Europa Institut at the University of Zurich (EIZ)

What Europa Institut at the University of Zurich (EIZ) does

The Europa Institut at the University of Zurich (EIZ) is a non-profit academic institute affiliated with the University of Zurich, founded in the mid-1990s and headquartered at Bellerivestrasse 49, 8008 Zürich. It operates as one of Switzerland's leading competence centers for European law and a major provider of legal continuing education, delivering seminars, workshops, certificate programs, eight CAS (Certificate of Advanced Studies) programs, public lectures including the flagship Churchill Lecture series, study trips to EU institutions, Open Access publications through its EIZ Publishing subsidiary, and customized B2B training and consulting. Its primary audiences are practicing lawyers and in-house counsel, compliance and risk officers, government officials, internationally active business professionals, and academics, with secondary exposure to corporations and law firms commissioning bespoke training.

EIZ's portfolio spans regulated and practice-heavy verticals: CAS programs cover Cybersecurity, Datenschutz (data protection), Finanzmarktrecht (financial market law), Europarecht, Inhouse Counsel, Family Governance & Family Office Excellence, Lebensmittelrecht (food law, with ZHAW), and Compliance Management; certificate courses include Kunst und Recht (art and law), Legal English for Lawyers, Konfliktmanagement und Mediation, and Praktische Grundlagen der Anwaltstätigkeit (with the Zurich Bar Association); and a recurring calendar of conferences (e.g., 29th M&A conference, 19th Vermögensverwaltung, 18th Finanzplatz Schweiz, AI-Summit) plus a monthly Vortragsreihe am Mittag. Pricing is publicly disclosed per event, ranging from CHF 60 luncheon talks to CHF 9,800 CAS programs, with early-bird discounts and student rates; this is delivered alongside four membership tiers (CHF 20–500 annually) and quote-based custom training and study trips for institutional clients.

Revenue is generated through four streams: per-program and per-event fees (one-time), recurring annual memberships, Open Access publishing with print-on-demand and professional services, and bespoke professional-services engagements. Distribution is primarily direct via the eiz.uzh.ch website with 24/7 registration, supplemented by email newsletters, Instagram and YouTube, and referral partnerships with the Zurich Bar Association, ZHAW, and ETH Zurich. EIZ is governed by a board led by President Prof. em. Dr. Dr. h.c. Thomas Pfisterer; Prof. Dr. Andreas Kellerhals serves as Director and Dr. Tobias Baumgartner as Deputy Director. The institute maintains roughly 57 employees and is sustained by long-running institutional sponsorships, most notably Julius Bär's support of the Churchill Lecture series since 1996.

Name

Europa Institut at the University of Zurich (EIZ)

Legal name

Europa Institut an der Universität Zürich (EIZ)

Website

https://eiz.uzh.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Europa Institut at the University of Zurich (EIZ) is a non-profit academic institute delivering continuing legal education, consulting, and Open Access publishing on European and Swiss commercial law, serving lawyers, in-house counsel, compliance officers, government officials, and corporate clients primarily in Switzerland.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Legal Continuing Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (61131)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDAHAIAF

Specialty Law Schools (e.g., Tax, IP, International, Trial Advocacy)

Education/Higher Education (Colleges & Universities)/Law Schools

SECONDARYEDAHAIAE

Online / Hybrid Law Schools & Programs

Education/Higher Education (Colleges & Universities)/Law Schools

SECONDARYEDAAALAJ

Financial Services & Insurance (FINRA, CFP, IAR, Insurance CE)

Education/Adult & Continuing Education/Professional Licensure & Continuing Professional Education (CE/CPE)

Keywords

• Legal continuing education
• European law training
• Professional development programs
• Certificate advanced studies
• Legal consulting services

Headquarters

HQ city

Zürich

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Continuing Education Programs: EIZ generates revenue primarily through professional development courses, including seminars, workshops, certificate programs, and CAS (Certificate of Advanced Studies) degree programs. Revenue is one-time per course/registration with pricing varying by program type and duration. Early-bird discounts are offered for advance registration on most programs.
2. Membership Fees: Annual membership subscriptions in categories including student (CHF 20), individual (CHF 70), corporate/institutional (CHF 300), and patron/gönner (CHF 500). Members receive regular updates on activities, publications, and events, plus partial discounts on seminar participation.
3. EIZ Publishing (Open Access): EIZ operates an open-access publishing arm (EIZ Publishing) that provides free digital editions of academic publications. Revenue is generated through print-on-demand sales and potentially professional services in publishing (editing, production, design, distribution of e-books and print publications).
4. Customized Inhouse Training & Consulting: EIZ offers tailored training, workshops, seminars, legal consulting, and analysis services to corporations and law firms. Additionally, EIZ organizes custom study trips to EU institutions, conferences with full logistics (catering, speakers, venue, accommodation). These are bespoke, quote-based engagements.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

EIZ is a non-profit academic institute affiliated with the University of Zurich that provides continuing legal education and consulting services in European law and Swiss commercial law. Its offerings include Certificate of Advanced Studies (CAS) programs, certificate courses, professional seminars and workshops, public lecture series, customized in-house corporate training, study trips to EU institutions, and academic publishing through EIZ Publishing.

