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Establishment of the School of Computer Science
The University of St.Gallen (HSG) established the School of Computer Science (SCS-HSG) as from August 2020. At the official inauguration on 7 October 2020, the new professors showed their laboratory and the room in which future technologies and computer science information will be created.
Computer science has evolved into the driving factor of value creation and globally determines innovative power and economic strength – not only in companies, but from the perspective of society as a whole. The IT education offensive of the Canton of St.Gallen counters the skills shortage and promotes the canton as a location for business. It creates the basis for ensuring that the local population and economy are among the winners of digitalisation. The Canton of St.Gallen is intended to be a leading location for the digitalisation of business models, and its citizens should help to shape the digital change in an active and forward-looking manner. In early 2019, the St.Gallen voting public approved a special credit for the cantonal IT education offensive.
Launch of the IT education offensive
IT covers all educational levels. This is a pioneering approach in Switzerland. “In all five focal points, we’re busy working on setting up and driving forward the projects. Now, the IT education offensive has reached the threshold between conceptualisation and implementation. The School of Computer Science that we have inaugurated today at the University of St.Gallen is the first visible result. It has a great far-reaching effect in the field of digital education and potential for excellence at the apex of the cantonal IT education offensive,” said Cantonal Education Minister Stefan Kölliker during the inauguration ceremony of the School of Computer Science at Rosenbergstrasse 30, St.Gallen.
Start-up atmosphere in St.Gallen
“On the one hand, we would like to reinforce the University of St.Gallen’s regional roots through cooperation projects with the Eastern Swiss economy, but on the other hand, we also want to become an internationally visible computer science centre,” said Prof. Dr. Barbara Weber, the first Dean of the School of Computer Science since its foundation. Weber’s research foci include the configuration of software applications that meet users’ specific requirements. “I’m enjoying the start-up atmosphere here at the School. We’re all working with great vim and vigour on the development of our school and of computer science studies at HSG,” said Weber. which are integratively connected with specific knowledge in economic, legal and cultural sciences, as well as with the HSG’s culture,” said HSG President Ehrenzeller. Eastern Switzerland was thus becoming an important location for IT specialists who had a business-oriented education at the same time.
With the inauguration of the School of Computer Science, the HSG’s vision of an integrative business university reaches a new breadth and quality: according to its 2025 Roadmap, the University of St. Gallen promotes solution-oriented research on socially relevant problems, integrative thought and action, as well as responsibility and entrepreneurship. “In all these areas, new technologies, advancing digitalisation and the opportunities of artificial intelligence confront us with new challenges, which we will be able to, and will have to face more intensively in the future,” said Bernhard Ehrenzeller.
Studying computer science at HSG
The new School offers the first degree course in the field of computer science. Until the start of the Master’s programme in Autumn Semester 2021, further development work is being done. The
From left to right: Bernhard Ehrenzeller, Barbara Weber and Stefan Kölliker on the occasion of the inauguration of the School of Computer Science.
undergraduate course is expected to start in Autumn Semester 2022. The five disciplines of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, Cyber Security, Data Science, Interaction- and Communication-based Systems, as well as Software Systems Programming and Development are continually being extended and complemented by further disciplines, such as Cyber Security and Human Interaction.
Helping to shape future technologies while acquiring sound economic knowledge: this is provided by the new Master’s programme in Computer Science (MCS-HSG) at the University of St.Gallen from autumn 2021. According to the motto “Where Computer Science meets Entrepreneurship”, HSG combines a degree course in computer science with up-to-date basic subjects and the option to set focal points by teaching competencies for new business models, digital innovation, entrepreneurship and leadership. The programme provides an extensive basis for a professional career as an IT entrepreneur or an executive in technology companies. For the first time at the University of St.Gallen, the degree of a Master of Science will be awarded for this course. Registering for this course has been possible since early October 2020.
focal points of Data Science or Software and Systems Engineering. The course language is English. “We’re looking forward to welcoming the first computer science students at HSG soon,” said Prof. Dr. Siegfried Handschuh, Director of the new Master’s programme and holder of the Chair of Data Science. His specialist interest focuses on the use of large data volumes, particularly of text and language data. “Our Master’s programme will be characterised by an innovative and unique combination of our focal topics in computer science and the competence to make practical use of this knowledge in our economy,” said Handschuh. “And close supervision and a personal exchange with students are elementary for us.”
