Lecture of Hope and Enthusiasm by Dr. Martin Vosseler

www.sunwalk2008.com

Dr. Martin Vosseler arrived at Boston Public Garden after having spent seven and a half months walking down the US roads, crossing the 3,500-mile distance from Los Angeles.

The lecture by Dr. Martin Vosseler, a sixty-year old Swiss physician, attracted almost a hundred friends of the environment at the Consulate of Switzerland in Cambridge.

What started as a passion for non-nuclear proliferation, in the 90s became for Dr. Vosseler a commitment to the promotion of solar power. In 1995 Dr. Vosseler quit his medical practice in Switzerland to dedicate his time exclusively to advocating fully renewable energy practices. In 2003, he walked from Basel, Switzerland, to Jerusalem to campaign for solar energy. And last year, he was a member of the crew of the first solar-powered vessel to cross the Atlantic.

 

Dr. Vosseler began his sunwalk in Los Angeles on January 1, 2008. An average day is well over 20 miles, and on some days, he clocks up to 38 miles. Despite the blisters on his feet and the fatigue weighing down his legs, his mind remains focused on his final destination, the Boston Common. The lessons learned as a physician translate seamlessly into his new role as an environmental activist. “The energy we use—coal, gas, and oil—is killing us. It’s as if our planet is suffering arterial bleeding. In a situation like this, you have one priority only - stop the bleeding!” he says in front of the absorbed audience

Dr. Vosseler met a countless number of people of all ages during his seven-and-a-half-month walk. He is fascinated with the wonderful hospitality of so many US citizens. And he hopes that the USA will take the leadership in the usage of renewable energy sources. After all, it was US President Jimmy Carter who installed solar panels on the White House thirty years ago in an attempt to sensitize the public opinion to the urgency and importance of the issue (more info).

1. of August, Swiss National Day

On Friday August 1st, nearly 90 members of SwissLinkBoston and friends of Switzerland got together for a BBQ at MIT's Edgerton House in celebration of Switzerland's National Day. The Boston weather on August 1st played along beautifully, unlike in most of Switzerland, where many celebrations were canceled due to heavy rainfalls.

In Switzerland, Swiss National Day is celebrated with displays of paper lanterns (lampions), bonfires, parades, fireworks, and the flying of the Swiss Flag. SwissLinkBoston, who planned and organized this event, ensured that this celebration in Boston included traditional aspects as well to make everybody feel "home", and decorated the courtyard with such paper lanterns and other displays with Swiss flag prints. Guests were also welcomed with a large Swiss flag at the main entrance.

  

A fun fact: One of the guest's RSVP included a question about the event's primary language and whether only the Swiss language would be spoken, as she would otherwise need to "bow out". The answer: Quite the opposite! This BBQ really brought all of the French-language Swiss, the German and Italian-speaking compatriots together. This fun mix of languages and people made this event a very successful one.

The students and young professionals of SwissLinkBoston thank swissnex (Consulate of Switzerland) for helping sponsor this event!

Farewell Dinner of the Continuing Education Program for Swiss Teachers at Salve Regina, Newport

The Consulate of Switzerland/ swissnex Boston was invited to join the farewell dinner of the Continuing Education Program for Swiss Teachers at Salve Regina University on August 1, 2008. The program, intended for prospective English teachers, was organized by Heinrich Wirth, Dean of Continuing Education and Graduate Studies at Thurgau University of Teacher Education and George Antone, Director of International Programs at Salve Regina University. Heinrich Wirth came in touch with Salve Regina on a study trip for Swiss Universities of Applied Sciences to the Greater Boston area that was organized by swissnex Boston in 2004. He then decided that Salve Regina would be an ideal place for a continuing education program. After four years of preparations the program became reality.

 

The farewell dinner afforded swissnex Boston with the opportunity to get a glimpse of what the previous weeks had to offer and how much the Swiss teachers had enjoyed a great time at Newport. Not only the interesting mix of courses, but also Salve Regina’s exceptional hospitality in accommodating the Swiss teachers contributed to an outstanding program.

For more information about the program visit www.swiss-in-america.info.

