History of the school
Today, the School of Management Fribourg is a business school with a solid reputation and well established in the Fribourg landscape. For over 30 years, the HEG-FR has been offering students a dynamic and innovative learning environment, enabling them to acquire all the knowledge they need for their future. From its beginnings as an commercial school to the visits of celebrities in its later years, the School of Management has always been able to reinvent itself and remain one of the best universities in Switzerland. Its creation in 1991 made it the last ESCEA (Ecole Supérieure de Cadres pour l'Economie et l'Administration) in French-speaking Switzerland behind St-Maurice in 1988, Geneva 1985, Neuchâtel 1982 and Lausanne 1980. Discover below the history of our institution.
Publications
Lucien Wuillemin - The foundations of the Universities of Applied Sciences (HES) - The case of the development of the School of Management Fribourg (HEG-FR)
This book shows the upheavals brought about by the creation of the Universities of Applied Sciences (HES) at the end of the 1990s for all the schools concerned, but especially for those in the economic field which is the largest in terms of number of students in Switzerland. These upheavals are analyzed in detail in this book for the School of Management Fribourg until 2011.
INSPIRATION - A Book for thirty years of HEG-FR
On the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the Fribourg School of Management (HEG-FR), I would like to highlight in a book entitled INSPIRATION the women and men who keep the school alive. Who better to trace the most important moments in the history of the university than the students, lecturers and staff of yesterday and today?
1991
Creation of the « Ecole supérieure de cadre pour l'économie et l'administration (ESCEA) » under the supervision of Dean Francis Kaeser. The school had a working class of 11 French-speaking students. It taught the basics of economics, including accounting management, management techniques and business management. The premises were very rustic and the finding staff, both administrative and teaching, was relatively complicated. © Bibliothèque cantonale et universitaire Fribourg. Fonds Mülhauser
1994
Part-time hiring of director Lucien Wuillemin. With Ernest Schär (VD), Martin Kasser (GE), Hervé Rey (VS) and François Burgat (NE), he will be the fifth director of the “ESCEA romande”. They will meet regularly at conferences in French-speaking Switzerland and will, among other things, lay the foundations for what will later become the HES-SO. It is also on this date that the HEG will open its first full-time classes and begin admitting German-speaking students. This is the launch of bilingualism in Fribourg! © signes-es.com/
1996
Analysis of the school's activities by a committee of experts from the Federal Office for Professional Education and Technology (OPET). This leads to the unreserved recognition of diplomas. In 1996, the first ESCEA graduation ceremony for 10 students took place. Finally, the UAS Act was passed, reforming the tertiary level of education by assigning new tasks to the schools in the areas of applied research and development, as well as continuing education. © Bibliothèque cantonale et universitaire Fribourg. Fonds Hilber, Leo et Micheline [BCU]
1998
Creation of the University of Applied Sciences of Western Switzerland (HES-SO) of which the HEG Fribourg becomes a member. It is also on this date that SECO, the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs, sets up the first forum dedicated to small and medium-sized enterprises. It was created in collaboration with the Swiss Economic Forum, also founded in 1998. The forum's mission is, among other things, to provide assistance to SMEs by analyzing the needs of companies. © Ressi.ch / HEG Genève / SECO
2001
The Federal Office for Professional Education and Technology (OPET) carried out an analysis of all the services provided by HES in the form of PEER-REVIEW. These reviews were carried out by studying self-evaluation reports, interviews with school administrators, professors and students, as well as visits to the facilities. The HEG Fribourg was distinguished by an excellent result and received official recognition from the Swiss Confederation. As a result of this examination, the University of Applied Sciences of Fribourg (HEF-TG), which combines the University of Applied Sciences of Business Administration (HEG) and the School of Engineering and Architecture, is founded on the same date. © HES-SO.ch
2005
In 2005, the first introduction of the Bologna system took place, which will standardize the European study process and allow the implementation of degrees according to their degree of difficulty. It is at this date that the Bachelor's degree will be introduced. Currently, 48 countries are leading the process and collaborating with international institutions to enable an international study facility.
2008
The Federal Council accepts the project for a Master in Business Administration HES-SO, in particular the specialization in entrepreneurship, submitted by the HEG Fribourg. At the same time, eight Master's programs will be approved and launched. The first courses will start at the HEG Fribourg with 26 students.
2009
The continuing education offers for the staff and executives of the State of Fribourg is set up. At present, there are numerous training courses in various fields such as introductory training, training related to personal skills or training related to methodological skills. 2009 is also the year of the 10th anniversary of the EMBA. Catalogue des formations continues à l'Etat de Fribourg © Tous droits réservés
2011
The 20th anniversary of the University of Applied Sciences in Business Administration is celebrated in the company of numerous personalities from the canton of Fribourg. It is also on this date that Lucien Willemin, director of the school since 1994, retires and hands over his position to Olaf Meyer, formerly deputy director for the HEG-FR. ©La Liberté
2012
From June 11 to 22, 2012, ten students from Brazil, France and Senegal participated in the first edition of the Summer School. These 10 international students immersed themselves in Swiss culture for 12 days and forged unique bonds through entrepreneurial workshops, company visits and academic courses. ©Greubel&Forsey
2013
The current Managing Director, Rico Baldegger, takes over the reins from Olaf Meyer. The school underwent a radical change and was reorganized into a dicastery in order to distribute the management responsibilities. In the same year, the first trilingual diplomas were awarded to the valiant students.
2015
The University of Applied Sciences Fribourg is awarded the bilingualism label by the Bilingualism Forum of Biel/Bienne. This label measures the quality of bilingualism through external services and communications, the composition and language skills of the staff, internal communication and the linguistic culture of the school. This year also saw the creation of the Fribourg branch of the University of Applied Sciences of Western Switzerland, HES-SO//FR.
2015
On September 24, 2015, the Innovation Lab was inaugurated in the basement of the HEG-FR. After an official part with speeches by the director of the HEG-FR, Rico Baldegger, and the State Councillor, Beat Vonlanthen, it was an opportunity to meet young entrepreneurs and discover their career paths.
2016
For the start of the 2016 school year, the HEG-FR innovates and launches its "Kick Off Week". For nearly four days, the new Bachelor students in Business Economics were engaged in a variety of fun and stimulating activities, designed to get each of them to get to know each other, to open up to others and finally to tame their future years at the HEG-FR.
2018
Jimmy Wales, co-founder of Wikipedia, visits Fribourg for a number of events, including the NZZ X-days Suisse romande, an event organized jointly with the SEF. At an exclusive "Meet the HEG-FR" event, Internet pioneer Jimmy Wales provides students with valuable information about his entrepreneurial experience.
2022
On May 21, 2022, the HEG celebrated its 30th anniversaryunfortunately postponed by one year due to the pandemic. Interspersed with conferences, workshops and discovery sessions, the day took place on the plateau de Pérolles where deckchairs and cold drinks guaranteed a gentle afternoon. The event was crowned by a conference animated by the Fribourg State Councillor Johanna Gapany, Olivier L. de Weck and the school director Baldegger Rico.