Traces of the past: public lecture programme for the 2024 autumn semester

The programme booklet for the autumn semester 2024 (in German) provides an overview of the topics visitors can immerse themselves in on campus and in the city from September to January.

Focus on knowledge

In today’s society, information is available anytime and anywhere. While this knowledge explosion offers enormous opportunities for innovation and global exchange, it also harbours dangers such as information overload and the loss of information quality. In addition, knowledge is becoming quickly obsolete. These topics will be examined from various angles in the lectures.

For example, the lecture series “One Earth, many worlds: Geographical discoveries in the 21st century” provides insight into modern satellite technology and takes the audience on a journey through space.
Data-based research is also becoming increasingly important in business. The lecture “Scientific management” demonstrates this by using the integration of cognitive neuroscience and artificial intelligence as an example into the strategic work of companies.

The lecture series “Troubled times” shows that new knowledge and progress are often accompanied by disruptions. Various speakers shed light on the 16th and 17th centuries as a fragile time of conflict over the ‘right’ faith. The 30-year confessional war in Germany (1618-1648) shows how fragile a safe world was until the conflict. 

The lecture by fashion sociologist Monika Kritzmöller on “Ideas of collecting, honouring and disposing” brings another aspect of the topic into play. Knowledge is always related to points of view and localised in epochs. Why do we collect art and memorabilia – or dispose of things that remind us of unpleasant eras? Why does your grandfather's typewriter have ‘keep value’ for some people, while for others it is just worthless rubbish? The lecture deals with these questions and many illustrative examples.

World events

Areas of tension can also be observed in current world events and some of the lectures make reference to this. For example, the lectures entitled “Presidential lunch: The USA before the elections”. Together with guests, the renowned expert on America from the University of St.Gallen, Claudia Franziska Brühwiler, analyses the various visions for the future of America – and their possible consequences for Europe – in the run-up to the presidential election.

Other lectures will look at China in the field of tension between culture, dictatorship and censorship, at Turkey as a key geostrategic state between Europe and the Orient, and at the Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania and their defence, foreign and education policies at the interface between East and West.

St.Gallen over the course of time 

In the lectures, visitors to the public programme can experience the diversity of subjects that also characterise teaching and research at HSG. The topics range from economics, law, politics and computer science to language, literature, history, art, music, psychology, society and theolog – with a focus on the city and region of St.Gallen. St.Gallen itself has also undergone a multi-layered transformation: From a monastery town to an industrial metropolis to a regional hub. In keeping with the main theme, the tension between tradition and innovation, photographer Hannes Thalmann has captured striking impressions in a site visit to illustrate the current programme booklet. These include pictures of the Tröckneturm, a former factory building from the heyday of the Eastern Swiss textile industry in the Lachen neighbourhood. The pictures also show the Broderbrunnen fountain from 1896, which commemorates the city's first supply of water from Lake Constance. Or Davidstrasse on the edge of St.Gallen's old town with historic warehouses that now house art collections and cafés.

20 years of children's university

The Children's University has also become an integral part of campus life and the public lecture programme. Exactly 20 years ago, HSG was the first Swiss university to launch the programme for pupils in grades 3 to 6. This year, too, the programme for our young visitors includes interesting topics that ask exciting everyday questions: it's about climate heroes, artificial intelligence, strategies against bullying and the question of why we buy things. Register for the children's university online at: kinderuni.unisg.ch

Registration: only required for online lectures 

Registration is required for those public lectures that (only) take place online:
unisg.ch/en/news/events/public-lectures/

Registration is also required for the lecture series “Presidential lunch: The USA before the elections”.

Semester pass for 20 francs

Attendance is free of charge for members of the University of St.Gallen, students, lecturers and staff. The first lecture of a series can generally be attended free of charge.

Programme booklets can be ordered via kommunikation@unisg.ch or +41 71 224 22 25.