Traveling Tradesman

"Auf der Walz" or "Auf Wanderschaft" is a German expression that means traveling on the job. It is a centuries-old custom that was started by the Craftsmen Guilds of Europe, around the Middle Ages, and is still practiced there. A young man could enter the apprenticeship of a stonemason, carpenter, roofer or furniture-maker under the supervision of a master of his chosen craft, performing at first menial work for very little money.

This Monday four young and strong Tradesman from Switzerland and Germany visited us.

 

 
Each year his responsibilities increase and if he proves himself trustworthy his wages are increased. When his three-year apprenticeship is up, he is considered a fellow (Geselle) after he’s taken a final exam. Then these young men and women are encouraged to go "Auf der Walz" if they want to take their learned craft and become a master.

In the past it was required to travel before becoming a master. Now it is voluntary and a matter of honor. The fellow, however, still has to be under the age of thirty and single and have accumulated no debt.

The decision to undertake this journey requires the fellow to remain outside a 50 km radius of his home. Once he acquired his craft after three years of apprenticeship, he will journey for two years and one day (in the past it was three to six years and one day), and can travel wherever he wants to including other European countries. Sometimes they will travel as far as Russia or Malaysia.

He will leave with only the bare necessities, literally packing only a bundle. He cannot return home until his journey is complete (with the exception of illness or death). His entire possessions consist of his craftsman's clothes (Zunft Kluft) and tools.

Most outfits for guilds are in black and white and adhere to strict dress codes. A proper outfit will be his black long pants, black shoes or boots, a white collarless shirt, and a velvet or corduroy vest with eight buttons (symbolizing an eight-hour work day). There's a colored scarf or tie that is pinned to the collar identifying his craft, sometimes necklaces that show the emblems of cities in which he worked, and a spiral walking-stick called Stenz that the fellow himself made. Last but not least his black wide-brimmed hat.

click here to read more

Farewell Garden Party

The Farewell Garden Party of Kathleen and Christoph von Arb on the eve of July 4 was about to begin on the beautiful back yard of the Swiss Residence in Lexington when the thunderstorm hit. In a miraculous team effort of less than 20 minutes, the entire set up for 120 guests - grill, tables, decorations, candles, chairs, bar, buffet, etc - had to be moved inside the house while the guests were arriving. As the first heavy drops fell, the last of 15 tables was moved inside and the party could begin. One would never have imagined possible such a big sit down dinner. But the cosiness just made it that much more friendly and comfortable. After a toast to the two sister Republics - the United States and Switzerland, the guests enjoyed food from the grill including some Swiss Bratwuerste. The Consul General gave a brief run down of all that has happened in the past six years and expressd his heartfelt thanks to the swissnex Team, to the many partners and sponsors and above all to his wife. The great success of the Science Consulate - swissnex Boston is all their doing. This was followed by kind words of appreciation to Kathleen and Christoph von Arb for the service they have rendered in Boston since 2002 by Joe von Rickenbach, CEO of Parexel International and by Prof. Wolfgang Klietmann from Harvard University. Finally, Christoph von Arb introduced his successor, Pascal Marmier who in turn expressed his thoughts and together with Kati Reusche handed Christoph some gifts which will be a great help in his new life back in Switzerland as he moves to the private sector and launches his own consultancy.

School Buildings - The State of Affairs

A new architecture for a new education

Thank you for an informative day at your symposium. I enjoyed all the
speakers and was totally surprised by the lunch. You and Swissnex were
very good hosts!
***
Thanks so much for organizing yesterday’s symposium. It was a very thought-provoking and worthwhile discussion. We are lucky here in Cambridge and Boston to have such a generous and thoughtful Swiss presence!
***
Thank you for hosting yesterday’s symposium on school building architecture and education. My colleagues and I found the discussions very informative and helpful as we move forward with the development of two new academic buildings for UMass Boston.

 ***

These were some of the beautiful reactions to the symposium which swissnex Boston organized in combination with the opening of the exhibit “School Buildings – The State of Affairs: A New Architecture for A New Education.

Despite a thunderstorm and pouring rain, many visitors joined the Opening Reception to the month-long exhibit at the Compton Gallery which was organized in partnership with the MIT Museum. The reception started the fruitful discussion among the educators, architects, and educational planners and politicians about the everchanging direction of public education and the architectural challenges that come with it.

