For over ten years, an annual four-week summer school has been held in collaboration with Grand Valley State University (GVSU) in Michigan for students from the study programs in Computer Science (IT), Data Science (DS), Electrical Engineering (ET), Systems Engineering (ST), and Industrial Engineering (WI).

The Summer School on Data Analytics and Artificial Intelligence offers students the opportunity to work on their own projects in interdisciplinary groups, which they present at the end. The summer school takes place in July, with the entire cohort spending the first two weeks at the ZHAW School of Engineering campus in Winterthur, followed by the next two weeks at the Grand Valley State University (GVSU) campus in Grand Rapids, USA.

Students gain expertise in the fields of Data Analytics and AI, working on specific projects both in interdisciplinary teams and in collaboration with their American colleagues. Excursions in Switzerland and Michigan further enrich the program.

The summer school is awarded six ECTS credits for the following semester. It can be recognized as an elective module and for the International Profile.

In this interview, Patricia Heuberger, Head of International Relations, discusses the long-standing partnership with the partner university, Grand Valley State University (GVSU), and the success of this summer school.

Students from the ZHAW School of Engineering can participate every two years in a two-week summer school at the College of Science and Engineering at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis during the summer break. The summer school offers a combination of content-related input on mechatronics/robotics, immersion in American culture, company visits, and an engaging leisure program.

The summer school, which is open to students from various study programs, is credited with four ECTS credits for the following semester. It can be recognized as an elective module and for the International Profile.

Students from the University of Minnesota also spend three weeks every two years at the Institute of Mechatronic Systems (IMS) at the ZHAW School of Engineering for a summer school.

Upcoming Dates:

• 2025: Summer School for ZHAW SoE students at the University of Minnesota
• 2026: Summer School for students from the University of Minnesota at the ZHAW SoE

Interested aviation students from the ZHAW School of Engineering can gain an exclusive insight into air traffic control through the ATM Summer School at the Eurocontrol Aviation Learning Centre (ALC) in Luxembourg. After preparing for the course on-site with e-learning modules, experienced instructors from Eurocontrol will introduce them to the world of air traffic control. Students will learn about the current state of air traffic control in Europe and the developments expected in the future.

The ATM Summer School consists of three components: the e-learning module, the training week in Luxembourg, and the writing and presentation of a paper.

In the Flight Science Practical Course, students in the BSc in Aviation at the ZHAW School of Engineering plan and implement a basic flight test program while learning the fundamental principles of flight testing. The scientific experiments are designed and conducted in small groups. Together with trained test pilots, the students prepare the course of the flight tests and discuss the relevant safety aspects.

The subsequent data evaluation demonstrates the principles of data reduction and analysis through specific examples.

The Flight Science Practical Course is organized jointly with FH Aachen in Nordholz, Germany. This provides students with the opportunity to exchange ideas with like-minded peers from another university.