The ZHAW is one of the largest and most productive universities of applied sciences in Switzerland, with a strong presence both nationally and internationally.
Among the ZHAW’s distinguishing features are interdisciplinarity and a close connection to everyday working practice. About 9’700 students are enrolled at the ZHAW in a total of 26 Bachelor’s degree programmes and 13 consecutive Master’s programmes. The university also
offers a broad range of continuing education courses, including over 30 Master’s of Advanced Studies programmes. 30 institutes at the ZHAW network their resources to provide business and industry with customized services. Click here to watch a promotional video on ZHAW.
Switzerland officially the Swiss Confederation, is a federal parliamentary republic consisting of
26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities, the so-called Bundesstadt aka “federal city”. The country is situated in Western and Central Europe, where it is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland is a landlocked country geographically divided between the Alps, the Swiss Plateau and the Jura, spanning an area of 41,285 km2 (15,940 sq mi). While the Alps occupy the greater part of the territory, the Swiss population of approximately 8 million people is concentrated mostly on the Plateau, where the largest cities are to be. Among them are the two global cities and economic centres of Zürich and Geneva.
Winterthur is a city in the canton of Zürich in northern Switzerland. It has the country’s sixth
largest population with an estimate of more than 100,000 people. In the local dialect and by its
inhabitants, it is usually abbreviated as Winti. Today Winterthur is a service and high tech
industry centre, but many people make use of its proximity to Zürich, which lies approximately 30 kilometres to the south-west, and only 18 minutes by train.Winterthur is located at an elevation of 439 meters. The city is located in a basin south and east of the Tössriver. The Eulach, a little river, flows in the middle by the city, because of this the town is called “Eulach-City”. Zürich lies about 30 km southwest of Winterthur.
To make sure that studying is not just about learning, but also includes some fun and enjoyment, the ZHAW and its partner organizations provide music, sports, pubs, and parties. They also support you in your everyday concerns, including finding accommodation, where to eat out, childcare and counselling. Attractive activities for students, some of which may earn you ECTS credits towards your qualification, include the alpha-cappella choir (in Winterthur) and the HSW Choir (Waedenswil).
SWOWI (Studentischer Wohnraum in Winterthur) offers rooms for incoming students at
different housing camps in Winterthur. Incoming students can apply directly for available
rooms on SWOWI’s website. There are several furnished rooms allocated for incoming students at Studentenhäuser Bürglistrasse in Winterthur. For more information contact your International Relations Office or the Hochschulsekretariat ZHAW (info@zhaw.ch). Housing Off-Campus A number of single, furnished student rooms are reserved for exchange students at the Students’ Accommodation Organization SWOWI. Students can directly apply for a room at SWOWI. Please send your application for a room via email to info@zhaw.ch www.studentenwohnen.ch. Please send your application for a room via email to
studentenwohnen@livit.ch . Due to the limited number of available rooms, early application to
all the above mentioned camps is strongly recommended.
Winterthur’s chamber orchestra OrchesterMusikkollegium Winterthur is the oldest orchestra in Switzerland, and also plays at the Zürich Opera.The “Albanifest”, the largest annual festival in a historic town in Switzerland, is named after St Alban, one of the city’s four saints, is held here, over three days in late June every year. Although a recent creation, the festival celebrates the granting of a charter to the town in 1264 by Rudolf of Habsburgh on 22 June of that year, which happened to be the saint’s day. The church of St. Laurenz in the city centre dates from 1264, the town hall was built in 1781, the assembly hall in 1865.