Inspired and motivated from the exhibit and the previous evening’s conversations, the symposium continued the discussions the following morning at MIT’s Stata Center. The two parted symposium began with a focus on the questions and issue linked to education. A couple of changes to the list of speakers resulted in a diverse, all embracing, fruitful, and lively exchange of ideas around the many related topics like: how do we create environments that people become designers in, how do we keep up a dialog between architects and educators, how do we create learning environments rather than buildings, shouldn’t schools be iconic buildings. The various Swiss and North American examples shown in the presentations supported the conceptual discussions well and added to the transatlantic dialog. After a nourishing lunch that also provided the opportunity for networking as well as experiencing the Stata Center’s exemplifying environment, the second part of the symposium continued with a focus on architecture. Incorporating new teaching methods as well as the student’s personal development, architects are asked to create environments that students can explore and experience their creative capabilities. Communities often need to share school facilities. Changing social patterns require new services at schools. Constrained municipal budgets lead to more multi-use buildings that serve educational as well as community needs. The insights provided by the speakers from the School Building Authorities of Boston and Zurich not only exemplified the difficulties and constraints but also the various approaches the two countries take. As the exhibit points out: Designing schools today is an increasingly collaborative effort including teacher, students, educational consultants, and parents. In response to these challenging policies and requirements, architects are creating schools that look, feel and function differently. It is a new architecture for a new education.


We invite you to visit the exhibtion: School Buildings – The State of Affairs until Friday, August 10, 2008, daily from 10-5. For further information, see http://www.thinkswiss.org/schoolbuildings/

Transatlantic Pitching Session

As the venture leaders reached the end of their stay in Boston, they were the central feature of a “Transatlantic Pitching Session”. The event gathered more than 150 participants from the local tech and innovation community. The participants had the chance to hear not only the 60 second pitches from the Swiss entrepreneurs, but also the pitches from a dozen local entrepreneurs active in biotech and IT. The transatlantic format allowed for an excellent amount of discussion and networking around Swiss and US food and wine! The slides of the pitches are available here

Visit of CTI directors

In parallel to the venture leaders program, swissnex Boston organized a week-long program for Dr. Ingrid Kissling-Naef, head of CTI and vice-director of BBT, and Martin Bopp, head of CTI startup support. Both CTI leaders visited local institutions (MIT, Harvard, Boston University) to learn more about the current strategies of facilitating startup activity at schools and the programs in place to coach entrepreneurs. A special meeting was also organized by Rudi Scheiber-Kurtz about women innovators and entrepreneurs. Rudi invited more than 15 guests to come discuss their experience and ideas related to “Patterns of Women, Business and Capital in Boston”. The discussion focused on a few key topics such as the role of mentoring for aspiring entrepreneurs, the support that is existing or could be developed as well as the difficulty to find financing.

8th edition of the venture leaders program

Swissnex Boston was delighted to have another group of 20 promising young entrepreneurs for a 10-day entrepreneurial bootcamp called venture leaders. Thanks to the support of CTI and venturelab, we put together a series of interactive sessions and meetings with leading figures of the local high-tech scene. The group also spent 4 days at Babson to analyze and reflect on business strategies for their growing ventures.

This year, the entrepreneurs from Switzerland were promoting spinoff companies from most universities and all regions. The diversity of the participants was impressive with several nationalities represented. The projects ranged from an imaginative social networking device to a new drug delivery syringe. An overview of each project and entrepreneur can be found at [please add link]. As last year, the group was coached by a team of innovation experts from Switzerland: Beat Schillig and Jordi Montserrat of venturelab as well as Jean-Pierre Vuilleumier of CTI Invest

Charles River One Mile Swim Race

The annual Charles River One Mile Swim took place on Sunday June 15th with 103 participants, a more than fifty percent increase over the previous year’s field size. “The swim was excellent! I had the best time swimming in the Charles River, the water temperature was perfect,” commented swimmer Guillermo Nuñez.

