Counsellor in China answers questions about studying in Switzerland

State University or Private Hotel Management School? Mr. Zeng Dayi, former Swiss Cultural Counselor in China, said: "There are no fixed rules for studying in Switzerland." Recently, China Sina. Com interviewed Mr. Cen Dayi about the concerns of China students studying in Switzerland.

Counsellor Daniel Zend answered several questions of concern to China students studying in Switzerland in detail and to the point.

? There are no rules for studying in Switzerland: an interview with Swiss Counsellor in China?

In recent years, the number of China studying in Switzerland has increased year by year. They mainly study hotel management and tourism management in Switzerland. In fact, the high level of education in Switzerland is recognized by the world. Its advantages are not limited to hotel management schools, but also because it is a federal country, and its diversity and autonomy in education are particularly prominent.

For China students who decide to study in Switzerland, they need to be very cautious when choosing a Swiss school, and they should make one-on-one inspection and weighing. To this end, our reporter interviewed Cendayi, Education Counselor of the Swiss Embassy in China. He gave practical and pertinent answers to the questions that many China students are concerned about, which is of great help to our further understanding of Switzerland and Swiss higher education.

The admission standards of schools are different.

Reporter: In recent years, what is the Swiss government's policy towards China students studying in Switzerland?

Cen freshman: Swiss policy towards international students is unified, and there are no special regulations for international students in China. The Swiss government welcomes China students to study in Switzerland as long as they have sufficient language skills and economic ability. In recent years, there are more students from China who want to study in Switzerland than those from other countries, and the number is increasing every year. Last year, there were about 2,000 students. Most of them study abroad at their own expense and go to private schools in Switzerland. In fact, for different students, such as whether you attend a public university or a private university, the situation is completely different, and the requirements of the school for students are different. The government will not interfere too much in this regard.

Reporter: What are the requirements of public universities in Switzerland for students?

Zendai: Switzerland is a federal country. There is no central government Ministry of Education, and its education is mainly undertaken by state governments. There are 26 states in Switzerland, and public universities are basically state government universities. Every university has its own requirements. For example, if students want to go to the University of Zurich, they must contact the University of Zurich to see what conditions this school needs. The most basic requirement is that students must have a good level of German, because this university is in the German-speaking area, and all university courses are in German. If you go to Geneva University, you should have a good command of French. Swiss public universities basically have no courses taught in English, which is more difficult for most people in China.

Secondly, different universities have different requirements for students' academic qualifications. Whether students' academic qualifications in China are recognized by this university, whether they have to pass some exams, etc. Each institution is different. Students should contact a university they want to attend.

Finally, you need to prove that you have enough financial ability to maintain your studies in Switzerland. Swiss public universities are basically funded by the government and run for domestic students. The tuition fee is not high, and international students can enjoy this treatment, but the living expenses are more expensive than those in China.

For non-Swiss students, public universities are more difficult to enter, and the main obstacle is the language problem. Some students may provide a test result of German or French in China, or the time to study these two languages, such as 500 class hours, but this voucher is of little effect. Some Swiss public universities know that similar certificates are easy to get in China. Therefore, public universities in Switzerland, such as the University of Zurich, will let students come to Switzerland first and take another language test in Switzerland if they feel that students really have a certain level and ability after contacting them. The so-called exam is that the professor or associate professor of that university chats face to face with the students to see if he can communicate, understand and keep up with the university courses. If the professor thinks that there is still a gap in students' language level, it is not hopeless. He will allow you to take a language class for one semester before taking the exam. If you finally pass the exam, you can enter the university, otherwise you have to go back to China. In this regard, each university has different practices, but in Switzerland, language tests are generally required.

The cost of studying abroad depends on the school.

Reporter: What is the minimum financial guarantee for studying abroad at your own expense?

Cen freshman: There is no uniform amount of financial guarantee, and the Swiss government has no clear regulations on it. It all depends on which school you go to and your expenses. If students' life is relatively simple, attending public universities will cost at least 20,000-30,000 Swiss francs a year (note: the exchange rate between Swiss francs and RMB is about 1:5), of which the tuition fee is about 1 0,000 Swiss francs a semester, but the living expenses are much higher than those in China.

In order to attract foreign students to study in private schools, they adopt market-oriented operation. Most of the students in many private schools come from abroad, such as the School of Hotel Management, and more than 80% of them come from abroad, so they will also offer courses in English for international students. The biggest difference between public and private schools is that the tuition fees of private schools are more expensive, but the differences between private schools are also great, so it is difficult to give a specific figure.

Reporter: Are there any language requirements for studying in Switzerland? For example, what level should French or German reach?

Cen freshman: It depends on what you study. Where do you study? However, no matter whether you are studying in any public university in Switzerland, you must be able to hear and speak French, German or Italian, communicate with others and understand classes, otherwise you will not be able to study and live in Switzerland. If a student wants to learn hotel management, it is ok to master English skillfully. Although Switzerland does not specifically require students to reach the level of German, French or Italian, it is not convenient to communicate with local people if they only know English.

