of 1,350* Swiss Francs covers the tuition fee for the course
(two modules), the organisation of all company visits, the cultural and social programmes
including a welcome and farewell dinner, transfers for the company visits
as well as the cultural and social programme.

Not included in the fee: transport (except company visits, cultural and social activities),
health insurance, visa costs, meals, additional individual sightseeing trips and
personal expenses.
CHF 600: The accommodation fee of 600 Swiss Francs includes overnight stay in a 2 or 3 bed
studio (incl. own kitchen and bathroom, no air-condition) or a similar accommodation
and taxes.

Scholarships

Unfortunately, the Programme is unable to provide any financial assistance to candidates.