   
Overcast skies withheld long enough to launch the race at 8am. By the time the first swimmers had completed the course, just twenty minutes later, a light drizzle turned into a deluge which necessitated the cancellation of the post-race awards ceremony. A post-race event called the Celebratory Splash, organized by the Charles River Conservancy, was also a casualty of the weather. The event was planned to be a brief jump in the river by local celebrities and people who have played an important role in the improvement of the Charles. The list included Bob Zimmerman, head of the CRWA, Robert Varney, Regional Administrator for the Environmental Protection Agency’s New England Office, Jarrett Barrios, former State Senator and President of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Foundation, Cambridge Mayor Denise Simmons, Nancy Schön, sculptor of the Make Way for Ducklings Statue in the Public Gardens, Renata von Tscharner, president of the Charles River Conservancy and Christoph von Arb, Consul General and director of swissnex boston.
swissnex Boston is partnering with the Charles River Conservancy to bring swimming back to the Charles River. As the water quality of the Charles River continues to improve, it is time to make “river swimming” in the United States a reality. The exhibition “Think Swim, Think Swiss: Bringing Swiss style swimming to the Charles River” will display examples of Swiss bathing structures to explore the technological, environmental and cultural context of river swimming. It is sponsored by “ThinkSwiss – Brainstorm the future”.
  

Swiss American Chamber of Commerce - Launch of the Boston Chapter

The inaugural meeting of the new Boston Chapter of the Swiss American Chamber of Commerce took place on June 17, 2008 at the Residence of the Consul General in Lexington. After a hearty breakfast the Chairman, Peter Vogel from Bossard opened the meeting and discussed with the nine Board members present a range of issues regarding the first operational steps of the new Chapter. It is fair to say that the discussion was extremely positive and dynamic with lots of ideas brought to the table. Swissnex will be a close partner of the Chamber and is looking forward to launch many joint initiatives. This is also reflected in the fact that the Head of the Consulate and Director of swissnex Boston is invited to be present at the Board meetings as an advisory member. Any corporation in the New England Area is welcome to become a member for a modest annual fee and profit from the many services and networking opportunities provided by AmCham in Zurich and by the Boston Chapter by subscribing electronically on the official website: www.amcham.ch

EURO 08 OPENING GAME

In collaboration with SwissLinkBoston, a networking platform for Swiss students, researchers and young professionals living in the Boston area , swissnex Boston invited to the opening game of the European Soccer Championship taking place in Switzerland and Austria. Although our team was unfortunately defeated by the Czech Republic’s team, more than 100 Swiss supporters and guests from other nations (even two Czech fans found their way!) celebrated the beginning of the third biggest sport event worldwide, attracting more than a billion people to Switzerland and Austria for the upcoming month.

MIT Club of Boston: Gala Evening at Boston's Museum of Fine Arts

At this year's Gala Evening, the MIT Club of Boston celebrated MIT's International Programs. Switzerland was one of the main sponsors by providing every guest with a Swiss bag filled with travel guides, CDs, books and chocolate. The Consulate of Switzerland in Boston was represented by Christoph von Arb and his wife Kathleen. The Black Tie Dinner was preceded with Cultural performances from India, Macedonia and China at the Museum of Fine Arts and was a welcome opportunity for the Director of swissnex Boston to discuss with the President of MIT, Dr. Susan Hockfield many international issues confronting MIT today as the dinner progressed. MIT is not only committed to offer its best students more opportunities to study abroad, it also understands the need of gaining first hand experience in other cultural environments around the world and provide specific opportunities to that end such as the MISTI program. Dr. Hockfield showed great interest in further developping the ties with ETH and EPFL and again apologized for not being able to receive then Presidents of Swiss Universities during their UMEC 2008 visit in Boston a week later.

                

UMEC

May 11-16, 2008

An incredibly insightful, diverse and valuable week has passed. swissnex Boston organized a weeklong study trip along the east coast for the majority of the nine Swiss University Presidents and Vice Presidents. To tackle a series of issues associated with the presidency of a University, we offered in depth encounters with University management and leadership at Boston University, Olin College, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Yale University, meetings with MIT’s former president Charles Vest and the president of the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges Richard Legon at the Embassy of Switzerland in Washington, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech), and back up the coast to a meeting with young Swiss studying in Boston as well as with Glenn Strehle, MIT’s Treasurer Emeritus.
The mix of private and public, Ivy League, small and large, north and south, young and old, traditional and unconventional could not have been more prominent. However, as the week progressed and issues such as university structures and governance, funding and fundraising, global competition and networks, endowment and investment as well as truly impacting missions and philosophies were discussed in formal meetings, lunches, dinners and receptions, these initial difference started to blur. While each university has its own special history and presence, the questions and challenges they are facing are very similar.
Apart from the transatlantic exchanges, the value of the majority of Swiss university presidents’ having more than time- limited business exchanges with other rectorate members became a truly cherished the opportunity.
Swissnex Boston would like to thank all the incredible and fascinating people who have made this week only the beginning of many more fruitful contacts, exchanges and co-operations.

