Policies and Disclaimer

As private institutes subject to Zug canton regulations, independent accreditation systems, and relevant European Union regulations, The Swiss Information and Management Institute (SIMI Swiss) and Business School of Switzerland (BSS) would like to make public the terms, regulations, policies, and liability disclaimers outlined in this and related sections.

During the operation of SIMI Swiss and BSS, regulations in Switzerland, Zug Canton, and the European Union, along with related guidelines, may undergo changes. Consequently, SIMI Swiss and BSS reserve the right to amend or supplement policies while still adhering to agreements signed with students, partners, government agencies, accreditation bodies, international accreditation agencies, and relevant entities.

We strongly advise students and other stakeholders to thoroughly review and understand these terms before engaging in studies, collaborations, or interactions with SIMI Swiss and BSS. This ensures transparency of information, prevents misinterpretation or intentional distortion, maintains an anti-transparent communication process, promotes fair competition, and unequivocally safeguards the rights of all parties involved.

In addition to ensuring information transparency, we are steadfast in our adherence to Switzerland and European Union regulations, including, but not limited to, those that prohibit misleading communication and unfair competition practices.

If you have any questions or come across activities that may harm students, other stakeholders, or SIMI Swiss and BSS, please contact the legal department at legal@simiswiss.ch.

All SIMI Swiss and BSS students and partners are required to sign and/or read all the commitments and agreements. Typically, these documents include terms that are publicly available as well as detailed terms specific to each group. Please read these terms carefully and reach out to a SIMI Swiss and BSS representative if you have any questions. The terms of the agreements will automatically apply upon signing and/or confirmation by the parties, indicating their full understanding of the terms.

Students at SIMI Swiss and BSS can be individuals with sufficient academic ability who meet the entrance criteria for programs announced by the HEI.

As a higher education provider institution, we thoroughly assist students in becoming registered at SIMI Swiss and BSS, regardless of diverse backgrounds that include ethnicity, place of origin, circumstances, or religious beliefs.

Students who register with SIMI Swiss and BSS must adhere to the guidelines outlined in the student handbook, which includes the requirement to provide accurate information. If candidates and students violate the principle of honesty, SIMI Swiss and BSS reserve the right to refuse admission, cancel student status, and nullify cumulative results. In this case, there will be no reimbursement for fees and related expenses. The infringer must compensate SIMI Swiss, BSS and related parties for any necessary losses.

SIMI Swiss and BSS adhere to the private Higher Education Institution (HEI) requirements established by the Zug canton authority. Although international accreditation is not obligatory in Switzerland, SIMI Swiss and BSS actively advocate for it to ensure the professionalism of the training process and to facilitate continuous improvement. Accreditations will be regularly updated in multiple languages on the official SIMI Swiss and BSS websites.

As private higher education institutions, SIMI Swiss and BSS provide students with market-oriented education, study flexibility, and alignment with market needs. The programs, delivered in English, cater to global students and operate independently of Swiss government regulations and frameworks. Awards from SIMI Swiss and BSS are issued by the institution and are not affiliated with Switzerland's Federal qualifications or the public higher education system in the country.

The SIMI Swiss and BSS programs align with the European competency framework and EU higher education guidelines. While there are official documents regarding the similarity of regional and national competency frameworks, the recognition and acceptance of qualifications in accordance with international practice are determined by receiving organizations and are subject to each country’s specific regulations. Consequently, SIMI Swiss and BSS do not make any claims beyond their jurisdiction, including the recognition and acceptance of degrees by receiving organizations, governments, and other relevant parties. SIMI Swiss, BSS and their international and local partners do not support this process for any purpose or country.

SIMI Swiss and BSS consistently update their information and lectures to remain responsive and adaptable to changes in the workplace and related regulations.

The content on the website, in publications, emails, and other media is accurate at the time of communication but is subject to change without prior notice.

The training scope and program may change during the process of rolling out the program, but it must still meet the competency framework and the assessment criteria of the independent accrediting unit. If the original agreement is modified, SIMI Swiss and BSS will notify students of any changes, new programs, and alternative learning paths, as applicable.