Another situation is that a few wealthy parents in China send their children to French-speaking or German-speaking areas in Switzerland through some channels when they are in high school, so that they can learn French or German locally and then go to Switzerland to study in public universities. In this case, they don't have to master French or German before going to Switzerland.

How to choose schools and disciplines

Reporter: At present, which disciplines and majors in Switzerland are in the leading position in the world, and which majors are better for China students to study in Switzerland? What are the requirements for studying in Switzerland?

Zendai: Education has always been one of the most important fields for the Swiss government and people, especially in the fields of financial accounting, economic management, international law, information technology, biochemical medical care, environmental protection and ecology.

Hotel management in Switzerland is also very good, but there is basically no hotel management major in public universities.

Reporter: Many students in China want to study hotel management in Switzerland. What do you think should be considered first when studying hotel management in Switzerland?

Mr. Cen: Hotel management in Switzerland is mainly a private school with excellent management experience and tradition. For example, Lausanne Hotel Management College has a history of more than 65,438+000 years. In recent years, a few of its majors have moved closer to the university level, which is a relatively new development. However, remind students that most hotel management schools do not have the university level recognized by the Swiss government.

In Switzerland, some of the certificates of hotel management schools are recognized by the state government of the state where they are located, and some are recognized by American institutions that specialize in examination and approval. Schools can apply for the certification of such institutions and let them check the education level of schools, but this problem is more complicated. You must first know whether this institution is reliable. Generally speaking, most of these private schools are not recognized by the Swiss government. Therefore, if students are interested in which school, first contact the school directly to find out what institution recognizes the school's diploma.

But the most important thing in studying hotel management is not whether your diploma is recognized by the government, but whether it is recognized by internationally renowned hotels. Usually, if a student graduated from Lausanne Hotel Management College, his job is easier to find, because it is recognized by the industry. Therefore, when choosing a hotel management school, students should first consider whether the school you want to attend has a certain status and tradition. This is very important and is the first thing students should consider.

Direct communication with the school is the best way.

Reporter: Many China students want to study hotel management and tourism management in Switzerland, but some students don't know the situation until they arrive in Switzerland. Excuse me, how to identify the advantages and disadvantages of applying for studying in Switzerland?

Cen freshman: We encourage students to get in touch with the school directly. They can go through the formalities of studying abroad in various ways. E-mail is also very convenient, and you don't need to go through a study agent. From the perspective of our embassy, it is exactly the same for students to apply by themselves and through the intermediary. The intermediary can't help students much, so there is no need to spend more money. In addition, if students get in touch with the school directly and ask some questions to the school, the school will be responsible for their own statements when answering these questions, taking into account the reputation of the school, while some intermediaries, for the purpose of making money, often can't objectively introduce the school, but only say yes.

As an official of the Swiss government, I can't say which hotel management school is good and which school is not. But personally, I think Lausanne Hotel Management College, Lucerne Hotel Management College, Glion Hotel Management College, Geneva Hotel Management College and Swiss Hotel Association are the best. Jose Hotel Management College, Zurich Hotel Management College, Tem Cooking and Hotel Management College, Montreux Hotel Management College, Caesar? The education level of hotel ritz School of Management and other 13 schools that have joined the Swiss Hotel Schools Association is very good, because the association will check the education level of its member schools and put forward corresponding requirements. Of course, it doesn't mean that schools that don't join this association are necessarily bad, but for China students and parents who don't know the situation, it's relatively safe to choose such schools.

There is a phenomenon that international students and their parents need to be reminded that it is very easy to run a private school in Switzerland. For example, if a China woman marries a Swiss and lives in Switzerland, she can make a small advertisement saying that she is willing to teach Chinese, which is her freedom. The government does not impose restrictions, nor does it need to investigate whether she has studied Chinese, whether she is qualified to teach Chinese, how much tuition she will charge, and how good the teaching quality is, because this is entirely a matter between the school and the students. Therefore, the government does not recognize the diplomas of private schools, and only when these schools do something illegal will the government take care of them.

Recently, many China people went to Switzerland to do business. Knowing that they could make money in a similar way, they began to set up schools in Switzerland. Generally speaking, these schools are not of high standard. Some people from China set up a school in Switzerland for students from China, and 80% of the students in this school are from China. In this way, China people have not benefited from studying in Switzerland. China students spend a lot of money studying in such a far place. The most important thing is to have an international language and living environment so that they can study life and learn other languages with people from other countries. But with China people, you can speak some English in class, and you must speak Chinese after class, which loses the meaning of studying abroad. It is unreasonable to run such a school.

Therefore, we have always encouraged students to contact the school themselves to find out the proportion of China students in this school; Which institutions recognize their diplomas; What are the traditions of the school and so on.