Delegation of Canton de Vaud visits Boston

swissnex Boston was delighted to welcome to the Boston area, Minister Mermoud (Economy) and a delegation of Canton de Vaud. In addition to Mr. Mermoud, the delegation was composed of Jacques Pasche, Executive Director, DEWS, Jean-Frederick Berthoud, Executive Director, DEV, and Lionel Eperon, Chef du service de l'economie, du logement et du tourisme. During their short stay in Boston, the delegates met with entrepreneurs and student leaders to talk about collaborative opportunities between Boston and Canton de Vaud. They visited both MIT and Harvard to meet with Faculty and Students. The delegation was coming from Canada and continued to New York at the end of a busy day.

Executive MBA Seminar Universities of Applied Sciences Bern and St.Gallen

The collaboration between the Universities of Applied Sciences Bern and St.Gallen, the Babson College and swissnex Boston provided the participants of the Executive MBA Program 2008 with an outstanding experience also during this year’s stay.

After their mostly theoretical 4-day-seminar on “Innovation to Market” at Babson, swissnex Boston offered two days full of different possibilities to get hands on accounts from people’s direct experiences. Besides the lively presentations from people who bridge Switzerland with the United States, the participants attended a workshop at which they had to prove their own innovation ability. On the second day, the group first visited Biogen Idec and then Patrick Dolberg (President and CEO U.S. part) welcomed the executives at the facilities of Holcim’s U.S. headquarter engaging in a lively exchange.

Groundbreaking

We are very excited to inform you that construction of our 2nd floor
pavilion at 420 Broadway has finally started and we anticipate to move
back by November.

Groundbreaking took place last Tuesday May 6, 2008. Please stop by
from time to time to check the progress of the work.

I’m looking forward to your being back on Broadway; it’s a couple blocks down the street from where I live - Bette Davis

The swissnex San Francisco team wishes its colleagues in Boston all
the best for the construction phase and looks forward to visiting you
in your new offices asap ! - Christian Simm

great news and great to have an ETA of completion for the Swissnex
building I am sure. - Karen Feinberg

Human Rights

Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, Human Security Division	Federal Department of Interior, State Secretariat for Education and Research
Karl Popper Foundation, Zug-Switzerland	THINK SWISS – BRAINSTORM THE FUTURE

A joint venture between Harvard University and the Consulate of Switzerland/swissnex Boston, the Rights of the Child conference, held on Monday, May 5, 2008, has been a long time coming.  In May of 2006, swissnex Boston, formerly SHARE, hosted a panel discussion on the formation of the new UN Human Rights Council whose inaugural meeting took place on June 19, 2006.  Led by Professor Jacqueline Bhabha, Professor Walter Kälin, and Swiss Ambassador to the UN New York Peter Maurer, the two-day event included discussions on the formation of the new council as well as general human rights topics.  A year later, the highly successful être Human Rights Exhibtion was held from April until July of 2007 at Logan International Airport.  In conjunction with a Human Rights lecture held at Harvard University by Swiss Ambassador to the UN Geneva Blaise Godet, swissnex Boston continues its long history of holding human rights related events with the Spring, 2008 Rights of the Child Conference and the Fall, 2008 Property Rights Conference. more

Think Swiss/MIT Museum Climate Change Walking Tour

As part of the Cambridge Science Festival and within the framework of the ThinkSwiss program, swissnex Boston, the Swiss consulate, and the MIT Museum organized the second Climate Change Walking Tour.
Starting at the MIT Museum with some unique climate change demos, animations, and hands-on workshops especially for kids, the participants had a unique opportunity to learn about climate change science and solutions by walking the route through the MIT campus to various zones with interactive displays and experts. Despite of the rainy weather, lots of water proved attendees followed the competent tour guides.

