Swiss Review 1/2020

Swiss Review / January 2020 / No.1 23 OSA news “I particularly enjoy the practical projects” Savian Scanu, a Swiss Abroad who grew up in Sardinia, talks about the challenges he has faced and his impressions while studying in Switzerland. Savian Scanu, you are a Swiss Abroad who grew up in a village on the Italian island of Sardinia. What motivated you to study in Switzerland? I decided to study in Switzerland due to the high quality of the education. I also wanted to learn German as I only spoke Swiss German. On top of this, the desire to see the world from an- tions. I then discontinued my studies, worked in Switzerland as a gardener, among other things, learning the ins and outs of the working world in the process, and saved money towards further study. Finally, I registered to do a Bachelor’s degree in Environmen- tal Engineering at the Zurich Univer- sity of Applied Sciences. What are the main focus areas of this degree programme? I have always been interested in envi- ronmental issues. The current impor- tance of the topic, the professional rel- evance and thewide varietyof lectures sparked my interest. The curriculum in the first year includes foundational courses such as mathematics, clima- tology and biology. Afterwards, you can specialise in a particular area. I deal primarily with sustainable tour- ism in my area of specialisation. What do you like about your present study in particular? I particularly enjoy the practical pro- jects that we carry out with munici- palities and tourist destinations. I am currentlyworking on a concept for the sustainable development of tourism services in Scuol (GR). We have been discussing questions including: How can we retain the traditional Alpine landscape; and howcanwe provide in- centives for people to use public trans- port? What do you think of student life in Switzerland in general? It’s awesome. There is a wide range of free sports-related activities for stu- dents on offer in Zurich. It is also ab- solutely stunning down at the lake during summer. What are your future plans? All being well, I will complete my studies in December 2020. After- wards, I want to work. I will probably have to complete several internships initially. They are usually low-paid, but are important to gain a foothold on the employment ladder. What advice would you give young Swiss Abroad who are thinking of studying in Switzerland? Themost important thing is to find an apartment in good time, particularly in Zurich. You may be able to share one with other students. You should also get information about health in- surance. Considering the high cost of living in Switzerland, a scholarship may be helpful. educationsuisse as- sisted me with my application for a scholarship frommy home canton. (RG) Student Savian Scanu in the Grisons Alpine countryside close to Scuol (GR). Photo: donated other perspective was another factor in moving to Zurich after completing my university entrance examination in Italy. You registered to study Mechanical Engineering at ETH Zurich. What were the biggest challenges you faced initially? My two biggest challenges were fol- lowing the lessons inGerman and the generally high standard of teaching. I had to provide a C1-level language cer- tificate to gain admission to ETH. Af- ter a few months, I realised that the faculty was not meeting my expecta- educationsuisse, Education in Switzerland, Alpenstrasse 26, 3006 Bern, Switzerland, Tel. +41 31 356 61 04 ; info@educationsuisse.ch www.educationsuisse.ch educationsuisse Tel .+41 31 356 61 04 Fax+41 31 356 61 01 info@educationsuisse.ch www.educationsuisse.ch Organisation of the Swiss Abroad (OSA) Alpenstrasse 26 CH-3006 Berne Tel. +41 31 356 61 00 Fax +41 31 356 61 01 info@aso.ch www.aso.ch www.revue.ch www.swisscommunity.org Our partners: Foundation for Young Swiss Abroad Tel .+41 31 356 6116 Fax+41 31 356 61 01 info@sjas.ch www.sjas.ch