Our aim: social sustainability for all stakeholders within the tourism industry
Our programme, which is inspired by the UN’s goals and values, promotes people who have the skills and knowledge to contribute to a positive socio-cultural development.
As individuals, graduates can set an example by challenging human-centred actions such as personnel management in organisations and exploitative practices, and contribute to a more equitable society by presenting compelling arguments and by acting responsibly in a corporate environment.
4.7 By 2030, ensure that all learners acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development, including, among others, through education for sustainable development and sustainable lifestyles, human rights, gender equality, promotion of a culture of peace and non-violence, global citizenship and appreciation of cultural diversity and of culture’s contribution to sustainable development
5.5 Ensure women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of decision-making in political, economic and public life
10.2 By 2030, empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion or economic or other status
10.3 Ensure equal opportunity and reduce inequalities of outcome, including by eliminating discriminatory laws, policies and practices and promoting appropriate legislation, policies and action in this regard
16.2 End abuse, exploitation, trafficking and all forms of violence against and torture of children
We help students to become entrepreneurs
The HSLU's main goal is to provide a leading-edge education with equal focus on hard and soft skills. However, with modules such as TourismTech, Corporate Innovation, Entrepreneurship in Tourism, and Digital Dynamics, the IST programme is particularly well-suited for start-up founders and to develop entrepreneurial mindsets.
The curriculum covers key topics including competitor analyses, interpreting data and deriving measures from the results, stakeholder-oriented communication, and agile organisations.
It features various study formats and methods that promote creativity and solution-oriented work.
Students with a specific business idea have access to professional support from our Smart-up team.
4.4 By 2030, substantially increase the number of youth and adults who have relevant skills, including technical and vocational skills, for employment, decent jobs and entrepreneurship
8.3 Promote development-oriented policies that support productive activities, decent job creation, entrepreneurship, creativity and innovation, and encourage the formalization and growth of micro-, small-and medium-sized enterprises, including through access to financial services
9.5 Enhance scientific research, upgrade the technological capabilities of industrial sectors in all countries, in particular developing countries, including, by 2030, encouraging innovation and substantially increasing the number of research and development workers per 1 million people and public and private research and development spending
Our programme is open to the world
The Swiss education system enjoys an excellent reputation around the world. We are proud of our programmes’ high quality, which is also reflected by the Lucerne School of Business' AACSB accreditation.
Taught in English and focused on international topics, the IST is just one of our degree programmes with international appeal. Students practice remote collaborative work in the “HR Management and New Work” module and even more so during the second-year semesters, which are delivered online.
By incorporating the topic of sustainability from different perspectives across the curriculum, we contribute to forging what we believe to be the only viable path into the future. The topics covered in the modules range from human rights to customer behaviour, to gender equality, and global citizenship.
4.4 By 2030, substantially increase the number of youth and adults who have relevant skills, including technical and vocational skills, for employment, decent jobs and entrepreneurship
4.7 By 2030, ensure that all learners acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development, including, among others, through education for sustainable development and sustainable lifestyles, human rights, gender equality, promotion of a culture of peace and non-violence, global citizenship and appreciation of cultural diversity and of culture’s contribution to sustainable development
10.2 By 2030, empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion or economic or other status
We care about our employees
As an employer, the Lucerne School of Business is leading the way; for instance, by securing equal opportunities. Just over one in ten employees are from abroad. We also have a diversity and inclusion officer in charge of overseeing continuous improvement in these areas.
But there is still work to do. While the share of men (51%) and women (49%) in the workforce was about equal in 2021, large differences persist in the kinds of positions they hold. Case in point: almost 95% of administrative and technical staff were women, whereas the proportion of female lecturers was only 33%.
5.5 Ensure women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of decision-making in political, economic and public life
10.2 By 2030, empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion or economic or other status
10.3 Ensure equal opportunity and reduce inequalities of outcome, including by eliminating discriminatory laws, policies and practices and promoting appropriate legislation, policies and action in this regard
We encourage our students to act environmentally friendly in their careers
Students learn how to acquire knowledge around various aspects of environmental sustainability and to apply it in their future careers as employees and managers.
The modules vary in depth and content: while “Ecosystems and Resources” is designed to set the foundations, modules such as “Cultural and Natural Heritage”, “Tourist Mobility” and “Risk and Resilience Management” (which includes a risk assessment in the context of climate change), focus on more specific topics.
By discussing these focal points and by introducing projects like UN Tourism Small Island Developing States (SIDS) initiative, the programme provides a toolkit for acting sustainably in the long term.