      
In addition, each family or participant could calculate its own carbon footprint by walking the trail and replying to questions. A cool prop will allowed the participants to visually realize their footprints!
At the end, we offered to the first 200 finishers a “Green Swiss cookie” and an eco friendly gift. And of course also during the trail there was the occasion to taste various flavors of chocolate offered by Lindt.

Sierra Leone Day at Harvard

April 26, 2008
Sierra Leone Day at Harvard
co-sponsored by:
the Consulate of Switzerland

David Sengeh Harvard student and former guide at the Swiss Human Rights Exhibition être at Logan airport organized with his team from the Harvard College Sierra Leone Initiative a festive and meaningful day in honor of Sierra Leone’s 47th Independence Day. The events started with a moving discussion with former child soldier Ishmael Beah, author of the book A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier. The second part included a panel discussion with Sierra Leone’s most known scholar, 93 year old Dr. Karefa-Smart, Ishmael Beah, popular artist Isaiah Washington and Eleanor Thompson, a 2005 Harvard Graduate. The day ended in a dinner in honor of the 4 panelists and the moderator of the day, Cynthia Mesh. The Consulate of Switzerland donated the books Realizing the Rights of the Child and Human Security and Business for panelists and participants. More info: http://www.hcs.harvard.edu/hcsli/events.html

Prof. Walter Kälin at Wellesley College

March 19, Prof. Walter Kälin at Wellesley College

On March 19, Prof. Walter Kälin held a well received lecture at Wellesley's Slater International Center. His presentation "A common standard of achievement?
Human Rights 60 Years after the Universal Declaration” focused on the many amazing achievements in the field of human rights over the last 60 years. Nevertheless, there are plenty of opportunities in the world to promote justice and dignity for all.

The over 60 highly interested students took full advantage of the opportunity to ask Prof. Kälin a great number of meaningful questions. A Swiss style reception concluded this successful event.

Walter Kaelin is a Professor of constitutional and international public law at the Faculty of Law of Bern, Switzerland. From 1991 to 1992 he served as a Special Rapporteur of the Commission on Human Rights on the situation of human rights in Kuwait under Iraqi occupation. He is currently a member of the United Nations Human Rights Committee and was also one of the key drafters of the Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement. Prof. Kaelin is the Special Representative of the UN Secretary General on the human rights of internally displaced persons.

AFS INTERCULTURAL EVENT

The Consulate of Switzerland-swissnex Boston

April 9, 2008, 6.30 pm, info-networking event

Visit NWNY University of Applied Sciences Northwestern Switzerland

As a part of their project “Networking New York” (NWNY), swissnex Boston hosted a group of twenty people from the University of Applied Sciences Northwestern Switzerland from March 25th to the 26th. The students’ project consisted of two interdisciplinary seminars. One seminar has been held in Olten (Switzerland) in February, the other one in New York City and Boston in March.

Their first day in Boston was tightly packed: the Boston seminar began with a short introduction to innovation and entrepreneurship.  Inspired by Pascal Marmier who lead a discussion about the changes in the management strategy of IBM, Bettina Hein, a young entrepreneur, shared her experience in building up successful startups, Consul General Christoph von Arb welcomed the group to the one of a kind science and technology consulate, and Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Researches opened their door for an introduction in their business and a company tour.

The second day started with a guided tour through Harvard College and a presentation on “U.S. politics” held by Thomas Aeschi from the Kennedy School of Governance. The morning was completed by David Kaufmann who shared his thoughts about being an entrepreneur and founding his own company. Afterwards, Tim Rowe revealed the many ways his Cambridge Innovation Center (where swissnex Boston is currently located) fosters networking.

In the afternoon, the trip was concluded by several highlights at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT): two young Swiss scientists (Manuel Oechslin and Yvonne Moret) enriched the program with a presentation about “Wealth creation and international development” and a campus tour. Finally, a lecture held by Professor Paulo Goncalves put the finishing touch to the program.

We thank all the contributors who helped us providing a variegated bouquet of agenda items and we are looking forward to welcome the next NWNY group in Boston.

