UZH Faculty of Business, Economics and Informatics

What UZH Faculty of Business, Economics and Informatics does

The UZH Faculty of Business, Economics and Informatics (Wirtschaftswissenschaftliche Fakultät) is an academic department within the publicly funded University of Zurich, established in 1992 and headquartered at Rämistrasse 71, Zürich, Switzerland. It comprises four institutes — the Department of Economics, Department of Business Administration, Department of Finance, and Department of Informatics — and delivers Bachelor, Master, PhD, and teaching diploma programs alongside an English- and German-language Executive MBA in Digital Transformation. Its core academic product is degree-bearing education and research, with a stated mission of integrating economics and informatics under one faculty, a positioning it has reinforced through 2026 by recruiting Nobel laureates Abhijit Banerjee and Esther Duflo as Lemann Foundation Professors of Economics.

The Faculty operates a portfolio of digital and continuing-education products on top of its degree programs. AI Buddy, launched in February 2026, is a student-facing digital study companion that consolidates course, module regulation, and exam registration information across multiple university sources. Oec. Magazine is a twice-yearly publication with a circulation of 15,000, distributed to alumni, students, and stakeholders. CUREM (Center for Urban & Real Estate Management) is a 20-year-old continuing education hub offering an MAS in Real Estate, a CAS in Urban Management, and compact industry courses. UZH.ai, founded in 2025, is the University of Zurich's centralized AI platform bundling teaching tools, research compute, and agent-based staff support, with the Faculty participating as a core partner. FutureU is an internal UZH think tank developing 2040 and 2050 scenarios for universities.

The Faculty is funded through a public-university model: cantonal and federal government appropriations, competitive research grants (including a partnership with the Lemann Foundation funding the new Center for Development Economics, Education and Public Policy), and continuing education fees from CUREM and Executive MBA programs. Specific tuition rates are not disclosed on the faculty website. Dean Harald C. Gall has led the Faculty since 2012, and Nick Netzer has served as Vice Dean of Studies since 2020. Distribution runs through UZH's centralized admissions process, OecMobility exchange partnerships with universities in Italy, Finland, Thailand, and China, and dedicated Alumni Relations and events functions including Klartext career events and the biennial Homecoming.

Name

UZH Faculty of Business, Economics and Informatics

Legal name

Wirtschaftswissenschaftliche Fakultät, Universität Zürich

Website

https://oec.uzh.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The UZH Faculty of Business, Economics and Informatics is a public, state-funded academic department within the University of Zurich, founded in 1992, offering Bachelor, Master, PhD, and continuing education programs across economics, business administration, finance, and informatics to Swiss and international students.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (61131), Professional and Management Development Training (61143)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Technical Universities with Computing, Data & AI Focus (EDAHAEAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Management Research Institutes & Doctoral (PhD/DBA) Programs (EDAHAHAO), Online Graduate Schools (Master’s & Doctoral Programs) (EDAHALAD), Online Technology & Computer Science Universities (EDAHALAH)

Keywords

• Higher education
• Business administration
• Economics research
• Informatics programs
• Executive education

Headquarters

HQ city

Zurich

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Faculty delivers university-level degree programs (Bachelor, Master, PhD, Teaching Diploma) in business administration, economics, finance, and informatics, alongside executive education such as the Executive MBA in Digital Transformation and the CUREM continuing education suite (MAS in Real Estate, CAS in Urban Management). It advances research through its four institutes, supports students with the AI Buddy digital study companion, and engages its 18,000+ alumni network through publications, events, and mentoring.

Product overview

The Faculty of Business, Economics and Informatics at UZH operates as an academic institution offering a portfolio of educational products and digital services. Its core offerings include the AI Buddy digital study companion that consolidates student information, the Oec. Magazine published twice yearly, and specialized platforms like CUREM for real estate education and UZH.ai as the university's central AI hub. The Faculty's digital ecosystem integrates these products to serve students, researchers, and alumni, with the e-paper platform enabling access to the faculty magazine.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Oec. Magazine: The faculty's alumni magazine published twice yearly, providing insights into research, alumni news, and faculty developments. Current circulation of 15,000 copies.