6.4 By 2030, substantially increase water-use efficiency across all sectors and ensure sustainable withdrawals and supply of freshwater to address water scarcity and substantially reduce the number of people suffering from water scarcity
12.2 By 2030, achieve the sustainable management and efficient use of natural resources
12.5 By 2030, substantially reduce waste generation through prevention, reduction, recycling and reuse
12.6 Encourage companies, especially large and transnational companies, to adopt sustainable practices and to integrate sustainability information into their reporting cycle
12.8 By 2030, ensure that people everywhere have the relevant information and awareness for sustainable development and lifestyles in harmony with nature
13.3 Improve education, awareness-raising and human and institutional capacity on climate change mitigation, adaption, impact reduction and early warning
14.1 By 2025, prevent and significantly reduce marine pollution of all kinds, in particular from land-based activities, including marine debris and nutrient pollution
14.7 By 2030, increase the economic benefits to small island developing States and least developed countries from the sustainable use of marine resources, including through sustainable management of fisheries, aquaculture and tourism
We enable economically sustainable decision-making
Future employees and managers learn to acquire the skills to make economically sustainable decisions in various fields of business.
In concert with other factors such as, e.g., resource-efficient practices, applying the cross-disciplinary knowledge taught in the
- Economics
- International Tourism in Transition
- Competitiveness and Market Intelligence
- Risk and Resilience Management
- Corporate Innovation
courses can make all the difference in a student’s future career.
8.1 Sustain per capita economic growth in accordance with national circumstances and, in particular, at least 7 per cent gross domestic product growth per annum in the least developed countries
8.4 Improve progressively, through 2030, global resource efficiency in consumption and production and endeavour to decouple economic growth from environmental degradation, in accordance with the 10-Year Framework of Programmes on Sustainable Consumption and Production, with developed countries taking the lead
9.4 By 2030, upgrade infrastructure and retrofit industries to make them sustainable, with increased resource-use efficiency and greater adoption of clean and environmentally sound technologies and industrial processes, with all countries taking action in accordance with their respective capabilities
12.3 By 2030, halve per capita global food waste at the retail and consumer levels and reduce food losses along production and supply chains, including post-harvest losses
12.6 Encourage companies, especially large and transnational companies, to adopt sustainable practices and to integrate sustainability information into their reporting cycle
We empower sound economic systems through tourism education
Tourism is an industry with workers at multiple skills levels and with a wide range of job profiles. International tourism is a major export product for many countries. Particularly for islands and rural areas, it can be the key economic driver. By offering leading-edge education to students who will go on to assume lower and middle management positions in tourism and in adjacent fields, we mobilise human resources for the sector. Among other things, we teach our students how to address issues associated with corruption, which is a persistent problem.
We are aware that students with a working-class or non-academic background can face certain obstacles that other students might not face. Unlike their peers, they often do not have a professional network to fall back on and therefore less access to the labour market. We open our network to our students—with projects, internships, and the career day. We also help students to build confidence and to practise negotiation skills.
8.9 By 2030, devise and implement policies to promote sustainable tourism that creates jobs and promotes local culture and products
14.7 By 2030, increase the economic benefits to small island developing States and least developed countries from the sustainable use of marine resources, including through sustainable management of fisheries, aquaculture and tourism
16.5 Substantially reduce corruption and bribery in all their forms
17.11 Significantly increase the exports of developing countries, in particular with a view to doubling the least developed countries’ share of global exports by 2020
We contribute to building scientific knowledge in tourism and sustainability
With our “Applied Science” modules, which we offere throughout the IST degree programme and which culminate in the bachelor's project, we not only forge a path for future scientists, but also train specialists with the skills to assume science-based and research positions in companies and political organisations.
Throughout the programme, we carry out supervised projects with our industry partners, providing valuable insight into their practices and concerns.
In all these activities, we mainly act as industry professionals. At the Institute of Tourism and Mobility, we conduct numerous research projects with and for the industry, the results of which equally benefit our teaching activities and the daily practice of our industry partners.
9.5 Enhance scientific research, upgrade the technological capabilities of industrial sectors in all countries, in particular developing countries, including, by 2030, encouraging innovation and substantially increasing the number of research and development workers per 1 million people and public and private research and development spending
We foster innovation in tourism
As a leading-edge business school, we provide access to the latest research and discuss trends that empower innovative thinkers and industry professionals. Through the involvement of our partner network and by organising field trips to study best-practice examples, we provide insights into innovative developments that facilitate sustainable consumption and supply and other areas in tourism.
At the same time, we share crucial information on financing and about the world of investing. By offering the modules "TourismTech" and "Digital Dynamics", we empower the tourism industry to deal with the digital transformation, helping to make this ever-changing industry fit for the future. In the focused module "Think Tank Bazaar", we pool brain power to develop market-ready solutions for companies' real-life problems.