Product overview

Europa Institut at the University of Zurich (EIZ) is a leading competence center for European law and a major provider of legal continuing education in Switzerland. Rather than a unified software product, EIZ operates as a multi-format educational institution offering a portfolio of programs and services including CAS (Certificate of Advanced Studies) programs such as CAS Cybersecurity, CAS Datenschutz, CAS Finanzmarktrecht, CAS Europarecht, CAS Inhouse Counsel, CAS Family Governance & Family Office Excellence, CAS Lebensmittelrecht, and CAS Compliance Management; certificate programs including Kunst und Recht, Legal English for Lawyers, and Ausbildung in Konfliktmanagement und Mediation; professional seminars and workshops covering topics like M&A, financial market regulation, and anti-corruption compliance; the Vortragsreihe am Mittag luncheon lecture series; the Churchill Lectures public lecture series featuring international speakers; EIZ Publishing Open Access publications; and organized study trips to EU institutions. The institution also provides legal consulting, in-house training, Legal Technology advisory services, information services, and conference organization.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• EIZ Publishing: Open Access academic publisher operated by EIZ, offering free digital access to publications on European law and economic law topics, with print-on-demand options.
• Churchill Lectures
• Vortragsreihe am Mittag

Products and services

• CAS Cybersecurity A Certificate of Advanced Studies program that equips professionals with competencies to understand, evaluate, and effectively manage cyber risks in an increasingly digitized world shaped by artificial intelligence.
• CAS Datenschutz A Certificate of Advanced Studies program that imparts fundamental knowledge of Swiss and European data protection law, along with practical and strategic expertise for implementing regulatory frameworks in practice.
• CAS Finanzmarktrecht A Certificate of Advanced Studies program offering in-depth education in national and international financial market law, examining current private and supervisory law foundations and frameworks for banking, insurance, and financial markets.
• CAS Europarecht A practice-oriented Certificate of Advanced Studies program providing foundational knowledge about the structure, competencies, and activities of the European Union and current developments in Switzerland-EU relations, conducted via Zoom online platform.
• CAS Inhouse Counsel A part-time university continuing education program designed to introduce current and future inhouse counsels to relevant areas of corporate legal work, including Legal Strategy, Compliance, Risk Management, Corporate Governance, and Contract Drafting.
• CAS Family Governance & Family Office Excellence A part-time university continuing education program providing an overview of Family Governance fundamentals and covering topics such as family constitution, family dynamics, communication, ownership structures, and philanthropy.
• CAS Lebensmittelrecht An internet-based distance learning Certificate of Advanced Studies program offered jointly with ZHAW, providing a comprehensive overview of food law regulations in the EU and Switzerland.
• CAS Compliance Management A part-time university continuing education program designed to introduce current and future Compliance Officers to the working methods and practices relevant to compliance management roles.
• Kunst und Recht A part-time certificate program providing practice-oriented knowledge about the art market and museum world, collecting and creating art, covering topics from auction houses to customs regulations, provenance to NFTs.
• Legal English for Lawyers A certificate program combining Legal English, Common Law concepts, and practical guidance on the effective use of artificial intelligence in legal work, with emphasis on clear communication in English for international legal professionals.
• Ausbildung in Konfliktmanagement und Mediation A training program teaching de-escalation and solution-oriented communication techniques for managing difficult conversations, enabling participants to support conflicting parties in conflict resolution.
• Praktische Grundlagen der Anwaltstätigkeit A practical training course on questions of legal practice offered jointly with the Zurich Bar Association since 2004, covering practice-oriented skills for lawyers entering or re-entering the profession.
• Seminare & Workshops Professional seminars and workshops covering topics such as mergers & acquisitions, financial market regulation, anti-corruption compliance, corporate governance, and street traffic law.
• Vortragsreihe am Mittag Monthly luncheon lecture series featuring experts from business, administration, academia, and politics discussing current economically relevant legal questions in Switzerland and internationally.
• Churchill Lectures Annual high-profile public lectures featuring prominent international political and business leaders on European integration topics, supported by Julius Bär and organized since 1996.
• EIZ Publishing An Open Access specialist publisher operated by EIZ, providing free digital access to academic publications in various contemporary formats, including journals and yearbooks on European law.
• Studienreisen (Study Trips) Customized study trips to EU institutions in Brussels and Luxembourg, international courts and organizations, e-government facilities, and other destinations, designed and organized for government and institutional representatives.
• Customized Inhouse Training & Consulting EIZ offers tailored training, workshops, seminars, legal consulting, and analysis services to corporations and law firms, plus custom study trips to EU institutions and conferences with full logistics.

