More How hardworking really are the Swiss? How hardworking really are the Swiss? Jul 6, 2020 Switzerland has a reputation as a hardworking, punctual, and precise country. But does the picture stand up to a reality check?
More Private university thinks like a business to tackle skills shortage Jul 5, 2020 Entrepreneur responds to IT skills shortage by establishing a private university, to be run like a business for the needs of business.
A global wake-up call Jul 5, 2020 World leaders must heed this wake-up call and come together to address global fragilities, says UN Secretary-General.
More Coronavirus: the situation in Switzerland Jul 5, 2020 After imposing strict restrictions, Switzerland has eased measures. But since mid-June there has been a worrying rise in new cases.
Will the United Nations soon be obsolete? Is the international order capable of meeting the enormous challenges facing states and societies around the world?
More Impact investing: one eye on the wallet, the other on the planet Jul 4, 2020 Swiss start-up Yova hopes to bring transparency to the growing impact investment sector.
More Switzerland misses its emissions targets Jul 3, 2020 Why won't Switzerland meet its climate targets set for 2020?
Join the discussion Life & Aging Geraldine Wong Sak Hoi Have you been confronted with rumours or misleading claims about Covid-19? How have you dealt with them?
More Coronavirus: A turning point for telehealth in Switzerland Jul 1, 2020 The Covid-19 pandemic has given a new impetus to telehealth, with lockdown leading to an increase in remote medical consultations.
More Warning from Geneva: perpetrators of Libyan atrocities will be held accountable Jun 30, 2020 Geneva-based political scientist Hasni Abidi discusses the recent UN Human Rights Council resolution on the Libyan conflict.
More Resisting Covid-19 ‘fake news’ with a high dose of public trust Jun 29, 2020 Like the pandemic, Covid-19 misinformation has affected some countries more than others. Where does Switzerland sit on the “infodemic” spectrum?
More Why foreign residents trust the authorities more than the Swiss Jun 28, 2020 The Swiss have a high level of trust in their political institutions but foreign residents are even more trusting. Sociologists weigh in.
More Swiss sustainable finance: world leader or wishful thinking? Jul 2, 2020 Defining the exact nature of sustainable finance and measuring its performance is an ongoing challenge that needs to be solved.
Why melting glaciers affect us all Alpine glaciers could disappear by the end of the century. The consequences will be felt not only in Switzerland’s mountains but throughout Europe.
More Did terrorists once plot to blow up the Swiss government? Jan 28, 2019 Was it a real anarchist conspiracy or a fabrication by a German hairdresser? We look at a 19th century plot to blow up the federal government in Bern.
More The bombers of Zurich: how two Russians shaped Swiss history Feb 25, 2019 In 1889, a Russian student in Zurich accidentally blew himself up. In the aftermath of the incident, a crackdown on undesirables in Switzerland.
More ‘Empress stabbed in the heart’ Mar 25, 2019 In 1898 the Empress Elisabeth of Austria was killed in Geneva by an Italian anarchist - a dramatic case that aroused strong feelings around the world.
More When bombs shook Geneva Apr 29, 2019 In the early 1900s, Geneva was the site of two explosions. Both of them were the work of anarchists amid turbulent times for Switzerland.
More Murder at the Grand Hotel: a deadly mix-up Aug 12, 2019 In 1906, a young Russian woman shoots a French businessman in a hotel in the Swiss mountain village of Interlaken.
More How a Montreux bank heist led to calls for the death penalty Sep 16, 2019 In the early 1900s Switzerland was rocked by a wave of terror incidents by foreign anarchists living in the Alpine country.
More When Zurich smelled the smoke of the ‘red terror’ Nov 1, 2019 In 1907 an attack on the police barracks in Zurich and a bomb blast that injured children sparked national outrage. Were the Russians behind it?
More Swiss mercenaries helped spread colonialism in faraway lands Mar 20, 2020 In the 19th century, young Swiss men from modest backgrounds helped do some of the dirty work of foreign colonial forces in Asia and Africa.
More The Swiss textile industry’s unsavoury past Sep 19, 2019 Slave trade, colonial exploitation and religious conversion all led to the establishment of Switzerland’s textile industry and boosted its wealth.
More How Swiss direct democracy deals with xenophobia Jun 4, 2020 “Italians go back to Italy” was the slogan used in an initiative 50 years ago. Why does the fear of non-Swiss keep coming back?
More Switzerland’s exclusive democracy Switzerland’s exclusive democracy Jun 26, 2020 Since the creation of the Swiss federal state in 1848, the number of people gaining voting rights has risen steadily.
More Switzerland launches SwissCovid tracing app for residents Jun 25, 2020 Swiss residents will be able to download the new SwissCovid contact tracing app from June 25.
Once a ‘playground’ for the few, the Alps are now an amusement park for all Swiss Alpine resorts are installing rides and other attractions on their slopes.
Is it the toughest job at the UN? Jun 27, 2020 Imogen Foulkes reflects on her recent interview with Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, who was UN High Commissioner for Human Rights from 2014-2018.
Why people always ignore my Swiss identity Jun 22, 2020 Alexandre Afonso says his surname and appearance mean many people struggle to see him as Swiss.
Debunked: What we thought was true about Switzerland Tell friends that you are visiting Switzerland and, inevitably, some of the reaction will come loaded with clichés.
More Should the Swiss stop sorting their trash? Jun 23, 2020 Switzerland has a reputation for its user-led approach to recycling. A provocative analysis suggests that entrepreneurs and machines should take over.
More What remains of Swiss democracy after Covid-19 measures? May 22, 2020 Parliament was cancelled. A referendum was postponed. The government ruled alone by emergency decree. Where does that leave direct democracy?
More Should we draw lots for fairer elections? Jun 26, 2019 Two researchers from the University of Lausanne have been studying the notion of chance in politics.
More How to motivate young adults to participate in politics Aug 10, 2018 Voter turnout among young adults is well below the population average. We discover the true political interests of young people.
More What is federalism? Sep 7, 2018 In Switzerland, state power is spread over three levels: the federal government, the 26 cantons and the 2,222 municipalities.
More Making your voice heard in a democracy Sep 8, 2017 How do people find their political fit and motivation, particularly migrants?
More Politics: the tough task of educating the Swiss Feb 22, 2019 Is it a surprise that it can be a challenge to promote political education even in a country with a highly developed system of direct democracy?
More How to serve up an initiative that is hard to digest May 25, 2018 Some Swiss votes can be very technical and the need for independent viewpoints is vital. But experts can be incomprehensible and not very neutral.
More Citizens’ Juries – providing a neutral recommendation on voting issues Dec 21, 2018 Switzerland plans to test the use of a citizens’ jury whereby a few randomly selected citizens provide a balanced assessment of voting issues.
More How to implement successful people's initiatives Oct 13, 2017 After the people vote in favour of an initiative, parliament gets to work. How do they make new decisions compatible with existing laws?
More When you cast your vote far from home Aug 18, 2017 Why do the Swiss abroad vote differently from the Swiss at home? An expert takes a closer look at the political profile of the Swiss diaspora.