Ouverture de la Quinzaine de la Francophonie 2008 et 3ème petit déjeuner annuel «réseautage» science et technologie

Diploma defense with HES-SO Valais (visio-conference)

Fabien Kuchler, a student at the University of Applied Sciences in Sion, Switzerland (HES-SO Valais), did his diploma work in Boston. He worked
for six months at the Schepens Eye Research Institute (SERI), an affiliate of Harvard Medical School, under the supervision of Francois Delori, Senior Scientist at the SERI and Associate Professor of ophtalmology at the Harvard Medical School.The purpose of the work was to do the conception of a small reflectometer to measure the reflectance spectrum of the iris. The oral defense of the diploma work has been done by visio-conference at Swissnex, the Consulate of Switzerland in Boston.Contact HES-SO Valais : www.hevs.ch

Contact Fabien : fabienkuchler@netplus.ch

Members of Swiss Parliament are visiting Boston

On February 12th and 13th, swissnex Boston hosted a parliamentary delegation from Switzerland, consisting of four members of the Swiss Council of State (Staenderat) and the National Council (Nationalrat). The parliamentarians – Peter Briner, FDP; Christian Miesch, SVP; Walter Mueller, FDP; and Johannes Randegger, FDP – are part of the Friends of Switzerland Caucus, and before meeting with their counterparts in Congress in Washington, DC they spent two days in Boston.

The delegation started a very busy day on Tuesday morning with a visit to the Cambridge Innovation Center where the Consulate of Switzerland has its temporary offices. The group was welcomed by Consul Christoph von Arb and met with Tim Rowe, CEO of CIC and Andreas Goeldi, Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer of Buzzient Inc. Andreas talked about his experience as a Swiss entrepreneur in the Boston area. Next on the agenda was a visit to Boston University where Doug Sears, Associate Provost and Assistant to the President for Outreach and Special Initiatives, talked about higher education in the United States. A luncheon followed at the Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research (NIBR) with Mark Fishman, President of NIBR and member of the Executive Committee of Novartis. Also attending were Christian Klee, NIBR CFO, Jeff Elton, NIBR COO, and Jeff Lockwood, Executive Director for Communications. The topic was on the “Globalization of Science”.

After a well-deserved break, the members of Parliament visited the construction site of the Swiss Consulate and the future of swissnex Boston at 420 Broadway before meeting with Professor Jacqueline Bhabha who is the Executive Director of the Harvard University Committee on Human Rights Studies to talk about cooperation between Harvard University and Switzerland in the area of human rights. The last meeting of the day took place at Highland Capital Partners where Paul Maeder, Managing General Partner, talked about the role of venture capital in the innovation economy. The day concluded in Lexington where Christoph von Arb welcomed over 90 guests for a reception at his residence while six young Swiss scientists and entrepreneurs from various fields presented on their research and work in the U.S.

On Wednesday morning, the delegation met with a number of Swiss students at MIT to discuss the academic, professional and personal experiences of studying in the United States. Professor Herbert Einstein then met with the group to talk about the background of MIT including his (Swiss) perspective. Following an early light lunch with Claude Bruderlein who presented his research on human security and conflict which is funded by the Political Division IV of the Swiss Ministry of Foreign Afffairs, the group departed to Washington, DC where Ambassador Urs Ziswiler would welcome the group for a reception at his residence the same night.

swissnex Boston participates for the second time at the MIT European Career Fair!

swissnex Boston was one of 143 companies and organizations that participated in the 12th MIT European Career Fair. The objective of the fair is to bring European employers and highly qualified individuals interested in a career in Europe together. The swissnex Boston team, supported this year by Anders Hagstrom from ETH Zurich, offered free chocolate sponsored by Lindt & Sprungli. In addition, we gave away a career-building round-trip ticket to Switzerland sponsored by Swiss International Airlines. The winner, David John Grasso-Ortega from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government, will take the opportunity to travel to Switzerland this spring in order to organize a summer internship.

We informed a diverse audience of young researchers, professionals and students ranging from undergrads to post-docs about opportunities in science and technology in Switzerland. The “Swiss brand” displayed by the flag and the word “Switzerland” on our poster proved once more to be a magnet and attracted a lot of science and technology graduates from leading universities in the New England area. We had many requests for information including questions about contacts in the private sector for possible internships to the various PhD programs at Swiss universities. In addition, over fifty people used the opportunity and signed up on our mailing list to keep informed on a regular basis about the many events at swissnex.

