Swiss impress at MIT European Career Fair 2011
Swiss impress at MIT European Career Fair 2011
Clean air, efficient transport, safe cities, a beautiful landscape... Apparently these Swiss qualities are attracting more than just tourists.
Flanked by Swiss university (ETHZ, EPFL) and corporate booths (ABB, Novartis, Roland Berger), swissnex Boston promoted its partners’ fellowship and career opportunities at the 15th MIT European Career Fair. On January 22, 2011, at MIT’s Johnson Athletics Center, many of the 1,500 participants scoured the swissnex Boston Bulletin Board and iPad for job, research and study opportunities. There was renewed interest in liberal arts and social sciences, as well as corporate internships and summer jobs.
But apart from prospects for high-tech exposure, students were drawn to the less critical but equally appealing facets of Switzerland: that it was a great place for both personal and professional growth.
This was underscored in a joint presentation by swissnex Boston and Peter Meier-Abt, Vice Dean of the University of Basel, situated on the pristine Rhine. Students were impressed by the Swiss quality of life, including doctoral salaries and living space.
Likewise, the participating companies and schools valued the contact they made with prospective candidates. Indeed, more than 5,000 resumes were uploaded to participating companies and universities. According to a representative of ABB, “They were all interesting candidates with impressive resumes and we’re looking forward to the interviews.”
And the Fair, the largest in New England, was also considered a premier marketing strategy. As Claude Bonnard of EPFL said in an interview, “We are in the center of the ‘brain hub’ of the USA, and the number of students who have shown interest in EPFL shows that we are in the right place and that the work done at the EPFL is important and is recognized.”
