Studying abroad in a pandemic
Studying abroad is popular among students. But what does student mobility mean in a pandemic? Andrea Rothenbühler, Head of the Student Exchange Office, explains why an information market will be held despite the current situation, and whether and when students can go on an exchange.
Mrs Rothenbühler, is studying abroad still an issue despite the difficult pandemic situation? Is the demand still there?
The interest is definitely there, which is why we will still hold the Student Exchange Office Infomarkt on 29 October, but this year based on a virtual model in view of the situation. We have already received quite a few enquiries via email, by phone and at the counter, and students are also contacting their own departments. Despite the high degree of uncertainty among students, we may well have more applications than usual for the 2021/22 academic year.
Why are you anticipating more applications?
Many students were not able to go on an exchange this year as their application had to be cancelled, or they withdrew it themselves due to the situation. Some of these applicants are now considering postponing their exchange until next year. And with the new cohort also applying for the coming year, the number of applications may increase. We are busier in general in this pandemic year, because a great deal of information needs to be passed on to students and partner universities, and the situation is constantly changing.
How about your planning for next year?
We will see in the coming week or fortnight what will be possible in the 2021 spring semester. In terms of the 2021/22 academic year, we are currently assuming it will be possible to study abroad. At the moment, none of our partner universities has cancelled any arrangements for the 2021 autumn semester, or for the whole academic year. Naturally, a great deal also depends on how the semester goes on ETH's side, as a functioning exchange programme has to work in both directions. Both sides are determined to support student mobility, but neither can make a reliable commitment at the moment.
What should students consider when applying for the 2021/22 academic year?
Interested students can apply to the Student Exchange Office from 29 October, or first to their department if an internal pre-selection is involved. They just have to be aware that they are applying for something that may not ultimately be able to take place. They should also consider that many students may only apply for spring 2022 in the hope that the crisis will then be over. The partner universities, however, only have a certain number of places, and these need to be spread over both semesters. This means we can only offer a limited number of places at a time. Students who are flexible in terms of semester will have a better chance of getting a place.
Is there an alternative if an exchange abroad is not possible?
What we can guarantee is mobility within Switzerland, and we are seeing an increase in interest in this. An exchange within Switzerland offers a range of advantages – in addition to the short distances, students benefit from the opportunity to improve their language skills and immerse themselves in another cultural region. Our sister institute, the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL), is particularly popular, and the Academy of Architecture at Università della Svizzera Italiana in Mendrisio is a favourite among architecture students. A period of study at another location within Switzerland is relatively straightforward to arrange and is still a great exchange opportunity.
How many students are currently on an exchange, and in which locations?
At the beginning of June, we decided not to proceed with any exchange programmes outside Europe as the risk was simply too high, not least due to the extensive travel restrictions. Many of the partner universities themselves had already suspended exchanges by this point, and more than 400 planned exchange visits had to be cancelled due to the pandemic. Nevertheless, this autumn we have 55 outgoing students within Europe, about half the number of the previous year. These students are currently on an exchange in locations such as the UK, Spain and Scandinavia. A further 22 students are working on projects within Europe – a figure that is more or less in line with other years. An additional 15 students have remained in Switzerland – for example, at EPFL – which again is a normal figure.
Further information
Student Exchange Office Infomarkt:
- The Student Exchange Office Infomarkt will take place on 29 October. Take advantage of the opportunity to discover the wide range of exchange programmes offered by ETH Zurich with partner universities within Switzerland and abroad. Find out more here
- Deadlines for exchange programmes: 6 January for programmes outside Europe and UNITECH, and 1 March for the Swiss-European Mobility Programme (SEMP). 1 April and 1 October for the Swiss Mobility programme. Some earlier internal department deadlines for pre-selection
- More information about the 100 exchange destinations
- General information about the Student Exchange Office at ETH Zurich
Mobility at ETH
Exchange programmes are highly popular among ETH students, thanks not least to the network of more than 100 partner universities ETH is able to offer its students. Based on the number of Bachelor graduates, almost a quarter of all students benefit from the opportunity of an exchange experience.