Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, several organizations provide financial support to participate in the summer school. These are awarded after a review of all applications by the Steering Committee and decisions are both need- and merit-based.

The call for scholarship application for the next edition will be launched in early 2024.

The SSPH+ LSS takes place at the Università della Svizzera italiana (USI), which has two main campus. Campus Est - via la Santa 1 - and Campus West - Via G. Buffi 13 - which are within a 2-minute walk of each other.

USI is easy to reach by bus, taxi, bike or foot from the Lugano train station. The train station has frequent connections from most of Europe, via Zurich, Luzern, and Milan. Most of the hotels provide a public transportation pass for the duration of your stay. Discover more here: https://www.ticino.ch/en/ticket.html.

In 2024 the LSS classes and one plenary will take place in the Est Campus, while the second plenary and one networking event will take place in the West Campus.

Lugano only has a very small airport. The other closest airports are:   
  
- Zurich /Switzerland (ZRH). The transfer to Lugano by train takes around 2 hours, with one change at Zurich Main Station. You can find the train schedule here: https://www.sbb.ch/en/home.html.
- Milano Malpensa (MXP) / Northern Italy. The transfer to Lugano by train takes around 1,5 hours. You can find the train schedule here: https://www.thetrainline.com/en-us or via the SBB link mentioned above (look for “Malpensa Aeroporto”). Alternatively, you can go to Milano Central Station, and take the train from Milano Centrale to Lugano. You can find tickets here: https://www.trenitalia.com·      
- Milano Bergamo/ Orio al Serio. This is a small airport – the transfer to Lugano is possible, e.g. via shuttle bus to Milano Central station and then with a train from Milano Central Station to Lugano. You can find the shuttle bus schedule here: https://www.terravision.eu/italiano/airport_transfer/bus-aeroporto-di-bergamo-milano/.

It is the responsibility of non-Swiss residents to know the regulations for attending a summer school in Switzerland. You can find all information here. If no visa is required, please check the details because, you might need a biometrical passport, for example.

If you need a VISA: you may want to apply for a Schengen visa for a short-term stay (up to 90 days). The procedure varies a lot, depending on your country of residence or citizenship. You can find more information on the application procedure here.

To obtain a visa, you will probably need a Schengen Guest Insurance (health insurance) for Switzerland. There are different providers issuing such insurances – see Swisscare as an example. Prices depend on the length of your stay – for the LSS week, costs are between CHF 60 and 70. Please note that the LSS does not profit from providing this link, this is just to ease your planning.

Passport: a prerequisite to the application procedure or booking a flight is having a valid passport. In case you have to apply for a new passport, please do this immediately. We reserve the right to cancel the participation in the LSS for fellowship recipients if they have not applied for their  passport in due time.

Visa appointment: participants are advised to contact the scholarship program coordinator as soon as they have made their visa appointment, as we can provide  a letter of recommendation which will be sent directly to the Embassy.

For the 2024 edition the Lugano Guest House if offering special discounts to our participants in both its locations, Guest House University (Via Madonetta 23) and Guest House Lugano Center (Via Silvio Calloni 2).

To take advantage of the discount, go to the booking section, select the venue and enter dates ranging from August 18 to 25, 2024. Scroll down the page and find the "special offer" session. There you will find a session dedicated to the SSPH+ Lugano Summer School 2024 with special prices. The promotion is valid while rooms last.

We use "e-Campus" for our online system for the summer school. After you are formally registered for a course, you will receive an email with your unique login credentials to access this platform. Participants should access it before the course begins, as recommended readings, course timetables, lists of participants, and all support documents will be posted there. We also provide e-networking options there before, during, and after the summer school. During the week, a help desk is on e-Campus, which aims to help with any technical difficulties you may have.

The registration of participation is binding. If you have to cancel your registration before August 1, 2023, then 30% of the total fee will be retained. If you have to cancel your registration after August 1, 2023 no refund will be made. Payments will be refunded if the course is cancelled by the organizer. In that case, the organizer will have no further liability to the client. Registrations remain valid if the course has to be postponed or format changed.