In cases of changing and severely affected economic and political situations, as well as force majeure events, the training method is subject to adjustments. During such circumstances, institutes will inform and consult with the student and revise the student’s initial training plan accordingly.

Third-party learning materials are either purchased, rented, or licensed by SIMI Swiss and BSS. Some learning materials are compiled by SIMI Swiss and BSS lecturers. While all these materials have been evaluated and approved by the SIMI Swiss and BSS Academic Board, they may occasionally contain inappropriate content when applied to certain international students. In such instances, SIMI Swiss and BSS will promptly modify the training scope if they deem the impact significant, but they cannot be held responsible, either solely or jointly, for any damages resulting from the training scope.

Students and stakeholders may only use the training content for personal learning and research purposes, and it may not be copied in any form, commercial or non-commercial. Copyright-related content will be stated more clearly in the Copyright Policy section.

Credit is the acknowledgment of the amount and duration of study required to acquire knowledge.

SIMI Swiss and BSS employ the ECTS (European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System) for their credit system. Some SIMI Swiss and BSS programs also utilize the UK RQF credit system due to our partnership with the British education system.

The Academic Board at SIMI Swiss and BSS is responsible for internal credit recognition. It’s important to note that while SIMI Swiss, BSS and our partners perform this recognition, we cannot guarantee that these credits will also be recognized by other universities or entities not affiliated with SIMI Swiss and BSS.

If you intend to transfer your SIMI Swiss or BSS credits to another educational institution or system, we recommend consulting with the destination university or other entity first. While SIMI Swiss and BSS will offer assistance within our capabilities, we do not intervene in the admissions processes of other universities. It’s crucial to understand that SIMI Swiss and BSS cannot commit to guaranteed recognition when transferring to another institution.

Students will be recognized for their academic progress and awarded a degree from SIMI Swiss and BSS upon completing coursework and complying with our requirements and obligations, including academic discipline and integrity. In the case of students who pursue dual degrees or programs with our partners, they may also receive additional diplomas or certifications from these institutions.

It’s important to note that every country, institution, and region has specific rules and criteria for recognizing academic progress and qualifications. The recognition and acceptance of degrees are subjective decisions made by the relevant agencies, government authorities, or in accordance with regional policies, as per international norms. While SIMI Swiss’s and BSS's degrees are accredited by an independent accreditor, align with competency frameworks, and are subject to internal and external assessments, this does not automatically guarantee recognition or acceptance. SIMI Swiss, BSS and their partners do not provide a guarantee of recognition in any country for any purpose, including employment, teaching, research supervision, and any other purposes.

Built on these principles, SIMI Swiss, BSS, university partners, and local partners necessitate that learners clarify their status before enrollment. Furthermore, SIMI Swiss, BSS, university partners, and local partners do not endorse or support any processes related to recognition in any country or location.

SIMI Swiss and BSS strive to protect personal information by strictly adhering to regulations, ensuring information safety and security, and implementing the EU’s GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation).

Apart from collecting information necessary for program implementation, training, and quality improvement purposes, SIMI Swiss and BSS do not gather information from students or partners. Any disclosure to third parties, other than for the abovementioned purposes, will only occur in response to orders/requests from competent authorities.

In the event of information security breaches resulting from unauthorized access, SIMI Swiss and BSS collaborate with relevant authorities and parties to resolve such issues. SIMI Swiss and BSS disclaim liability for intrusions beyond our control.

SIMI Swiss and BSS follow fairness rules when admitting students, commenting on results, and reviewing and allocating scholarships, funding, and budgets to students and stakeholders. It does so without regard for gender, ethnicity, race, religion, and political beliefs.

Because SIMI Swiss and BSS are private independent HEI, their training system and program structure allow students to freely choose their major and study plan and quickly transfer to another university when a change is desired.

SIMI Swiss and BSS abide by human rights regulations, including protecting and promoting the human right to education. Students at SIMI Swiss and BSS can freely choose their major and a study plan and easily switch to another major when they want a change.

The intellectual property rights of content providers, instructors, students, and other third parties are respected by SIMI Swiss and BSS. Respect for intellectual property rights is likewise expected of students and users of our educational system.

When studying or collaborating with SIMI Swiss and BSS, students and other stakeholders must follow signed or unsigned regulations that follow international copyright practices.

