Topic: Swiss Premium Education
We’ll be featuring regular interviews with experts in their field. To kick things off, we sat down with our very own expert (& the driving force behind Swiss Premium Education) to share with you why we do what we do:
Hi Alain! First things first, please tell us a bit about yourself:
Name: Alain Bélizaire
Current Role: Founder & CEO
At: Swiss Premium Education
Please describe your area of expertise:
I’ve worked in various roles for private educational institutions in Switzerland over the past 12 years. In that time, I’ve managed:
- Holiday camps welcoming 600 students each summer.
- The marketing and development for a group of hotel schools, and the recruitment of students in Europe, Middle East, Africa and the Americas.
- The organization of tailor made courses for industry professionals.
What are you most passionate about:
I have the privilege to work with hundreds of students and families from all around the world. I’ve developed a deep understanding about education in Switzerland and I am a proud ambassador of the country’s values and assets. I’m most passionate about sharing that insight by accompanying families who are looking to make Switzerland their study destination.
Let’s start at the beginning… Why did you decide to launch Swiss Premium Education?
First and foremost because I am #inlovewithswitzerland. I am proud to be Swiss, proud of its values of excellence, quality, discretion, and its beauty. Travelling around the world made me realize how blessed we are to live here and that the stability of the country, the quality of its infrastructure and the innovative spirit makes it a great place to study and prepare one’s future. At the same time, I realized how stressful and difficult it is for a student or a family to imagine themselves in a new country, not knowing the culture, the language, the customs and not having anyone local to rely on.
I decided to launch Swiss Premium Education to help our clients, friends and families by providing an impartial counselling service and providing solutions that are tailored to their needs and goals. We will help with the choice of the institution and program but also in a variety of other topics. We are focused on our clients and their needs and will look at finding a solution for any type of request that a family may have.
As you know, there are a myriad of agencies offering a similar service. Why should someone consider using an agency and what makes yours stand out from the crowd?
For anyone researching schools, the internet already offers a lot of information and so we wanted to build on that. Our website is full of factual and detailed information to help you make an informed choice. Choosing to use an agency helps turn the search into a two-way conversation, giving families advice and feedback.
To make sure we stand out, we ensure we’re offering excellent service by working closely with the schools. As we are headquartered in Switzerland, with planned regional offices in the pipeline, this gives us a particular advantage as we understand both the local and home markets extremely well.
We work outside of the box to find solutions for families that a traditional agency wouldn’t solve. We offer a wide range of services such as accommodation, organizing campus tours, tourism recommendations, making reservations and we also share investment opportunities in Switzerland with interested clients. Our agency is a time-saver and also a one-stop shop for any family considering Switzerland for an education or as a destination.
Imagine I’m a parent looking for a school for my child, and I’m interested in going through your agency. What would the process look like?
It’s a very straightforward process. As soon as you get in touch with us, we’ll ask you to fill in a form that helps us understand your goals, needs, budget and preferences. We’ll then cross-reference with our list of partners, which currently includes over 70 schools, to find the school and program that are best suited to you. We’ll package up our recommendations for you to review before talking you through the various choices and opportunities.
Usually once this step is complete if,for example, you’re looking for boarding schools, then we would recommend that you come to Switzerland to visit the campuses and we’ll help you organise your visit. If the visits cannot be done in person, we will organize interviews with the schools where you can have a chance to talk with the staff and students, to help you to make your final choice. Our agency will assist you with the admissions process, finding and completing all the necessary paperwork and supporting you right through to a confirmed acceptance.
In terms of pricing, all of the information on the website is freely available, as is our free consultation, including our initial recommendations. All of the additional services are available as a tailored package.
What’s the most rewarding part of your job?
We work in the education sector, and education gives people opportunities in life. So for me it’s not just a job – it’s accompanying somebody on a journey that will prepare them for their future. Students experience an international network and have their eyes opened to new languages and new cultures. We have the chance to talk with families from all around the world and to meet different cultures. I think for anyone to see their child grow, mature, and then graduate to the next phase of their life is a beautiful process.
What does the future look like for Swiss Premium Education? Where would you like to be this time next year? And in 5 years?
We are at the very start of this project and we’re currently a small team, but we’re receiving a lot of international interest in collaborating with us. Starting this year, the goal is to have branches abroad which will enable more and more families to have access to local offices where they can go to meet a local representative. We would also like to organize promotional tours for the schools in various countries.
In five years’ time, I hope that we will have expanded our local branches to cover most of the main areas around the world. I would also like to create a network of families who use our services, turning us into a community where we can support each other and grow together.
And finally, if you could give one piece of advice to a student or a parent looking for their next school, what would it be?
I think it’s important to really define your goals, your school ambitions, your career ambitions, and align your options according to those. It’s important to talk to people to ask for their advice. Talk to former students and current students about their experience. I think each institution has its own culture, DNA, history, and network. Those are all key points to consider when choosing a school and shouldn’t be underestimated.
Thank you for your time!
About Swiss Premium Education:
“We are an educational agency specializing in Swiss private education. We help families, students, companies and governments with opportunities to study in Switzerland. We work with holiday camps, boarding schools and higher education institutions, as well as certain language schools. All institutions are located in Switzerland and welcome international students.”
Website: www.swisspremium.com
Contact details: info@swisspremium.com
