Just over two decades have passed since then Ticino State Councilor Gabriele Gendotti and his Valais counterpart Claude Roch signed the first affiliation agreement between SUPSI and the FFHS. Since then, Canton Ticino has served as the canton responsible for the development (Trägerkanton) of the FFHS within SUPSI.

With the affiliation, based on the devices of Article 12 of the Law on Universities of the Canton of Ticino, the FFHS was integrated with SUPSI for all academic aspects, while remaining independent administratively and managerially. This 20-year association has allowed the two institutions to grow and has helped to further profile SUPSI nationally.

The new agreement was signed by SUPSI Board President Giovanni Merlini, FFHS Foundation Board President Armin Walpen, SUPSI General Director Franco Gervasoni, FFHS Rector Michael Zurwerra, and the Director of the Department of Education, of Culture and Sport (DECS) of the Canton of Ticino Marina Carobbio Guscetti, the Director of the Department of Economics and Education of the Canton of Valais Christophe Darbellay, the Director of the Division of Culture and University Studies of DECS Raffaella Castagnola Rossini, and the Head of the Office for Higher Education of the Canton of Valais Yves Rey.

Increased support and collaboration in applied research

SUPSI and the FFHS reaffirm the principles of their collaboration under the terms of the previous agreement, increasing the possibility of harnessing the potential for synergy in teaching, research, services and governance. Specifically, the two institutions pledge to strengthen collaboration in the areas of blended learning and distance learning, development of new cross-cultural learning offerings, cooperation in research projects, and joint development at the strategic level of quality management.

With the signing that took place today on the Nufenen Pass, a symbolic point of contact between Ticino and Valais, the two cantons express their willingness to strengthen cooperation in the strategic areas of university education and research.

In the new agreement, particular emphasis has been placed on supporting innovation and applied research, with a view to intensifying the already fruitful collaborations between SUPSI and FFHS and contributing effectively to the growth of the two regions, generating positive spillovers for the attractiveness and prosperity of their socioeconomic fabric.

An important year for academia in Ticino and Valais

The signing of the agreement not only coincides with the 20th anniversary of the affiliation of FFHS in SUPSI. 2024 represents an important year for the two institutions and for academia in Ticino and Valais.

Indeed, last May 15, the Valais Parliament unanimously approved the total revision of the Gesetz über Bildung und Forschung von universitären Hochschulen und Forschungsinstituten, which provides for the designation of Valais as the location canton (Standortkanton) of the FFHS. The new law also provides significant cantonal financial support for the Fernfachhochschule Schweiz, particularly with an annual contribution in the area of applied research and development. With this decision, the Valais Grand Council recognized the relevance of the FFHS within the cantonal university landscape.

On June 5, the Ticino Council of State approved and submitted to Parliament the Cantonal University Policy Message for the four-year period 2025-2028. In addition to renewing and reinforcing support for Ticino's academia, the message emphasizes the desire to intensify collaboration between the canton of Ticino and Valais, thanks in part to the presence of the FFHS in SUPSI as an affiliated school. In particular, the text to be discussed by the Ticino Grand Council this fall includes a dedicated financial contribution to research collaboration within SUPSI with the FFHS.
In light of these important and positive events, the two institutions decided to update the affiliation agreement, thus making it consistent with the aforementioned legislative developments.

The meeting on the Nufenen Pass enshrines this new agreement and propels SUPSI and FFHS toward new common goals, including the confirmation of institutional accreditation expected in 2028.

Fernfachhochschule Schweiz, a pioneer in distance learning

Faced with the brain drain of many students, Canton Valais formed a working group in the late 1980s that identified distance learning as an appropriate option to respond to this issue. The establishment in Brig in 1991 of the Fernuniversität Schweiz, followed by the start of operations in 1998 of the FFHS, contributed significantly to the development of an academic landscape in Valais. In its 25-year history, Fernfachhochschule Schweiz has grown from 20 to 3300 students in Basic and Continuing Education.
 
The educational offerings include Basic and Continuing Education tracks in the branches of business, technology, information technology, health, and e-didactics. This offering is particularly aimed at those who wish to combine academic training with professional activity, family commitments or high-level sports.

FFHS pioneered distance learning, delivering courses in blended learning more than two decades before the generalization of this type of teaching. The formula offered by the FFHS includes 80 percent online respectively self-study and 20 percent in-person training at one of the locations in Zurich, Bern, Basel, St. Gallen or Brig. Many years of experience in distance education has made FFHS the leading e-university in Switzerland. Its expertise was recognized in 2016 by UNESCO, which awarded FFHS a chair in the area of personalized and adaptive distance learning.

In parallel with SUPSI as a whole, the Fernfachhochschule Schweiz has pursued its own logistics strategy, which has led to the construction of the Gleisarena Campus at Zurich Central Station and the Brig Campus and administrative headquarters, opening in 2021.

The qualitative and quantitative growth of this academic institution is undoubtedly the result of judicious and far-sighted management by Kurt Grünwald (Rector from 1998 to 2007) and current Rector Michael Zurwerra.

SUPSI and FFHS in numbers

In the academic year 2023/2024 there were 6200 Basic Education students enrolled at SUPSI, 1778 of whom took FFHS courses (28.6% of the total).

In the academic year 2022/2023 there were 4480 participants in the certifying courses of Continuing Education, 1013 of them took the FFHS courses (22.6%).

SUPSI offers a total of 32 Bachelor's, 19 Master's and one Diploma courses. Of these, 10 Bachelor's and 4 Master's degrees are provided in blended learning by Fernfachhochschule Schweiz. Last academic year, the FFHS expanded its educational offerings with Bachelor's degrees in Cyber Security and Osteopathie.