Holcim (US) Inc, Aggregate Industries Northeast Region, and the Consulate of Switzerland/swissnex boston: Joint Holiday Party - December 11, 2007

“That was probably the most far-reaching holiday celebration I've ever attended: literally, from the bottom of the ocean floor at the Aquarium to the top of the world in the Eiger film!”

“It was a fantastic party! Many thanks to everyone who made it possible.”

“Thank you so much for the lovely party last night! The speakers and IMAX film were inspiring, and the party at the Aquarium was well-organized and comfortable, making for easy conversation with new friends. I appreciated being included, and am ready to hop on a plane to see the Alps for myself!”

Dr. Bertrand Piccard in Boston

The Consulate of Switzerland-swissnex Boston was happy to sponsor a lecture series given by Dr. Bertrand Piccard, aka “Le Savanturier,” world-renown scientist and adventurer. Son of famous deep ocean diver Jacques Piccard and grandson of Auguste Piccard, inventor of the principle of the pressurized cockpit, Dr. Bertrand Piccard was captain of Breitling Orbiter 3, the first ever non-stop round-the-world flight in a hot air balloon. Bertrand Piccard’s latest project ‘solarimpulse’ aims to circle the globe in a solar powered airplane.

Dr. Piccard spoke to enthusiastic audiences at Boston University, MIT, and Logan Airport about how balloon flight can symbolize a new philosophy of life. In this metaphor, the balloon is a captive of the winds that propel it, just as man is a prisoner of his certitudes, his problems, or his destiny; but, in the same way that a balloon can change altitude to find currents which will change its direction, humans can rise up psychologically or spiritually to reassume responsibility for the direction of our existence.

Inspiring one hundred fifty people at MIT, over one hundred people at BU, and fifty people at Logan International Airport, Dr. Piccard’s lectures attracted a great number of new contacts for the Consulate of Switzerland-swissnex Boston. Dr. Piccard’s visit is a follow-up to last year’s video conference, an event related to the Semaine de la Francophonie. The Consulate of Switzerland offered a Swiss Style Reception for attendees of the lectures.

Links:
www.bertrandpiccard.com
www.solarimpulse.com

 This event was made possible by ‘ThinkSwiss – brainstorm the future’, a US-wide program of Presence Switzerland, the Swiss State Secretariat for Education and Research, and the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs. www.thinkswiss.org, www.presence.ch

Itinerary and photos of Dr. Bertrand Piccard’s visit to Boston

Comments of visitors:

Indeed it was an exemplary lecture: full of personal warmth, insight into human nature, and intelligent analysis, as well as being entrepreneurial, world-centric and visually pleasing.
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There is nothing more stimulating than hearing a lecturer thinking outside the box. I thoroughly enjoyed the presentation. The key here is to keep stretching your abilities with determination and focus. Too few people do this with any regularity.
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Yes, all went well and the interview aired this past weekend. The callers and listeners were most impressed.

Thank you *VERY* much, it was a fantastic lecture!

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This is to express our deepest appreciation for the opportunity to hear Dr. Bertand Piccard's most inspirational address, to meet and talk with him, and to meet both of you and enjoy your wonderful Swiss hospitality. It was a very special opportunity and occasion.

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- I appreciated the depth of information that he presented. It has caused me to reflect often over the last several days;

- His idea of change through win-win solutions is interesting in that it reminds us that those are the lasting solutions rather than the short-term quick "wins";

- Adventure without purpose or without some value is very important and not something I thought much about until he shared his view. Climbing higher, going faster, lasting longer… great, but what's the contribution? Good point.

- The 80/20 study is also interesting (and I'd like to find it). That is, we only control about 20% of our lives.

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Thank you for a wonderful lecture and reception. It was a pleasure to experience both! I would particularly like to thank Mr. Piccard for his articulation of the idea that a human being, truly bereft of the ability to acquire what they absolutely need, will take it for free. At this moment in time, when much of American policy seems to deny this basic fact of individual and societal behavior, the direct nature of the statement was disarming and thought-provoking. Although American history certainly has examples extreme and devastating poverty, I often think the size of our country makes it difficult to impress that kind of immediate threat and desperation upon our collective cultural memory. Our overblown and historically inaccurate sense of pros