Basel University
Basel University, which was founded in 1460, is the oldest in Switzerland. Today, it has more than 11,000 students in seven faculties: science, psychology, humanities, medicine, economics, law and theology. The main focus is on life sciences and cultural studies. As a modern public institution, the university has enjoyed autonomy since 1996 – within the framework of its public service mandate – in the fields of teaching, research and related services. The foundation ‘Mensch-Gesellschaft-Umwelt’ (Individual-Society-Environment) has made a name for itself with interdisciplinary studies. Foreign students have to pass a German language test prior to matriculation. Anniversary of the University of Basel
International University Association
Since 1989, the University of Basel has been part of the University Association EUCOR, together with five other universities along the Upper Rhine (Freiburg i. Br., Karlsruhe, Strasbourg and Mulhouse-Colmar). This enables students to move freely between the different universities. It has also made possible joint courses, the reciprocal recognition of credits and certificates, the exchange of lecturers, and shared research programmes.
Biosystems department of the ETHZ
In the autumn of 2005, the Centre for Biosystems of the Federal Technical High School in Zurich (ETHZ) was opened in Basel. Now established as a full department, it takes an interdisciplinary approach that unites biology, engineering and computational sciences under one roof. The founding of the Department of Biosystems (D-BSSE) by the ETH Zurich was decided by the federal government as part of the SystemsX.ch initiative: Systems biology will be supported as a new approach in biological research. For several years, the D-BSSE has been successful in the areas of systems and synthetic biology.
University of Applied Sciences Northwestern Switzerland
The "Fachhochschule Nordwestschweiz", FHNW (University of Applied Sciences North-western Switzerland), with departments in Basel, Muttenz, Olten, Aarau, Solothurn and Brugg, sees itself as a research partner for private industry in a wide variety of fields. Its 18 departments teach, among others, business studies, teaching, mechanical engineering, chemistry, IT and electrical engineering. The renowned Basel "Hochschule für Gestaltung und Kunst", HKG (College of Art and Design) and the "Hochschule für Soziale Arbeit" (College of Social Work) are also part of the larger University of Applied Sciences North-western Switzerland.
