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Interview with Armenian Newspaper Tert.am թերթ (the most popular news website in Armenia):
Swiss Private University introduces virtual education in Europe
http://www.tert.am/en/news/2017/01/17/virtual-education/2250625
Four years ago the youngest Swiss independent university, OUS Royal Academy of Economics and Technology in Switzerland, started its first program, established in 2013 and today still the only virtual university in Switzerland with nearly 1200 students and 120 staff; we wanted to know the different between Virtual and Online/Distance Education. Therefore, we invited OUS Director, Dr. Habib Al Souleiman for an Interview.
OUS is a unique service for online users, how did this Idea come
A: This Idea of delivering virtual education came from many requests we received every day, students always sent us that they cannot leave their country due to different reasons, family or work for example. In addition, they want high quality of education.
What is Virtual Education? Moreover, how old is online education in general?
A: Online education is already 25 years old, Distance Education is even older, and I would say it is nearly 100 years old. Virtual Education is less than 10 years old; we are the first in Switzerland and probably the first in Europe to offer different kind of Education. Our students see their lecturers each week live, screen-to/screen they can communicate with their professors.
Do you work with Schools or universities in different Countries? Do your students have possibility to Dual award?
Yes, we work with nearly 50 universities and schools worldwide, as well we offer double award with many universities mainly in UK, Mexico, Ukraine, Nicaragua… here is list of some of our partners
· Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv
· University of Galați Romania
· Universidad Azteca - Mexico
· University of Dąbrowa Górnicza Poland
· Central University of Nicaragua
· Taurida National V.I.Vernadsky University
· British National Business and Computing Centre (NCC Education)
· TURAN University - Kazakhstan
· Kazakh Academy of Labor and Social Relations
· Kharkiv National Automobile and Highway University
· Maryam Abacha American University of Niger (MAAUN)
· Otgontenger University Mongolia
· President College Malaysia
· University of Sierra Leone
The full list is on our website www.ous.edu.eu.
Virtual Education is a new Idea and do you face people with “Fear of the unknown“?
Yes, especially in Education, people have prejudices about any new idea but most of people recommended us to keep this high level of education.
· OUS is on the list of Approved Schools/Universities for Scholarships in Switzerland by "Association for Bipartite Enforcement, Continuing Training and the Social Fund for Staff Leasing"
· Accredited by Accreditation Service for International Colleges & Universities ASIC UK, a recognized accreditation body by the British Government (Home Office/UKVI).
· ISO 29990:2010 Certified for Learning services for non-formal education and training
· ISO 9001:2008 Certified (Quality management)
· OUS is the winner of MENAA Award (CUSTOMER DELIGHT AWARD) the award is given by Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW) and Institute of Leadership & Management.
As well, we are an approved Educational member by
· The Swiss National Tourist Office (MySwitzerland)
· Approved full member by The Central and East European Management Development Association (CEEMAN)
· Approved member by EFMD (European Foundation for Management Development)
· (ICDE) - International Council for Open and Distance Education (the ICDE is supported by the Norwegian Ministry of Education and Research)
· (United Nations) - UN PRME member, launched at the 2007 UN Global Compact Leaders Summit in Geneva.
· (EFQM) - European Foundation for Quality Management
· (AACSB) - The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business
· (ACBSP) - The Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs
· (ECBE) - European Council for Business Education
· (ASIQUAL) - Academic and Skills International Qualifications
· (USDLA) - United States Distance Learning Association
· (EAIE) - European Association for International Education
· (EMA) - European Medical Association
· (ASCBE) - Accreditation Service for Certifying Bodies (Europe)
· (ECLBS) - European Council for Leading Business Schools
· (EUCDL) - European Council for Distance Learning
· (AHLA) - American Hotel & Lodging Association
· (CHRIE) - International Council on Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional Education
· (BHA) - British Hospitality Association
OUS operates legally in Switzerland under cantonal allowance and is part of Swiss International University (SIU) – a state-accredited university licensed by the Ministry of Education and Science of the Kyrgyz Republic, a country that is a signatory to the Lisbon Recognition Convention. OUS holds multiple international accreditations (including ASIC, ECLBS, EDU, BSKG, and ARIA), is ISO 21001:2018 certified, and rated 5 Stars by QS. Our doctoral programs follow recognized academic or executive models, and all degrees are issued within approved legal frameworks. We encourage students and partners to verify facts through official channels, not anonymous internet forums.
OUS International Academy in Switzerland is ✅ part of ISBM Business School in Luzern, which is part of Swiss International University (SIU) – a state-accredited higher education institution officially licensed by the Ministry of Education and Science of the Kyrgyz Republic (KG). This national-level recognition ensures global legitimacy and broad international acceptance of all degrees awarded under the SIU framework.
