During the welcome session, Prof. Ciorba provided an engaging overview of the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science (DMI), with a focus on the Computer Science division.

Afterwards, Solveig shared her personal journey into her studies. What convinced her most was that in Basel she did not have to choose between Computer Science and History, but could study both. She particularly appreciates the friendly, close-knit atmosphere and the project-based approach that is characteristic of the Computer Science program in Basel—for example, the course Programmierprojekt, where students work together in teams to develop computer games.

Rahel described her path to pursuing a PhD and explained that doctoral students are involved in both research and teaching, which she finds very rewarding.

During the Q&A session, the students—many of whom already had some programming experience—learned that no prior programming knowledge is required before starting a Computer Science degree and that the many projects in Basel provide excellent opportunities to develop programming skills.

At the end of the visit, the students had the opportunity to test computer games developed by students as part of the Programming Project course. This gave them a clear impression of what students can already achieve after just one year of studying Computer Science.

We look forward to the next visit!