Another problem that students need to pay attention to is that the standards of school enrollment reflect the academic level of the courses offered. Therefore, the enrollment policy of the school is an important criterion for students to choose a school. If this school has no requirements for students, as long as you are willing to spend money, no matter what you have studied before, do not pay attention to foreign language ability and are convenient to enter the school, you can basically judge that the level of this school is not high. A good school will definitely have requirements for students, first of all, foreign language ability, what they have studied before, what diplomas they have obtained, what materials they must submit, and even the entrance examination.

Studying in Switzerland to avoid misunderstanding

Reporter: What misunderstandings do you think China students should avoid when studying in Switzerland?

Cen freshman: First of all, we should figure out why we want to go abroad and how to design our future. All preparations for studying abroad should be done well. After all, this is a very important thing in life and it costs a lot of money.

It should be noted that some students want to stay after studying in Switzerland, or go to the United States from Switzerland, which is actually impossible and unrealistic. It is difficult for graduates studying in Switzerland to get a work permit. Unless there are few Swiss experts in a certain field, it is very rare that there happens to be a China person with this qualification and a company is willing to hire him. If the purpose of studying in Switzerland is unrealistic, you will encounter many difficulties in the process of studying abroad.

In addition, the cost of studying in Switzerland is not low. Some students borrowed a lot of money from relatives and friends in order to go to Switzerland, thinking that Switzerland is a rich country. Once they get there, they can earn money while studying and pay off their loans soon. This is also impossible. Studying in Switzerland is basically impossible to work. First, most state governments do not allow foreign students to work, and a few state governments allow students to work 65,438+00 hours a week, or work in winter and summer vacations. Every state has different rules. Even if you are allowed to work, it is difficult for international students to find a job. Therefore, it is impossible for international students to support themselves while studying, especially when they have just arrived in Switzerland. They don't know the language, and they don't know the situation and requirements there, so it is difficult to find a job. Therefore, we must have our own economic strength, otherwise there will be great pressure. Therefore, when you decide to study in Switzerland, you must seek truth from facts, know the necessary situation and make careful plans, including the economic budget.

Hotel management school is special. Generally, they are paid internships for a period of time and work in some big hotels, but the salary is very low. Students are paid as apprentices rather than real employees. The advantage is that students don't have to spend a lot of money during that time, and the burden will be relatively light. Those with traditional hotel management colleges, such as Lausanne Hotel Management College, have their own hotels for students to practice; Other better schools will also find enough places for students to practice. In addition, some big hotels and restaurants are also willing to provide internship opportunities for students from reputable schools because they know that these schools will be responsible for their students. However, in order to attract China people, some newly opened schools with bad reputation have specially added some internship contents. But this kind of internship is really meaningless to students, because the so-called internship is to wash dishes in China Hotel, which is actually to make use of the advantage of China students' speaking Chinese to facilitate these hotels to do business. Therefore, before studying abroad, students should know all aspects of the school you are going to, not just because the intermediary can provide you with a visa.

Generally speaking, the cost of a good hotel management college is relatively high, and most people can't afford it. Even in Switzerland, few people can afford such a private school. In fact, private schools account for only a small part of Swiss education. They are mainly for international students and teach in English. However, English is not the official language of Switzerland. Switzerland is divided into German-speaking areas (east), French-speaking areas (west, such as Geneva and Lausanne) and Italian-speaking areas (near Italy). If you live and study in different places, you will speak different languages.

Reporter: Do Swiss universities have scholarships? How do China students apply for scholarships?

Cen freshman: It is impossible for self-funded international students from China to get a Swiss scholarship before studying in Switzerland. Scholarships in Switzerland are government-to-government exchanges. In other words, there is an agreement between the Swiss government and the China government, that is, the China government provides the Swiss government with more than a dozen scholarship places every year, and Swiss students can study in China; Similarly, the Swiss government provides more than a dozen scholarships to the China government every year, and China students can go to public universities in Switzerland, which are completely public. If a China student has been in Switzerland for many years, he can try, but it is impossible to apply for a scholarship as soon as he arrives in Switzerland. It is also impossible to apply for a scholarship before studying in the United States. China students who intend to apply for Swiss government scholarships should apply to the National Scholarship Committee under the Ministry of Education of China, which will examine and select them.

Reporter: Is there an age limit for international students in Switzerland? Is it necessary to graduate from high school? Is it ok for younger students to go?

Cen freshman: It depends on the different situation of each school. You can contact the school for consultation. Generally speaking, going to a public university requires a bachelor's degree, not a high school student.

There is no entrance examination for local students in Swiss universities, but Swiss students have three destinations after graduating from junior high school: the school prepares for university entrance qualifications; Those who graduated from junior high school and studied in diploma middle schools and normal middle schools can only enter vocational colleges or normal colleges. Swiss universities have at least four years, mostly five or six years. When they graduated, they got a master's degree. China undergraduate graduates need to contact specific schools to study in Switzerland. All 26 states have their own rules.

Reporter: If China students apply to study in Switzerland, where can they find more reliable information?