History
Kalaidos UAS is a state-accredited university under Swiss law with private sponsorship.
State-accredited university
The roots of Kalaidos UAS stretch back to 1997. At that time, the KS Kaderschulen St. Gallen and Zurich, together with the Feusi schools in Bern, founded the PHW Private University of Applied Sciences St. Gallen, Zurich, Basel and Bern. The PHW had to be affiliated with the state universities of applied sciences in Bern. At the same time, AKAD Akademikergesellschaft für Erwachsenenfortbildung mbH founded the AKAD University for Professionals in Zurich. At the time, it was affiliated with the Aargau University of Applied Sciences, which later became the University of Applied Sciences Northwestern Switzerland.
In 2001, the PHW St. Gallen, Basel, Zurich and the AKAD University for Professionals merged with the aim of founding a private, independent, state-approved and supervised university of applied sciences under Swiss law in addition to the seven state universities of applied sciences. But first the basis for such recognition had to be created through targeted political and substantive development work. On 6 April 2005 the time had come: Based on the Federal Act of 6 October 1995 on Universities of Applied Sciences (FHSG) and the University of Applied Sciences Ordinance of 11 September 1996 (FHSV) and the results of a multi-year peer review process by the Kalaidos University of Applied Sciences Foundation, the Swiss Federal Council granted indefinite approval for the establishment and management of Kalaidos University of Applied Sciences. In August 2013, the Federal Council confirmed this decision based on an expert report. This makes Kalaidos UAS the first university in Switzerland to be accredited as an institution in accordance with the procedures and standards set out in the new Higher Education Act.
The founder is the Kalaidos Swiss Education Group, which operates with its educational institutions, its educational media house and its educational logistics company at various levels of education in Switzerland, Germany and Brazil. As of 1 September 2019, the Kalaidos Swiss Education Group was integrated into the Klett Group and acquired new management. This also applied to Kalaidos University of Applied Sciences as part of the Kalaidos Education Group.
Private university with Federal recognition
In 2013, the Federal Council decreed that the Federal accreditation of the Kalaidos University of Applied Sciences must, by law, be renewed every seven years. This confirms its recognition as currently the only private university of applied sciences with several departments. The accreditation was based on the evidence of high-quality in all service areas. Kalaidos University of Applied Sciences sees this as confirmation that it is fulfilling its educational mission.
The basis for the recognition is the review of the university of applied sciences by an external group of experts. Kalaidos UAS was assessed by the latter using a comprehensive self-assessment report and numerous interviews. The full expert report can be viewed on the website of the AAQ for Accreditation and Quality Assurance of Swiss Universities.
Kalaidos UA is a member of swissuniversities, the Rectors' Conference of Swiss Universities.
Departments of Economics, Law, Health, Applied Psychology and Music
The expansion of Kalaidos University of Applied Sciences was carried out continuously and carefully. In the Department of Economics thematic priorities in the area of finance and taxes were formed and collaborations were started with industry organisations such as the Swiss Fiduciary Association, Swissmem, SKO, etc. In 2009, PHW Bern was added. In 2006, the Department of Health was founded together with the foundations W'EG and Careum, which are anchored in the health care system, and expanded in 2010 with the research cooperation Careum R+D. In 2020, the Department of Music was founded in cooperation with the SAMO, the Swiss Academy for Music and Music Education. Since 2010, the overall university of applied sciences has been known as Kalaidos University of Applied Sciences Switzerland. On 1 July 2017, the fourth department, the Kalaidos Law School, was founded again. It offers training and further education courses in the field of law. In November 2021, the fifth department, theDepartment of Applied Psychology was founded, which also offers training and further education courses.