Departments and faculties
The following information is designed especially for the various departments and faculties of the University of Lucerne. You will find information on the coordination of the SEMP (Erasmus) programme and other mobility programmes, advice on what to consider when appointing international academic staff, as well as information on international research cooperation.
Find here information and links regarding the SEMP (Erasmus) programme and on how to proceed when establishing a bilateral exchange agreement with an international partner institution.
Coordination of the SEMP (Erasmus) Programme
As of the Autumn semester of 2014 Switzerland has third country status within the Erasmus+ Programme. The State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation has thus from the academic year 2014/15 onwards, implemented an interim solution. The interim solution, known as the 'Swiss-European Mobility Programme' (SEMP) allows Swiss universities to continue wokring with its European partners under very similar conditions to those of the Erasmus+ Programme.
The SEMP programme comprises the following activities:
- Student Mobility
- Teaching Staff Mobility
- Staff Mobility
- European Credit Transfer System (ECTS)
Bilateral Exchange Agreements
Student and (teaching) staff exchanges take place on the basis of a bilateral exchange agreement between the home university and the international partner university (see Checklist Partner Institutions).
Please find below the necessary steps when establishing a bilateral agreement:
- The department or faculty contacts the International Relations Office of the University of Lucerne (IRO).
- The IRO sends a draft agreement (SEMP agreement, or Memorandum of Understanding and/or Student Exchange Agreement) to the International Relations Office of the partner institution.
- The IRO checks the amendments to the agreement made by the partner institution and if necessary negotiates any open points. The negotiations are led in accordance with the department and faculty.
- Once both parties agree on the wording of the agreement, the agreement draft is checked by a lawyer, if necessary.
- The IRO organises the signing process within the University of Lucerne.
- After the signing of the agreement, the IRO informs the department and the faculty accordingly and files the agreement.
For all questions regarding bilateral agreements, please contact
Catrin Scheiber
Head of International Relations Office
T +41 41 229 50 71
catrin.scheiber@unilu.ch
The international research cooperation of Switzerland offers quite a variety of instruments and services. Please find below information and links regarding the most important programmes.
Please also take note of the services offered by the Research Promotion Unit (rubric Research) of the University of Lucerne.
The Federal Administration’s bilateral cooperation programmes
Leading House pilot activities
In consultation with the Swiss Conference of Rectors of Higher Education Institutions (swissuniversities), the following higher education institutions have been mandated as Leading Houses for the regional implementation of projects and activities for the period 2025–2028
- North Africa and Middle East: Fachhochschule Westschweiz (HES-SO)
- Subsaharan Africa: Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute (Swiss TPH) in cooperation with the University of Basel
- Latin America: University of St. Gallen (HSG)
- Asia / Pacific: University of Zurich (UZH)
- South Asia and Iran: Zürcher Hochschule für Angewandte Wissenschaften (ZHAW)
Please see here for more information.
Swiss National Science Foundation
The Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) is strongly committed to facilitating and promoting international engagement for the Swiss research community and provides a number of funding opportunities for this purpose.
In Switzerland, SNSF collaborates closely with the State Secretariat for Education and Research (SER) on initiatives of European or worldwide interest. It also works closely with the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC).
Euresearch
On behalf of the State Secretariat for Education and Research the Euresearch network informs all interested parties about the possibilities and procedures of involvement in European research activities. Euresearch consists of a head office in Berne, with the national contact offices to the EU framework programme, and regional counselling offices at 10 university centres. The contact office SwissCore in Brussels also works with Euresearch.
Euresearch is responsible for providing specific information and counselling to all interested researchers from the private sector and public institutions about participation in EU research framework programmes and COST activities.
Further information on the Homepage of Euresearch
For more detailed questions, please contact the respective Regional Office (Euresearch Lucerne).
