Local roots, national recognition, international acclaim

The UAS Grisons is an innovative reservoir of knowledge, making it a reliable problem-solver for companies and administrative bodies. National and international experience is crucial to ensuring that the university can operate effectively within the region. The innovative University of Applied Sciences of Graubünden has therefore worked on around 300 research projects in recent years. These endeavours help it to transfer its knowledge and experience into the wider Grisons in its role as a beacon institution. The findings from its applied research are also integrated into its study offers and ensure that its programmes are both up to date and of the highest quality.

The UAS Grisons offers fantastic opportunities for the young people of the canton. The special part-time structure of its study offers enables students to live and work in the valleys and still complete a degree programme with two compact classroom days in Chur. There is also the option for them to attend a wide range of further education programmes, such as the Digital Transformation certificate course, specifically designed around the needs of the canton.

Due to its location away from the urban metropolises, right at the heart of the Alps, the UAS Grisons has always been driven to be innovative in the ideas and implementation of its programmes. The university sees being able to contribute to the success of bold ideas as a great privilege. As well as this pioneering spirit, alpine companies have always needed to be able to rely on one another and work together to survive in this environment. This solidarity and culture, alongside the three languages of German, Romansh and Italian, are key parts of the DNA of the Grisons.

The UAS Grisons plays a role in improving the competitiveness of the region and generates far-reaching benefits by making a significant contribution to reducing the labour shortage and increasing innovation, both through its study offers and as an employer. The university motivates people to move to the Grisons, thereby helping to mitigate the threatened “brain drain”. A fifth of UAS Grisons students come from the Grisons, and a fifth of all graduates remain in the canton’s companies after completing their studies.

The UAS Grisons is also passionate about supporting the young people of the canton. It is involved in a range of different projects designed to develop the (research) talents of tomorrow.

In addition to their direct value to a region as a location factor for the economy, the fact that university education and research can also develop into a value-generating sector in its own right is demonstrated by the economic importance of the UAS Grisons to the canton. According to a 2022 study, for each franc invested in the university by the Grisons, CHF 4.30 is generated in return.

Additional services for the canton of the Grisons

As well as the objectives defined in the performance mandate, the UAS Grisons provides additional services for the canton. These include:

Study programmes open up new perspectives

The UAS Grisons offers future-oriented study programmes in Management and Tourism, Computational Science and selected key technologies (such as Photonics, Data Visualisation, User Experience Design and Multimedia Production). In recent years, the UAS Grisons has been able to bring several successful concepts to the market through its study offers that meet the needs of companies in the region, prevent young people of the canton from moving away, and represent unique programmes offered nowhere else in Switzerland. Despite a demographic decline, the UAS Grisons has been able to educate more and more young locals each year. More than 65 bachelor’s and master’s theses a year are focused on a topic affecting the canton of the Grisons, and additional student projects and the Innovators Challenge help to develop regional companies.

The UAS Grisons is passionate about innovative, lifelong learning, and enables its bachelor’s programme graduates to attend appropriate master’s and further training offers. All students and employees are also offered the chance to learn the canton’s official languages of Romansh and Italian, as well as other languages. 

Further education at the UAS Grisons is practice-oriented. The UAS Grisons works closely together with businesses and the respective sector, enabling it to impart knowledge that professionals need in practice. The further education programme is designed to move professional practitioners forward in their career development in a targeted manner. All further education courses are offered concurrent to the student’s job. Its further education programmes include degrees with the titles Executive Master of Business Administration (EMBA), Master of Advanced Studies (MAS), Diploma of Advanced Studies (DAS), Certificate of Advanced Studies (CAS) and specialist qualifications and courses.

The UAS Grisons makes a significant contribution to the economic, societal and sustainable development of the canton of the Grisons. Around 65 research projects are completed each year for companies based in the Grisons, and twelve for the cantonal administration. The university has also established its first “living labs” to encourage collaboration between the itself and the regions.

One of the UAS Grison’s missions is to bolster the tourism companies that are so important to the canton in terms of value generation. The pandemic accelerated the unavoidable digital transition, a challenge that the sector has to face up to in order to optimise its local offerings and international distribution of demand.

The DAViS Centre (high-performance computing centre) and its connection to the national high-performance CSCS data centre in Lugano is an important infrastructure component for the canton’s university and research landscape. Together with the Swiss Institute of Allergy and Asthma Research (SIAF) in Davos, this regional competence centre at the UAS Grisons brings together and supports research, the industry and teaching in the fields of data analysis and scientific computing on behalf of the canton of the Grisons and the holder of an associated extraordinary professorship.

The UAS Grisons implements a number of research projects for the canton of the Grisons, either alone or in collaboration with cantonal partners.

The UAS Grisons implements a number of research projects for the canton of the Grisons, either alone or in collaboration with cantonal partners.

Services for the Grisons

The UAS Grisons supports companies and institutions with its specialist knowledge and expertise, and also provides vital infrastructure. Its range of services comprises both consulting and a variety of infrastructure through its labs. The SME Centre of the Grisons supports and advises Grisons-based SMEs, start-ups and new companies in addressing business issues related to company foundation and growth, financing, strategic management, innovation and internationalisation.

An important employer for the canton

The UAS Grisons employs around 700 people, more than 300 of whom are on permanent contracts. Over 200 positions have been created in the past few years. As well as the newly created permanent roles, the university also offers a range of specialists from the canton’s companies the opportunity to pass on their cutting-edge practical knowledge as guest lecturers on its training and further education programmes.

The UAS Grisons has also offered apprenticeships in various areas since 2004. The apprentices complete an interesting and varied programme with a choice of five roles: Architectural Model Maker (in german), Building and Grounds Custodian (domestic staff specialism) (in german), Information and Documentation Specialist (in german), Information Technologist (business informatics specialism) (in german) and Business Specialist (in german).

Collaboration on a cantonal level

As well as its employees and the services it offers in terms of study programmes and research, the UAS Grisons also sees its partnerships as an important factor in its success. In its partnerships with authorities, it aims to help ensure optimal conditions are safeguarded within the region over the long term. When collaborating with project partners from the fields of business, administration and other universities, it aims to develop future-oriented, relevant offers.

Selected collaborations in the research and education landscape of the Grisons

Selected collaborations with cantonal companies and administrative bodies

As part of its role in transferring knowledge and technology, the UAS Grisons acts as a beacon, taking scientific findings from external sources, processing them and transferring them to the local economy and authorities, as well as the wider public. These can benefit from a range of different events.