Swiss University Study tours returns to Boston

These study tours come as part of increased collaboration between Swissnex and the HEG-FR in 2022. Students in both study tours will have the opportunity to connect with Boston-area corporations, startups, and innovation experts. Swissnex is organizing these study tours in addition to supporting increased collaboration between HEG-FR and Suffolk University. “It’s great to connect young Swiss entrepreneurs and executives with the vibrant Boston innovation ecosystem,” says Brendan Karch, Swissnex’s Head of Academic Engagement in Boston and New York.

Since 2010, Swissnex in Boston has partnered with HEG-FR to offer a group of MBA students the chance to immerse themselves in Boston’s vibrant entrepreneurship ecosystem. This year, students are focusing on impact entrepreneurship, sustainability, and internationalization.

In the post-2020 era, there is a renewed interest in making entrepreneurship work for the public good: accelerating impacts for real-world issues, developing sustainable business models, designing for the environment, and regaining lost connections. The students from HEG-FR, through a program at Swissnex and in the broader community, will discover how Boston is tackling these challenges.

This spring, Swissnex is also facilitating a collaborative online international learning (COIL) course experience for HEG-FR and Suffolk University in Boston. Masters students in entrepreneurship from the two universities form international teams to help real-world businesses solve their pressing challenges.

This year, Swissnex is connecting one US-based circadian technology company (Timeshifter) and one Swiss online marketing experience company (Experify) with the students. Over eight weeks, the transatlantic student teams are working virtually to solve the business’s strategic challenges. This COIL course has been offered since 2020 as a pandemic learning opportunity – but now HEG-FR student alumni from the 2021 COIL program are visiting Suffolk University in person. Swissnex is excited to see this virtual program grow into an in-person experience.

In addition to the two study tours from HEG-FR, Swissnex also welcomed a group of 20 Executive MBA students from University of Applied Sciences in Business Administration Zurich (HWZ) earlier this month for a one-day introduction to the Boston innovation ecosystem. With the return to in-person tours, Swissnex is excited to forge international connections that can enrich both the Swiss and Boston-area innovation ecosystems.