I am sure that the media’s recent discussion of the usefulness of study programmes in the fields of humanities and social sciences will not have escaped your attention. Some individuals have, as in 2013, called again for a numerus clausus system to be adopted in order to avoid a situation whereby there are more humanities’ graduates than are needed in the job market. Educating more MINT-students (mathematics, information technology, natural sciences and technology) seems to be the order of the day.

The University of Lucerne sees the need to address such concerns, not least because there are no so-called MINT-subjects offered amongst our programmes. This was not the university’s own decision but rather that of Lucerne’s legislators. Was this decision a mistake? It is my conviction that this was in fact no mistake. Graduates of the University of Lucerne are, on average, very good at gaining access to the labour market, as is demonstrated by the surveys conducted by the Federal Statistical Office. Generally speaking, it is also known that graduates of humanities and social sciences do not display a higher rate of unemployment as compared to graduates from other disciplines, within 5 years of finishing their studies.

In any case, it is certainly advisable for humanities and social science-oriented universities like the University of Lucerne to think carefully about how to ensure that a study programme that is not solely geared towards economic imperatives also ensures a level of practical relevance and applicability. In this regard, it was with considerable interest that I noted the words of a graduate from one of our bachelor programmes. She stated “In Lucerne, I always missed the practical applicability a little”. When reviewing our study programmes, as is required for quality assurance purposes, this issue should indeed be given due consideration.

I wish you all a good end to the semester and every success with your final papers.

Prof. Dr. Paul Richli, Rector