New university aims to fulfil demand for tech talent

Newly launched research-led university, the Schaffhausen Institute of Technology (SIT), has welcomed its first intake of computer science students for the 2019 to 2020 academic year. 

Having been established as a brand-new institution for technological study, SIT is collaborating with Carnegie-Mellon University (CMU) in Pittsburgh, US and the National University of Singapore (NUS) to deliver its highly anticipated master’s program.

The newly created research and higher education institute is currently undergoing development at its headquarters in Schaffhausen, Switzerland. 

As a region, Schaffhausen is no stranger to technological feats, serving as a headquarters for some of the world’s leading technology companies.   

Positioned near other technological centres such as Zurich, Munich, Stuttgart and Konstanz, Schaffhausen has been chosen as an ideal campus for SIT, connecting its specially developed technology education programs with Europe’s growing need for talent in the fields of computer science, natural science and technology transformation.

Areas of study, which will be available at bachelors, masters and PhD level upon the university’s completion, include artificial intelligence and machine learning, advanced materials and quantum technologies, blockchain and cryptographic architectures, software engineering and cyber security.

Until SIT’s physical university has been completed, the research centre is currently offering a master’s programme in partnership with CMU in Pittsburgh, United States and NUS in Singapore. CMU is ranked as the leading computer science school in the United States, while NUS is consistently named as one of the world’s top universities with strengths in engineering and science.

The master’s program has been exclusively offered to a selected pool of international students, allowing them to apply to three computer science programs at CMU and five programmes at NUS.

Students will complete their degree at a partner institute during the 2019 to 2020 and 2020 to 2021 academic years but will return to Schaffhausen to establish SIT’s further research and education programs when the wider curriculum has been developed.

“Schaffhausen Institute of Technology is a new type of university, pioneering a new model of technical education,” explained Bertrand Meyer, SIT’s provost. “An integral part of SIT’s mission is for our students to collaborate with industrial and technology companies.

“The objective of this partnership will be the fostering of successful technology start-ups and spin-offs. In fact, the SIT campus will include a comprehensive technology park, bolstering Schaffhausen as a centre for technology and innovation.”

As a private university, SIT has been initially funded by Acronis, with the company’s CEO, Serguei Beloussov, predicting a bright future for the institute. “In 20 years, we will have created 2,000 to 3,000 jobs thanks to SIT,” Beloussov stated in an interview with Schaffhauser Nachrichten. 

“SIT provides a unique opportunity for investors to engage in tertiary education in some of the world’s most important technological fields,” explained Elena Novoselova, vice president of communication and grants management at SIT. “Involvement with SIT will not only reap financial rewards for investors but allow them to be involved in the development of unprecedent technological change which will impact wider society.”