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Zürcher Anwaltsverband (ZAV)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2004The Zurich Bar Association (ZAV) has collaborated with EIZ since 2004 to offer the 'Praktische Grundlagen der Anwaltstätigkeit' course. This partnership addresses the lack of systematic practical legal training in the region, combining ZAV's professional network and admission authority with EIZ's educational infrastructure.
• Julius BärflagshipGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 1996Julius Bär is the long-standing partner for the Churchill Lecture series, the flagship annual event of EIZ. The partnership has been active since at least 1996 (launch of Churchill Symposium). Julius Bär's support enables EIZ to invite high-ranking international political and business leaders to the annual Churchill events, which serve as premier platforms for European affairs discourse.
• Swiss Institute for Foreign StudiescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1996Co-organizer of the annual Churchill Symposium since its launch in 1996, alongside EIZ and with support from Julius Bär and the British Embassy in Bern. The Swiss Institute for Foreign Studies contributes academic expertise and international networks to the Churchill Lecture series.
• British Embassy in BerncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1996Co-organizer of the annual Churchill Symposium alongside EIZ and the Swiss Institute for Foreign Studies since 1996. The British Embassy contributes diplomatic connections and supports the commemoration of Winston Churchill's 1946 Zurich speech, which initiated the process of European integration.
• ZHAW Wädenswil (Institute for Food and Beverage Innovation)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEIZ partners with the ZHAW Wädenswil's Quality Management and Food Law group to co-deliver the CAS Food Law program. The ZHAW group provides the subject matter expertise in food law while EIZ provides the continuing education platform and accreditation framework. This is a content/co-development partnership.
• ETH ZurichminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEIZ is listed as a cooperation partner of ETH Zurich. The partnership provides academic cross-referral and enables joint activities such as the AI-Summit and other interdisciplinary events.
• Various EU Institutions (Parliament, Commission, Council)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEIZ maintains relationships with EU institutions for its study trips to Brussels, engaging with the European Parliament, European Commission, and member state representations. These enable EIZ to offer insider access and briefings from EU officials to participants of study trips.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• College of Europe: College of Europe (Bruges/Natolin) is a postgraduate university entirely focused on European integration and EU law, with executive training programs for legal and policy professionals—comparable target audience and subject-matter depth as EIZ's CAS Europarecht and Churchill Lectures.
• Academy of European Law (ERA): ERA in Trier is one of the most direct comparables: it is a pan-European continuing education provider specifically focused on EU law for legal professionals, offering seminars, conferences, and specialized certificate programs—the same core proposition as EIZ, but at a larger European scale.
• Asser Institute (Centre for International and European Law): The Asser Institute in The Hague is a university-affiliated competence center delivering advanced research, training, and events on international and European law, closely mirroring EIZ's university-embedded specialist CE model.

Broad incumbents

• WEKA Business Media AG: Swiss-based specialist publisher and training provider offering compliance, legal, and HR CE content to Swiss professionals; overlaps with EIZ's publishing and seminar offerings from a commercial-publisher angle.
• Schweizerischer Anwaltsverband (SAV): Swiss national bar association that organizes continuing education and practice-related events for attorneys nationally, operating as a broader incumbent in the legal CE space EIZ addresses.

Regional players

• University of St. Gallen Executive School (HSG): HSG Executive School is the leading Swiss provider of premium continuing education for managers and lawyers in commercial law, finance, and compliance—a domestic alternative for the same audience EIZ targets, with overlapping CAS-style programs.
• Kalaidos Fachhochschule: Swiss applied-science university running accredited CAS and DAS programs for working professionals, including legal and compliance tracks; competes with EIZ for the same Swiss professional CE wallet.
• HWZ Hochschule für Wirtschaft Zürich: Zürich-based business school with a portfolio of certificate and CAS programs for corporate functions including legal, compliance, and finance—an adjacent Swiss CE provider competing for similar corporate clients.
• ZHAW School of Management and Law (Continuing Education): ZHAW is already a direct co-delivery partner with EIZ on CAS Lebensmittelrecht and runs its own continuing education in commercial law and compliance—an institutional peer with whom EIZ both competes and cooperates.

Emerging players

• IFF – International Faculty of Finance: IFF delivers specialized finance, risk, and regulatory training programs for senior practitioners—comparable to EIZ's CAS Finanzmarktrecht and Compliance Management in audience and topical focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@europainstitutuniversityzurich
• Instagraminstagram.com/eiz_uzh
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/eiz.uzh

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Europa Institut at the University of Zurich (EIZ)