9.5 Enhance scientific research, upgrade the technological capabilities of industrial sectors in all countries, in particular developing countries, including, by 2030, encouraging innovation and substantially increasing the number of research and development workers per 1 million people and public and private research and development spending
12.A Support developing countries to strengthen their scientific and technological capacity to move towards more sustainable patterns of consumption and production
17.9 Enhance international support for implementing effective and targeted capacity-building in developing countries to support national plans to implement all the sustainable development goals, including through North-South, South-South and triangular cooperation
We promote diverse and international classrooms
The HSLU promotes gender equality by publishing statistics on gender in the study programmes, it strives to use gender-neutral language, and, first and foremost, it does not disadvantage any gender. In our bachelor's degree programmes (autumn semester 2019/20) for example, 56% of female students were enrolled in the business administration degree programmes and as many as 74% female students in our Business Psychology degree programme. However, among master's students, the share of women was only 34%.
The HSLU has no rules regarding headscarves and other cultural or religious customs. The HSLU is aware of unconscious biases and, more broadly, of institutional racism.
The university values the different experiences and perspectives of its lecturers, international guest speakers and students. The lived internationality at the IST, its students’ prior work experience and their international internships, on which they reflect together, particularly promote these values held by the HSLU.
We strongly believe in equity. Some students need more support, others less, depending, not least of all, on their prior educational privileges. That is why the IST offers tutorials led by research associates in the crucial first two semesters to support students who might struggle with certain aspects of their studies.
In 2023, three focus projects were initiated at the Lucerne School of Business:
- Increasing the share of international employees
- Tracing the academic attainment of students with a migration background
- Collecting experiences of students and participants in continuing education with disabilities and discussing potential cooperation with supporting organisations.
Read more about diversity, equity and inclusion here.
10.2 By 2030, empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion or economic or other status
10.3 Ensure equal opportunity and reduce inequalities of outcome, including by eliminating discriminatory laws, policies and practices and promoting appropriate legislation, policies and action in this regard
10.6 Ensure enhanced representation and voice for developing countries in decision-making in global international economic and financial institutions in order to deliver more effective, credible, accountable and legitimate institutions
We create awareness for the protection of cultural and natural heritage and ecosystems
The “Natural and Cultural Heritage” module is dedicated to this specific topic. Already familiar with the concept of negative environmental impact, students learn how to protect and preserve natural and cultural heritage (including indigenous heritage), for example by studying the standards and criteria of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC).
Intersectional topics such as community-based tourism or UN Tourism’s Global Plastic Initiative further raise awareness among students for this issue and contribute to the extensive expertise that graduates can use in a variety of ways in their professional lives.
In addition to acquiring skills and applying them, each class launches an accompanying project during their three years of study: a sustainability fund seeded with carbon offsets which is handed over to a selected funding project upon graduation. This project not only perfectly showcases the impact of one's own behaviour, but also promotes a good cause.
11.4 Strengthen efforts to protect and safeguard the world’s cultural and natural heritage
14.2 By 2020, sustainably manage and protect marine and coastal ecosystems to avoid significant adverse impacts, including by strengthening their resilience, and take action for their restoration in order to achieve healthy and productive oceans
14.5 By 2020, conserve at least 10 per cent of coastal and marine areas, consistent with national and international law and based on the best available scientific information
15.1 By 2020, ensure the conservation, restoration and sustainable use of terrestrial and inland freshwater ecosystems and their services, in particular forests, wetlands, mountains and drylands, in line with obligations under international agreements
We maintain a strong partner network
The HSLU’s focus on sustainability in this degree programme is underlined by our cooperation with our strong cooperation partner, UN Tourism. This joint project perfectly demonstrates how we can make a difference together.
We also cultivate other valuable transnational partnerships. Moreover, we have set up a partnership programme specifically for the IST, which is not only useful for the programme content and thus beneficial for the students, it also creates added value for the companies themselves through employer branding, access to highly motivated experts-in-training , joint knowledge-building, visibility and international profile, opportunity for staff to diversify their job profiles, proven commitment to sustainability, and through the affiliation with a highly innovative study programme.
This kind of collaboration is beneficial for the tourism industry, as are sustainable business practices unrestricted by borders, knowledge exchange and—in an industry increasingly affected by skills shortages— employee acquisition and global networking. Given today’s universal availability of video-meeting tools, the need for face-to-face contact has greatly diminished.
17.6 Enhance North-South, South-South and triangular regional and international cooperation on and access to science, technology and innovation and enhance knowledge sharing on mutually agreed terms, including through improved coordination among existing mechanisms, in particular at the United Nations level, and through a global technology facilitation mechanism