All information published by SIMI Swiss, BSS and their partners, including learning materials, documents, forms, minutes, and other contents published officially or unofficially, internally or externally, are the property of SIMI Swiss. Students, partners, and other stakeholders must not copy, use, or reuse material for purposes other than learning and personal research. Outside of the above copyright agreement, all reproduction activities for either commercial or non-commercial purposes are copyright infringements against SIMI Swiss and BSS.

Copyright infringement is one of the most serious infringements, according to SIMI Swiss and BSS. SIMI Swiss and BSS have the authority and reserve the right to terminate a student’s status and annul the student’s results, degrees, and online account if it is discovered that the student infringes on intellectual property rights. This policy remains in effect even after the learning process has been completed.

In the event that a student or another party violates the copyright, resulting in damages (including actual and intended or implied damages), SIMI Swiss and BSS fully support the investigation process but are not responsible for any material, financial, or liability disclaimer if it is determined that the infringement of copyright is beyond SIMI Swiss’s and BSS's scope of influence.

Protecting the reputations of students, partners, BSS, and SIMI Swiss is a top priority for a HEI that accepts students from all over the world. Transparency of information, anti-false communication, and anti-unfair competition policies are all mandatory regulations that must be followed in accordance with EU regulations and conventions as well as international conventions.

SIMI Swiss and BSS coordinate with members in other countries, consular offices in SIMI Swiss and BSS partner countries, SIMI Swiss and BSS member universities to assist in ensuring the legitimate interests of students, SIMI Swiss and BSS legal entities, SIMI Swiss and BSS partners, SIMI Swiss and BSS themselves.

When there are media-related issues, and the information stated in the press release (announcement/article) is false and/or harms the university’s reputation, interests, and related interests, SIMI Swiss and BSS, in collaboration with universities and global partners, and the Ministry of Education, Consular Affairs, and the legal department will implement a process to prevent faulty communication, as detailed below. Please remember that the content published here is only a small step of the process and is only available in countries and territories where SIMI Swiss and BSS accept their students.

False communication behaviours include the following:

1. Promoting and spreading misleading information in any way:
   • The SIMI Swiss’s and BSS's legitimacy;
   • The SIMI Swiss’s and BSS's international accreditation and recognition;
   • Legitimacy and the right to take part in education regardless of one’s age, gender, socioeconomic class, or location;
   • Information and photos that are the assets of the SIMI Swiss, BSS and their partners, as well as other actions that may influence or hurt the institution’s reputation, honour, and interests, as well as those of its partners and students worldwide;
   • Communication actions that, whether purposefully or accidentally, lead to misunderstandings or are only partially accurate, display unfair competition, are not true to their nature;
   • Content that violates the public disclosure of the disclaimer issued by SIMI Swiss, BSS and their partners.

False communication management procedures (applicable in several countries):

Creating a bailiff and a disposal squad

The university develops a team (AKA a bailiff and a disposal squad) to handle the incident, gathers all relevant information, collects evidence, and collaborates with interested parties to readily handle it in three steps as follows:

Step 1: Alert the parties involved and related parties.

Inform the involved parties of the violation, as well as the diplomatic mission in the country where the university is registered to operate and the representative of the host country’s diplomatic mission in the country where SIMI Swiss and BSS are registered to operate.

Step 2: Request that the responsible party make good the damage

Issue an official notice and request that the involved party make good the damage by providing (1) a description of the violating behavior; (2) evidence; (3) damage estimates; and (4) the terms have been violated in accordance with the applicable laws, regulations, conventions, and so on to which the SIMI Swiss has signed and/or the national government of the country in which the incident occurred.

Step 3: Keep a close eye on the remediation process.

If the faulty communication behaviour is not completely made good, we will monitor the remediation process of the responsible party in concern and take other firm and strict measures.

SIMI Swiss and BSS hereby reserve the unilateral right to amend these terms at any time, with such modifications becoming immediately effective.

Terms agreed to with related parties will remain in effect. If the signed agreements are changed, they will only take effect if deemed more favourable to SIMI Swiss and BSS than the existing agreement.

The new terms will take effect immediately for newly formed agreements.