The Swiss Global Competence Lab (SGCL) is a transdisciplinary innovation platform. An association of four institutional members (Zurich University of Applied Sciences, Bern University of Applied Sciences, The University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland, and The University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Western Switzerland), SGCL is an umbrella organization connecting experts from numerous backgrounds to promote international innovation and cooperation.

Events and media

Upcoming events

Symposium: Sustainable Global Competence in Swiss Higher Education, 15 & 16 May, 2025 in Lugano 
Marking the end of our Movetia-funded project “Developing a Sustainable Global Competence Certificate in Switzerland”, the Swiss Global Competence Lab is excited to host an international symposium entitled “Sustainable Global Competence in Swiss Higher Education” on 15 & 16 May, 2025, at SUPSI campus in Lugano. The symposium will bring together various stakeholders within higher education to explore the following topics related to global competence development: the role of theoretical concepts, multilingualism, and international exposure. We invite you to join us for an engaging event filled with plenary sessions, roundtable and panel discussions. Your participation will be invaluable as we work together to shape the future of global competence in higher education.

About us

SGCL pursues the goal of becoming Switzerland’s leading organization to facilitate collaborations across disciplines, organizations, and borders by providing services based on research in the language sciences, internationalization in tertiary institutions, and related fields. To keep up with current societal and institutional trends and to address their inherent challenges, we aspire to help deepen the understanding and knowledge of global and intercultural issues by promoting global citizenship locally, in research, teaching and beyond.

We support affiliated members and external stakeholders, universities, as well as non-educational institutions in their internationalization projects, from research to teaching activities to internal or systematic changes such as the internationalization of the curriculum or the provision of various assessment tools.

Our expertise and broad range of services are research and community driven, led by a diverse team of experts from four institutional members who complement each other by combining distinct backgrounds to create this innovation platform unique to Switzerland. 

The Lab is coordinated by the Research Area Language Management and Globalisation at ZHAW School of Applied Linguistics under the supervision of Prof. Patrick Studer. The SGCL is coordinated by a lab manager and relies on a wide network of partner institutions in Switzerland, Europe, and overseas. It is sustained by the contribution and cooperation of its member institutions and associated researchers and experts. The SGCL is governed by a board.

Services

The Swiss Global Competence Lab provides training and assessment, and it develops solutions for its client institutions. It connects specialists across disciplines and sectors to enhance innovation and cooperation. Its services specialise in three key areas of internationalisation, i.e. internationalisation expertise, staff and student development, and transdisciplinary networking and cooperation.

Internationalisation expertise and teaching

• Support for your national and international research and teaching projects related to internationalisation
• Peer audits and assessment services
• Assessment of instructors’ intercultural competence and/or the quality of an intercultural interaction in the classroom (or support for development of such an assessment tool)
• Expertise in the development of the curriculum and pedagogical materials for the international classroom
• Support for the establishment of pre-degree courses to best prepare national and international students
• Communication with the wider public and media

Staff and students

• Consulting services and training opportunities in the field of internationalisation for both academic and administrative staff
• Support and training for staff who want to change their language of instruction to English
• Support services for students who seek international educational opportunities, beyond traditional mobility support
• Administrative support and advisory for staff who want to visit a university abroad

Networking and cooperation

• Establish contact or find suitable contacts with an institution or a corporate/private research partner abroad
• Coordination of research projects between different institutions
• Access to a network of experts in different fields who are able to provide specialised feedback or advice on internationalisation issues
• Identification of synergies for multi-center studies
• Lead the way to building a Europe-wide network of Global Competence Labs
• Communication of current research and trends to the wider public

Stakeholders

The SCGL provides services addressed to

• project clients, both public and private,
• communication and consultancy professionals,
• research institutions and communities,
• addressees of professional education,
• as well as media producers and society at large.