Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW)

The Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW), founded in 2007, is one of the youngest members of the Swiss School of Public Health (SSPH+). With a focus on applied research, its eight schools, including a School of Health Professions, add the perspectives of health professions, applied linguistics, and applied psychology amongst others to the wide array of disciplines and expertise already represented in SSPH+. ZHAW’s 17 faculty members, along with many more investigators and lecturers, contribute to interdisciplinary research areas, such as digital health, communication in health, and robotics. The School of Health Professions provides a large program in the education of health professions for more than 1,700 students. Recently, a Bachelors’ program on health promotion and prevention, unique to Switzerland, was launched and its first graduates finished in 2019. Moreover, the renowned Winterthur Institute of Health Economics (WIG) offers MSc and continuing education programs in health economics and management. Further offerings extend to a PhD program in Care and Rehabilitation Sciences, established by the Medical School of Zurich University (UZH) and staffed with faculty from ZHAW’s School of Health Professions. In 2019, the School of Health Professions hosted the Swiss Public Health conference on “Child and Adolescent Public Health”, resulting in the publication of a memorandum “Healthy Children and Adolescents” which was widely acknowledged and recognized in the Swiss arena of politics and decision-makers.

The School of Applied Linguistics

The School of Applied Linguistics focuses on the role played by language and communication in real-life situations – whether in the society at large, working life, educational contexts or media. Languages connect communities and cultures but can also present serious barriers to communication for newcomers to a community. We provide the expertise necessary to enable multilingual communication and promote inclusion.

Winterthur Institute of Health Economics (WIG)

The interdisciplinary team of social scientists and health scientists of the WIG is engaged in numerous highly applied research projects focussing on the costs and outcomes of the Swiss healthcare system. These projects are commissioned by public health authorities, health service providers, industry and a multitude of other players in the healthcare system.