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School of Health Sciences

Mobility Days in Occupational Therapy

Since 2009, the Institute of Occupational Therapy has been organizing this international student and faculty exchange. The primary goal of the week is to provide students with the opportunity to meet with peers from both domestic and foreign backgrounds and engage in discussions about occupational therapy in various countries within and outside of Europe.

Mobility Week Network

What began in 2009 as an exchange between two Swiss Occupational Therapy Universities from Winterthur and Lausanne, has become open to students and faculty from various universities in different countries. Not only has the number of participating universities increased, but since 2014, Mobility Weeks have also taken place at two partner institutions; the Hogeschool van Amsterdam and since 2015 the Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm joined as a third partner. All three weeks share the overarching theme of "Professional Identity" in the current global context.

Register

Registration for the Mobility Days 2026 will be open in October.

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Mobility Days 2026: 28 - 30 May (save the date)

Since 2024, the Mobility Week has a new look. On the one hand, it will take place in spring instead of winter, lasting for three days (1 ECTS) from Thursday to Saturday. The international days will now be themed "Building Bridges for a Sustainable Future – Occupational Therapists in Action" and will be held from May 28 to May 30, 2026. Below are the program details, along with additional information in the following flyer.

Registration ends on March 31, 2026 

Program Thursday and Friday

You will participate in a two-day workshop and dive deep into one topic. In an international team, you will work, facilitated by experts in the field. There will be a pre-course online meeting where you get to know each other and discuss issues related to your workshop topic, with each student bringing in their country's perspective. During the registration, you will have the chance to decide to participate either in workshop A, B, C or D:

Workshop A) 
Inclusive Societies     

According to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, people with disabilities have the right to be an inclusive part of society and to participate in all areas of public life. This requires major transformations, including in the areas of work, education and housing. Therefore, countries have to develop a strategy and action plan to end the institutionalisation of all persons with disabilities, with measures to prevent trans-institutionalisation and to support the transition from institutions to life in the community. However, there is a significant gap between the legal basis and its actual implementation. Discussions with experts with disabilities, as well as inputs and intensive group work, will analyse the actual situation and develop solutions for a more inclusive society.

What you will learn in this workshop:

Workshop B) 
Planetary Health 

Planetary Health highlights the connection between the functioning of ecosystems and human health. It becomes clear that human health is directly dependent on the health of ecosystems. Consequently, the threats posed to human health by the environmental crisis must be taken seriously, and structural solutions must be found. With the concept of Planetary Health, the entire healthcare system, including occupational therapy, can develop and accompany climate- and health-conscious activities together with the people. In this way, the health system assumes its responsibility for the health of the population. A core element of occupational therapy is supporting people in their everyday activities. In carrying out these activities, the use of resources contributes to the environmental crisis. By influencing activity, occupational therapy has a great potential to implement aspects of the Planetary Health concept. In this workshop, you will learn about the potential of Planetary Health for occupational therapy and explore common approaches using concrete examples from different countries.

What you will learn in this workshop:

Workshop C) 
Health Equity

Health is a fundamental human right. Health equity is achieved when everyone has the opportunity to attain their full potential for health and well-being. Health and health equity are determined by the conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work, play and age, as well as biological determinants. Structural determinants (political, legal, and economic) with social norms and institutional processes shape the distribution of power and resources. Equity is achieved when unfair, avoidable or remediable differences among groups of people are absent. People’s living conditions are often made worse by discrimination, stereotyping, and prejudice based on sex, gender, age, race, ethnicity, or disability, among other factors. Discriminatory practices are often embedded in institutional and systems processes, leading to groups being under-represented in decision-making at all levels or underserved.

This workshop focuses on understanding the key factors that contribute to health inequities, including the social and structural determinants of health, and explores ways to move health equity forward.

What you will learn in this workshop:

Workshop D) 
Growing up in a Local and Global World: Childhood and Young Adulthood Between Digital Revolution, Climate Change and Social Transformation

Contemporary childhood and young adulthood unfold within an unprecedented convergence of global and local transformations that fundamentally shape how children and young adults develop, learn, and participate in their communities. Today’s children and young adults are digital natives, navigating in both virtual and physical worlds simultaneously, being exposed to infinite and unfiltered information.

Climate related challenges influence the physical and mental well-being of children and young adults, their social stability and future live choices. They are growing up in rapidly changing social contexts including evolving family structures, educational paradigms, and cultural norms, while developing heightened awareness of both local community needs and global justice issues.

The intersection of the digital revolution, climate change, and social transformation presents unique occupational challenges that necessitate a shifting perspective on children’s occupations and contexts. Social transformations offer new opportunities for participation alongside potential barriers to inclusion. Young adults face additional challenges in transitioning into independence, navigating uncertain career prospects, and establishing their identities in a rapidly changing, multi-option world.

Through international case studies, expert inputs, and collaborative group work, this workshop will examine how occupational therapists can support healthy development across these intersecting domains throughout childhood and into young adulthood. In this workshop, participants will co-create visions for future community-led initiatives to develop practical strategies for addressing contemporary challenges while respecting local cultural identities and embracing global citizenship. 

What you will learn in this workshop:

Program on Saturday

Unconference:  An unconference is a participant-driven, collaborative event where attendees themselves propose and lead discussions on topics they are passionate about, rather than following a pre-planned agenda with designated speakers. This format encourages spontaneous knowledge sharing, peer-to-peer learning, and organic conversations that emerge from the collective expertise and interests of international participants. The unconference complements the structured workshops by providing space for deeper exploration of intersectional topics, sharing of local practices, and collaborative problem-solving around the challenges facing occupational therapy in our rapidly changing global landscape.
 

Social Events

During the first two evenings student lead social events will take place. You will be able to discover Winterthur and have time to network, get to know each other and have fun. There will also be an international buffet to which each participant will contribute with specialties from their region.

For further information on how to get to the campus and places to stay, follow the Link to our international Winter School below. A few beds are reserved in the Hostel Depot 195 which is close by, use “OT Mobility Week” as a reference.

Dates 28 to 30 of May
Course Hours 08:30-17:00
Social Events Thursday and Friday evening
Language English
Cost CHF 50.-
Credits 1 ECTS (30 hrs), including a pre-course online meeting with your team
Grading Pass/Fail (if you need a grade, there will be a Post-Task)
Registration starts in October 2025, ends on March 31, 2026 – on our website
Accommodation and practical information Plan accommodation and budget before enrolling in the course. Further infos see Practical information below
Contact Angelika Echsel, Modul Lead and International Coordinator: angelika.echsel@zhaw.ch

Location and Campus Life

The courses take place at ZHAW School of Health Sciences, Winterthur, Switzerland. The city of Winterthur is a very pretty, small town near Zurich. The cities of Zurich, Berne and Lucerne as well as the Swiss mountains with its skiing resorts are easily reachable by public transport.

Accommodation

Organisation and booking of accommodation are in the responsibility of each participant.

Insurance

Participants are responsible to ensure adequate insurance coverage in Switzerland. Recommended are

Before you leave your home country, please check your personal insurance coverage, and find out from your insurance provider whether it is sufficient to cover liability for the entire period of your stay in Switzerland.

Past Partners since 2009