The Institute for International Cooperation in Education (IZB) was mandated by the Swiss Development Cooperation (SDC) to research “best practices” within the Swiss education system and to identify elements with a potential added value for SDC’s engagement in education in the Global South and East. The mandate was part of SDC’s education strategy launched in spring 2017.

Furthermore, the assignment included compiling a list of institutions and individuals that could be of interest to SDC when implementing education projects in partner countries.

Best practices were identified through interviews with about 30 experts from different fields of education. In addition, documents were systematically analyzed to complete the picture.

Five features have been identified as especially promising and inspiring for development cooperation:

• high significance of public school within society and government and its integrative role
• decentralized and thus citizen-oriented education system
• multilingualism
• teaching life skills and competencies in preparation for professional life during compulsory education (first nine school years)
• high permeability of the education system

All results of the study are displayed in the booklet «Impulses for International Cooperation in Education – Experiences from the Swiss Education System» (available in French, German and Italian) in more detail.