Focus on Switzerland

28 January 2015. Who would have thought in 2000 that Switzerland would no longer have Swissair, the "magic formula" for the party-political constitution of the federal government, and banking secrecy? And who would have suspected that instead, this country would be host to a raw materials trade that has increased by 1,500 per cent and a national bank that triggers a worldwide earthquake on the equity markets? Prof. Dr. Caspar Hirschi, Head of the Public Programme, has used this accelerated change as a cue for focusing on Switzerland’s position in an ever more strongly interlinked world.

"Core subjects" strongly represented
The economic, political and legal sciences – the HSG's "core subjects" – are prominently represented in this focal point. The history of Swiss banking secrecy is the topic of the lecture in political science: from the "gnomes of Zurich" to the automatic exchange of information in tax issues. The lecture in law will shed light on international law and its significance for the Swiss constitution and jurisdiction. And the lecture in economics will deal with the challenges for the Swiss labour market.

Changes that have affected Switzerland's tourist industry will be explained to visitors of the Public Programme with the example of St.Gallen-Lake Constance Tourism. This year, this tourism federation is celebrating its 125th anniversary. The lectures about the Swiss political model and about Swiss agricultural policy complete the focus on Switzerland.

Peter Stamm at the HSG

Caspar Hirschi was able to invite a further reputable writer for this semester's poetry lecture. In his lecture, the Eastern Swiss writer Peter Stamm will be looking for an answer to why he writes and what the recurring themes of his narratives are. This will lead him back to his childhood in the Canton of Thurgau.

A lecture of the "City and Region of St.Gallen" series will go back to the age of embroidery and explain the changes of that time with the help of buildings in the city. The audience will also have opportunities for time travel in other literature lectures and in the lectures about culture, art and music, as well as society and theology.