Products and services

• Bachelor Degree Programs Undergraduate degree programs in Business Administration, Economics, and Informatics for prospective students seeking foundational education in these disciplines.
• Master Degree Programs Graduate degree programs in Business Administration (with specializations), Economics, Finance, and Informatics for students seeking advanced education and specialization.
• PhD Programs Doctoral programs for students pursuing research-driven careers in business, economics, finance, and informatics.
• Teaching Diploma (Lehrdiplom) Formal teaching qualification for graduates seeking careers in secondary education in business and economics subjects.
• Executive MBA in Digital Transformation Executive MBA program focused on digital transformation, offered in German and English for mid-career professionals and corporate leaders.
• CUREM MAS in Real Estate Master of Advanced Studies in Real Estate offered by the Center for Urban & Real Estate Management (CUREM) over 18 months, bridging academic research and professional practice for real estate practitioners.
• CUREM CAS in Urban Management Certificate of Advanced Studies in Urban Management offered by CUREM over 6 months, aimed at urban management professionals seeking applied expertise.
• AI Buddy Digital study companion powered by AI that consolidates information about courses, module regulations, and exam registration from various university sources into one accessible platform for students.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability6 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• CUREM (Center for Urban & Real Estate Management)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLeading knowledge hub at UZH for real estate management for over twenty years. Offers renowned continuing education programs including MAS in Real Estate. Fosters dialogue between research and practice.
• UBS Center for Economics in SocietycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHosts keynotes by prominent economists and thought leaders including Cass R. Sunstein (Harvard) and Oliver Hart (Harvard, Nobel laureate). Organizes workshops on cognitive economics and economic policy.
• Jacobs Center for Productive Youth DevelopmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupports the Chair in Economics of Child and Youth Development. Engages in research on youth development and educational outcomes.
• Swiss Finance Institute (SFI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartners with Faculty professors including Zacharias Sautner (Senior Chair in Sustainable Finance). Provides academic platform for finance research excellence.
• FutureU Think TankminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUZH think tank developing future scenarios for universities in 2040 and 2050, examining digital transformation impacts on higher education.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Mannheim Business School: German-language business school closely comparable in DACH positioning, program mix (bachelor, master, MBA, executive), and target student segments. Direct competitor in German-speaking markets.
• Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University: European business school with strong research orientation in management, finance, and economics, plus active executive education. Direct comparable in program mix and European positioning.
• EPFL - College of Management of Technology: EPFL's CDM is a sibling Swiss public university combining management and technology, directly comparable to UZH OEC's business+informatics integration. Strong in AI and digital transformation research.
• University of St. Gallen (HSG): HSG is the leading German-language business university in Switzerland and a primary competitor for German-speaking students, executive education participants, and corporate partnerships across DACH.
• ETH Zürich - Department of Management, Technology, and Economics: ETH Zürich's D-MTEC is the closest domestic peer, combining management, economics, and technology/informatics at the same university city. Directly competes for the same student pool, faculty talent, and research grants, with a stronger global technical ranking.

Broad incumbents

• HEC Paris: Top European Grande École with business and economics programs plus executive education. Comparable in scale and prestige positioning; competes for executive education and master's students globally.
• INSEAD: Global business school offering MBA/EMBA programs with strong faculty ties to UZH (e.g., honorary doctorate to Phanish Puranam). Operates at a larger, more international scale than UZH OEC but competes for the same top-tier executive students.
• London Business School (LBS): One of Europe's top-tier business schools with comparable graduate and executive programs in finance, economics, and management. Competes with UZH's Executive MBA and MAS offerings for international working professionals.

Emerging players

• UZH AI Hub (UZH.ai): Internal UZH platform bundling AI initiatives, but conceptually comparable to MIT Schwarzman College of Computing or Stanford HAI as an interdisciplinary AI hub. Adjacent to UZH OEC's AI capability but university-wide.

Others

• Swiss Finance Institute (SFI): Partner institution rather than competitor — SFI is a research platform that hosts UZH finance professors (e.g., Zacharias Sautner). Included as an ecosystem peer given the deep research and program collaboration.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCYQQYD-emNT0iLT5K5zcnKQ
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/uzh-oec
• Instagraminstagram.com/uzh.oec

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about UZH Faculty of Business, Economics and Informatics