The Accreditation Council for Entrepreneurial and Engaged Universities (ACEEU) has awarded HWZ University of Applied Sciences in Business Administration Zurich the Entrepreneurial University Accreditation, making HWZ the first higher education institution in Switzerland to achieve this international recognition.
Founded in 1986, HWZ is Switzerland’s largest higher education institution offering exclusively part-time business degree programmes. With around 3,000 students and 800 lecturers from professional practice, the university combines academic learning with direct professional application, enabling students to remain in employment while integrating new knowledge into their everyday work.
Entrepreneurship and innovation are firmly embedded in this practice-oriented educational model. HWZ offers a dedicated major in Strategic Innovation & Entrepreneurship, alongside continuing education programmes designed for founders, innovators and business leaders. Students also engage directly with real business challenges from start-ups and established companies. In recent years, HWZ student projects have supported more than 500 start-ups.
The university’s entrepreneurial orientation extends beyond teaching. Through applied research, consultancy and coaching, HWZ supports organisations in validating business ideas, developing new products and services and advancing innovation. Partnerships with organisations including the Swiss Startup Association and Launch Control further connect students with Switzerland’s entrepreneurial ecosystem and create opportunities to turn ideas into practice.
“We are delighted and proud to be the first higher education institution in Switzerland to receive ACEEU accreditation as an ‘Entrepreneurial University’. Entrepreneurial thinking and action have been at the heart of HWZ since our founding 40 years ago.” Prof. Dr. Brian P. Rüeger, Principal of HWZ, emphasises that the accreditation recognises the university’s strong connection to professional practice and the entrepreneurial spirit brought to life by its staff, students and partners. For HWZ, the recognition represents an important milestone in its ambition to become Switzerland’s most entrepreneurial university.
The accreditation also reflects HWZ’s commitment to continuously challenging established approaches, recognising new opportunities and shaping the future of higher education in close collaboration with business and society. This close interaction between education, professional practice and the wider entrepreneurial ecosystem demonstrates how universities can create value well beyond the classroom.
By achieving ACEEU Entrepreneurial University Accreditation, HWZ joins an international community of higher education institutions committed to embedding entrepreneurship and engagement institution-wide and strengthening their contribution to their surrounding ecosystems. ACEEU warmly congratulates HWZ on this achievement and welcomes the university to its growing international community of entrepreneurial and engaged higher education institutions.
Press release on HWZ website
LinkedIn Post on HWZ's ACEEU Accreditation
HWZ's Instagramm Account
HWZ's Facebook Account
HWZ's TikTok Account