Looking ahead, as part of its participation in the alliance, the ZHAW will put an emphasis on the priority areas of ‘Employability and Partnerships’ and ‘Innovation and Entrepreneurship’. ‘As a university of applied sciences, our research and teaching activities are closely linked with business partners and associations. Ensuring that our graduates meet the right professional standards is very important to us,’ says Dirk Wilhelm, Dean of the ZHAW School of Engineering. ‘I’m certain that we can make a real contribution towards this, while benefiting from exchange with other members.’ In the area of entrepreneurship, the ZHAW has also launched a strategic initiative to promote entrepreneurship and the creation of start-ups. As such, it is especially interested in access to  materials and best practices in the field of entrepreneurship education. ‘One of the things we hope to achieve through the alliance is simplifying student exchange programmes, and we are interested in setting up joint degree and doctoral programmes with the participating universities,’ adds Piveteau. The alliance also represents exciting new prospects for the ZHAW, including exchange programmes for employees, access to exchange platforms for sustainable development and collaboration on research within the framework of EU projects.