Capital - Berne

Languages - German, French, Italian &  Romansch

Official Currency - Swiss Franc (CHF)

Climate - temperate, but varies with altitude; cold, cloudy, rainy/snowy winters;               cool to warm, cloudy, humid summers with occasional showers.

Time Differece -

Why study in Switzerland?

The Swiss connection

The  mention  of  Switzerland  immediately  brings  up  vivid  images  of  mouth-watering  chocolates,  cheeses,  Swiss watches, world-renowned banks, the red cross, and the breathtakingly beautiful Swiss Alps. A country with a rich history, Switzerland  has  the  advantages  of  a  blended  culture, built on the combined historical influence of the French, German as well as the Italians.

Since  Switzerland  has no raw materials, it must import, process and resell them as  products. The  service industries are arguably the most important part of the economy. These  include banking, insurance and tourism. It is considered No.1 in Hoteleering, Finance and Dairy Products.

Switzerland  has  a  high quality system of education that is relatively accessible to  foreign  students. The  student  population of some universities, for example, consists of over 40% foreign students, and this trend is on the upswing.

About  two  thirds  of  the area of Switzerland is covered with forests, lakes and mountains. You   will    find   towns   steeped   in  history, cities  that  are  very cosmopolitan and offer the usual facilities that you would expect from any major European City, as well as traditional wooden - chalet mountain communities that have been established for centuries. Major  events,  such  as  the  Zurich Street parade, Féte du Geneve, Verbier Extreme, Swiss Open Tennis Tournament among many  others  provide  a  constant flow of fun and excitement to people from  all over  the  world. Also,  the  beautiful  mountain  ranges  have  made  skiing  and snowboarding a national pastime.

As  a  European  business  hub, several university courses have links with locally based businesses. Special  strengths  are  in banking, machine tool and precision engineering. Other  strengths  include chemical and  pharmaceutical engineering, and great hotel and tourist educational departments. The country has been very successful   in   attracting    the    investment  of  foreign  multi - nationals  and businesses, also  one  of  the reasons for its huge banking sector. The Swiss are multi - lingual;  often speaking four or more languages, thus trade expansion and travel across Europe become hassle-free.