Training and research
Valais attaches great value to the quality of the courses it offers covering many sectors.
Located in the centre of Europe, the canton has several aces up its sleeve: bilingualism, pleasant living conditions which are conducive to learning and a low cost of living. Infrastructure based on state-of-the-art technology provides the best possible basis for the acquisition of new skills under the best possible conditions.
Campus Valais/Wallis
The Valais campus of the Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL) represents a key strategic project for the canton. This innovative partnership covers the entire value creation chain, from basic research (EPFL) to applied research and development (HES-SO Valais-Wallis) to economic development (The Ark Foundation). The aim of the cluster is to set up a joint campus bringing together 15 EPFL chairs and the HES-SO Valais-Wallis School of Engineering in Sion. It also promotes synergies with the various research institutes located in Valais. In 2032, the associated EPFL Valais campus will therefore have 22 chairs and four active research groups in Valais.
Schools of Applied Sciences and Universities of Applied Sciences
The canton's symbolic HES-SO Valais-Wallis organisation combines research, teaching and innovation with 11 degree programmes in engineering, business and tourism, health, social work, art and design. Endowed with nine research institutes, it supervises almost 1,000 projects, attracts several thousand students and employs 500 staff. Since 1998, the Swiss Distance Learning University of Applied Sciences has been offering part-time Bachelor's and Master's degree programmes as well as continuing education courses in business, IT, engineering, law and health, which are ideal for working people. The Valais University of Teacher Education in Brig and the Vatel Hotel Management School in Martigny offer further study opportunities.
Universities
The following institutions, which are highly recognised at national and international level, work together to strengthen Valais as an important location for education and research. They offer a wide range of opportunities for academic and professional development within a unique alpine environment.
Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne, EPFL, on the Energypolis campus in Sion
University of Lausanne, Sion branch
University of Geneva, Sion branch
Swiss Distance Learning University in Brig
Private schools
Private schools in Valais are a first-class alternative to the public education system. They offer individualised support, high educational standards and promote students’ wholistic development. The seven member schools of the Valais Private School Association offer a wide range of education programmes from primary school to tertiary level with highly qualified teaching staff. Students can study in a uniquely inspiring setting and in various languages (French, German, English). Some 4,000 students attend these schools and institutes every year to obtain qualifications recognised in Switzerland and throughout the world.
The service organisation Valais4you aims to attract, inform and support skilled workers and their families to Valais.
