Perspectives – Studies

Perspektiven – Studium is advocating for equal access to Swiss higher education institutions for refugees.  

The project was launched in 2016 by the Swiss Student Unions (VSS). It is based on claims that were developed through a participatory process involving refugees, prospective students and current students. The first step was to develop this website, which has been offering a unique information platform on the topic of university access for refugees for various target audiences since 2018. In the current project phase (2022–2026), the project is focusing on the following areas:  

Information, awareness-raising & advocacy  

• Information and counselling for refugees and professionals interested in studying 
• Raising awareness among education and integration professionals and politicians 
• Collaboration with politicians for political initiatives so that refugees are recognised and supported as potential students. An overview of the advocacy work can be found here. 

 

Support for higher education institutions  

• Advice for Swiss universities on setting up and developing programmes for refugees
• Financial support for university projects through the ‘University Projects’ fund (German or French) 

 

Support during studies  

• Search for funding opportunities at the interfaces of scholarship, social service and funding foundations 
• Acquisition of funding foundations for individual assistance for students with a refugee background 

  

You can find an overview of our activities in our flyer (German or French) and in the annual reports (German or French). 

Here you can find our privacy policy (in German). 

 Contact 

 

TEAM 

Sabine Zurschmitten | Project Manager & Head of Policy 

Nora Burla | Project Manager & Head of Communications 

Chiara Franchini | Project Assistant  

 

SUPPORT  

1) Funding partners  

• Federal Commission on Migration (EKM) 
• Mercator Switzerland Foundation 
• Volkart Foundation 
• Sophie and Karl Binding Foundation 

 

Other funding partners explicitly support the ‘Higher Education Projects’ fund  

2) Advisory Board 

Since the project was launched in 2016, ‘Perspektiven – Studium’ has been advised and supported by an advisory board comprising representatives from the State Secretariat for Migration (SEM), the Federal Commission on Migration (EKM), swissuniversities, Horizon académique Geneva, Profunda and AGAB, the Mercator Switzerland Foundation and Swiss Refugee Aid (SFH). 

 

NETWORK  

Together we are stronger – which is why we collaborate with various organisations and stakeholders: 

1) Higher education institutions: Support programms at various Swiss higher education institutions  

2) Federal Government: Federal Commission on Migration (EKM),State Secretariat for Migration (SEM), swissuniversities  

3) Vocational, academic and career guidance: Profunda Suisse | Association of Career Development Professionals and AGAB | Association of Counselling and Information Professionals in Secondary and Higher Education