HIM Business School Launches Master in Applied AI in Customer Experience — One Year, Two Continents, Built for Non-Engineers

Montreux, Switzerland — August 13, 2026 — As artificial intelligence reshapes how businesses operate and engage with customers, HIM Business School is among the first business schools worldwide to launch a Master in Applied AI in Customer Experience — a program designed to turn professionals from non-engineering backgrounds into leaders of AI-enabled transformation. Nearly 90% of organizations already use AI in their operations, yet only 9% have reached true AI maturity — a gap the program is built to close.

Starting in January 2027, the selective, 12-month program will admit just 24 students. What sets it apart is its structure: students begin online, spend two months immersed in Macao and the Greater Bay Area, four months immersed in Montreux at the heart of Switzerland's AI ecosystem, and then close the year with the same flexibility they started with — a fully online capstone project, or an optional onsite leadership term for a dual master's degree. It is one of the few AI master's programs anywhere that lets students start and finish entirely online while still delivering two structured, in-person industry immersions on two continents within a single year.

The industry immersions are the program's core differentiator. In Macao and the Greater Bay Area — home to the Shenzhen–Hong Kong–Guangzhou cluster, ranked the world's #1 innovation cluster in the 2025 Global Innovation Index (WIPO) — students work directly with partner companies and take field trips into Shenzhen's AI-driven manufacturing and Hong Kong's fintech ecosystem. In Montreux, they connect with Europe's AI capital: Switzerland ranks first in the world for AI researchers and inventors per capita (Stanford AI Index Report, 2026), anchored by EPFL Lausanne's AI Center and the Arc Lémanique research corridor, with field visits extending to Geneva's AI governance institutions and Europe's flagship AI summits in Paris and London.

The program is built specifically for students who want to lead AI-powered change without an engineering or technical background — a genuinely rare positioning in a market where most AI programs are designed for software engineers. Through applied coursework and two live industry immersions, students learn to identify opportunities for AI adoption, use data to inform business decisions, and design customer experiences enhanced by emerging technology. The stakes for this skillset are rising fast: demand for AI-savvy professionals grew more than 160% in 2025, and 94% of CEOs now name AI as their top in-demand skill — yet only 35% feel their teams are adequately prepared (IDC).

Students can also extend their studies through an optional dual master's pathway with César Ritz Colleges Switzerland, earning both the Master in Applied AI in Customer Experience from HIM Business School and a Master of Science in Leadership from César Ritz Colleges.

Upon completion, graduates will be equipped to:
● Enhance customer experiences through the strategic application of AI
● Use data analytics to develop insights and support business decisions
● Deliver applied AI projects addressing real-world industry challenges, tested directly with partner companies in Asia and Europe
● Lead AI-enabled transformation and innovation
● Apply ethical, responsible and sustainable approaches to AI
The launch comes as organizations accelerate their adoption of artificial intelligence and demand grows for professionals who can bridge the gap between emerging technologies and business needs. Research from McKinsey and the World Economic Forum points to the scale of the shift already under way: the global AI job market is valued at $1.84 trillion as of the end of 2025, with 13 million new AI jobs projected annually by 2030 — nearly half of that growth concentrated in Asia-Pacific, with Europe close behind. This program places graduates in both ecosystems at once.

“At HIM Business School, ‘Be World Ready’ has never been a slogan — it’s how we’ve always taught our BBA students in Montreux to think: with curiosity, adaptability, and a genuine grasp of the world they’re entering. Launching this Master in Applied AI in Customer Experience wasn’t a strategic pivot for us. It was the obvious next step. Today, there is no version of being world ready that doesn’t mean being AI ready,” said Claire Jollain, Dean, HIM Business School.

The new Master in Applied AI in Customer Experience reflects HIM Business School's commitment to preparing the next generation of business leaders to 'Be World Ready' — combining practical AI skills, structured exposure to two of the world's fastest-moving AI ecosystems, and the flexibility to study on students' own terms, without compromising the depth of the experience.

ENDS//

For more information, please contact Lucy Whytock at BlueSky Education at lucy@bluesky-pr.com.