UZH Summerschool 2026: Finance for the Future

Over three weeks (30 June – 21 July 2026), the University of Zurich welcomed students from around the world to the Summer School Finance for the Future 2026. The program combined academic theory with practical experience, giving participants the opportunity to apply their knowledge, explore current topics in finance, and gain valuable insights into the field.

This dynamic program bridged theory and real-world application across key areas such as:

• Accounting
• Equity Investing
• Sustainable Finance
• AI Applications
• Asset Management

Students didn't just study finance, they lived it, through games, simulations, workshops, and visits to some of Switzerland's leading financial institutions.

"In the 'Finance for the Future' Summer School, organized by the department's Game-Based Learning Team, students use simulations to learn how to manage a company and design an investment portfolio. In addition, at the end of the program, students develop their own idea for an educational game."
-Dr. Benjamin Wilding, Head of Teaching and Finance at the UZH Department of Finance

Our program combined cutting-edge content with innovative, interactive learning formats:

•  🧠 Interactive learning through live quizzes, micro-learnings, and a UZH Escape Room challeng
• 💼 A Business & Finance Game where students managed their own virtual chocolate factory
• 📈 The Portfolio Management Game, where students navigated risk and return in dynamic scenarios
• 🏢 Company visits to Leonteq and SIX as well as the Schweizer Finanzmuseum
• 🎤 Guest speakers from PPCmetrics, Vontobel, and Julius Bär connecting classroom learning to industry practice
• 🎨 A Design Thinking Workshop bringing creativity into Game-based Learning

More than just a finance program, Finance for the Future fostered:

• Interdisciplinary thinking
• Cross-cultural collaboration
• Future-ready mindset

Students left with a deeper understanding of finance and a global network to match.

We thank all our engaged lecturers and guest lecturers who have contributed to the diversity of our course program: Cécile Gaberell, Lorenz Gassmann, Romano Gruber, Christian Gmür, Jakob Jakob, Philippe Kayasseh, Annette Krauss, Manuel Lang, Olivier P. Müller, Nicolas Reinhart, Norbert Rücker, Tobias Schimanski, Roland Schläfli, David Schmocker, Patrick Spillmann, Benjamin Wilding, Anja Zgraggen, Stephanie Zgraggen, Ardit Zhuniqi.

At DDiB 2026, Prof. Thorsten Hens, Professor of Finance and founding partner of the UZH Blockchain Center and Fintech Center, explored the economic, political, and practical dimensions of digital money.

He discussed the evolving roles of cryptocurrencies, stablecoins, and central bank digital currencies (CBDCs), highlighting that the future of money is unlikely to be a winner-take-all story. While cryptocurrencies continue to drive innovation and decentralization, stablecoins seek to connect blockchain-based finance with greater stability, and CBDCs combine digital functionality with the trust and oversight of traditional monetary systems. Rather than replacing one another, these forms of digital money may serve different purposes and coexist as part of the next generation of the global financial system.

... none of this would have been possible without the dedication of the Global Student Experience Team at the University of Zurich: Afra Schacher, Nina Richard, David Behner, Michelle Lea Frei, Rosina Korschildgen.