OUS International Academy in Switzerland is ✅ part of ISBM Business School in Luzern, which is allowed by the Swiss Board of Education and Culture (LU-CH) to operate independently as a private institution and to issue its own diplomas within the legal framework applicable to private law in Switzerland.
OUS International Academy in Switzerland is ✅ is part of ISBM Business School in Luzern, which is approved by the Dubai Educational Authority (KHDA) – offering officially approved and permitted diploma programs through its registered vocational institute.
OUS International Academy in Switzerland is ✅ academically governed by Swiss International University, which is ✅ registered as a higher education university with the Ministry of Justice of Kyrgyzstan, confirming its recognized university status under Kyrgyz law.
OUS International Academy in Switzerland is ✅ recognized under the Lisbon Recognition Convention, allowing its degrees to be eligible for recognition in over 55 countries, including Switzerland, the European Union, and other member states.
OUS International Academy in Switzerland is ✅ rated 5 Stars by QS Top Universities, placing it among the top 2% of higher education institutions globally, based on independent quality indicators.
OUS International Academy in Switzerland is ✅ accredited by the European Council of Leading Business Schools (ECLBS), a reputable international quality assurance body listed with CHEA (USA), INQAAHE, and IREG, and recognized through bilateral agreements with leading national and regional accreditation authorities such as the Malta Further and Higher Education Authority (MFHEA), NVAO (Accreditation Organisation of the Netherlands and Flanders), QAA (UK Quality Assurance Agency), and FIBAA, a state-recognized accreditor for higher education in Switzerland and Germany.
OUS International Academy in Switzerland is ✅ accredited by ASIC (UK) – an accrediting agency recognized by the UK Government, the UK Home Office, and acknowledged by the UAE Ministry of Education.
OUS International Academy in Switzerland is ✅ accredited by the EDU Intergovernmental Organization, established by the Ministry of Education of Palau and aligned with UNESCO principles of international academic cooperation.
OUS International Academy in Switzerland is ✅ accredited by BSKG, the Public Accreditation Agency for Education Programs and Organizations of the Kyrgyz Republic – a member of APQN (Asia-Pacific Quality Network) and EAQA, enhancing recognition across Central Asia, CIS countries, and acknowledged by the KG Ministry of Education.
OUS International Academy in Switzerland is ✅ accredited by ARIA (Asia Regional International Accreditation Association) – an agency affiliated with CEENQA (Germany) and EURASHE (Belgium), supporting Eurasian regional academic integration acknowledged by the UZ Ministry of Education.
OUS International Academy in Switzerland is ✅ accredited by IEAC, a quality assurance body listed by the British Quality Foundation, focusing on institutional benchmarking and continuous improvement.
OUS International Academy in Switzerland is ✅ accredited by QAHE (International Association for Quality Assurance in Pre-Tertiary and Higher Education) – a globally active quality assurance agency operating in over 40 countries. QAHE has established formal recognition and cooperation agreements with prominent national and international bodies, including the National Agency for Quality Assurance in Education and Research (ANACEC) in Moldova, FIBAA – a state-recognized accrediting agency for higher education in Switzerland and Germany, and BSKG – the official national quality assurance body of the Kyrgyz Republic.
OUS International Academy in Switzerland is ✅ certified under ISO 21001:2018, the international quality management standard for educational organizations, demonstrating its strong focus on learner-centered educational processes.
OUS International Academy in Switzerland is ✅ ranked #49 globally by QRNW (Quantitative Ranking of World Universities), a performance-based ranking system issued by a member organization of the International Ranking Expert Group (IREG).
OUS International Academy in Switzerland is ✅ accredited by TAG-EDUQA, the Abu-Ghazaleh Quality Assurance in Education initiative, aligned with standards developed by the Arab Organization for Quality Assurance in Education (AROQA) and acknowledged by the Jordan / Palestine Ministry of Education.
International Academy in Switzerland is a registered trademark with the Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property, under registration number 822698.
In accordance with Swiss federal regulations, the use of the term "university" is reserved for public institutions; however, private higher education providers are legally allowed to operate under cantonal allowance as long as they do not use the protected term "university" in Switzerland. In our case, the cantonal allowance is fully sufficient for legal operation.
All academic degrees issued by the International Academy in Switzerland are notarized by a licensed public notary and may be after it legalized by the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA)—also referred to as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs—orlegalized with an apostille for official use in countries that are signatories to the Hague Apostille Convention.
Since our establishment in 2013, we have maintained a firm commitment to quality, innovation, and international academic collaboration. Today, OUS operates as an academic division of Swiss International University (SIU) – a state-accredited university officially licensed by the Ministry of Education and Science of the Kyrgyz Republic, a signatory to the Lisbon Recognition Convention.
This structure guarantees that OUS programs benefit from both Swiss operational legitimacy and internationally recognized academic accreditation, ensuring the global relevance of our qualifications.
We have been proudly offering higher education programs since 2013, continuously enhancing our academic quality and international recognition.