Anniversary Reception: 40 Years of HWZ
Entrepreneurial from day one and ready for the future
On Wednesday, 28 October 2026, HWZ celebrated its 40th anniversary with an apéro for invited guests. Exactly forty years earlier to the day, the first classes had taken place. While Rector Brian Rüeger and Chairman of the Board Daniel Jositsch reflected on the university’s development, Michael Klaas, Head of Business Development at HWZ, looked ahead to the future.
Events · November 3, 2026
Around 80 guests gathered at HWZ to celebrate the anniversary together. Among them were industry partners, former rectors, members of the alumniHWZ board, the university council and the university of applied sciences council, as well as staff of the university.
Brian Rüeger, rector of HWZ, chose to let images speak for themselves at the start of his welcome address and showed the Anniversary film. He then recalled the entrepreneurial spirit that shaped the founding of HWZ and remains firmly embedded in its DNA to this day. For 40 years, the university has pursued the goal of providing people with practical knowledge that they can apply directly in their professional lives. The consistent integration of work and education, together with a focus on the needs of businesses, forms the foundation of this approach. At the heart of it all is the employability of students—an aspiration that has distinguished HWZ since its inception.
Just in time for its 40th anniversary, HWZ was able to announce another milestone: it became the first Swiss university to receive international accreditation as an «Entrepreneurial University». This special recognition highlights HWZ's entrepreneurial approach.
In his address, Chairman of the Board Daniel Jositsch spoke about the changes taking place in the world of work. While certain professions are disappearing, new ones are emerging – and it is almost impossible to predict today which occupations will be in demand in ten years’ time. This makes it all the more important to stay up to date and to pursue continuous professional development. He expressed his pride that HWZ, with its practice-oriented continuing education programmes, is making an important contribution in this regard.
At the conclusion of the official programme, Michael Klaas, Head of Business Development at HWZ, provided an outlook on the future development of the university. He emphasised that the core values of HWZ – practical relevance, entrepreneurship, and people – will continue to be guiding principles in the years to come.
The first 40 years have shown what is possible. The next 40 years begin with what we dare to do today.
At the subsequent Apéro riche, guests had the opportunity to share memories, discuss developments over the past decades, and raise a toast to the future together. A birthday serenade from all attendees and the cutting of the anniversary cake brought the celebration to a close. The event once again demonstrated that it is the people who are at the heart of HWZ.
It is precisely these individuals, who have shaped and been shaped by the university, who are at the heart of the 40th anniversary celebrations. We have captured their stories and unique career paths, which are closely linked to HWZ, in 40 portraits recorded.
Image gallery
The event was captured by Leana Schwab.
