Sara Pasino

Online journalist, distribution specialist

I oversee the distribution and social media channels for the English department and write news articles in English. I studied modern languages, English, and Russian literature, then completed an MA in international journalism in Cardiff. After that, I worked for BBC Education in Manchester for a few years before moving to Switzerland.

English Department

Photo of a woman in front of parliament in Bern

Swiss Abroad

Switzerland’s strangest votes: from women’s rights to cows’ horns

This content was published on Sep 18, 2025 In the lead-up to these decisions, we’ve taken a look back at some of the most unusual and sometimes bizarre referendums ever held in Switzerland.

Swiss neutrality: your questions answered – Part three

This content was published on Sep 17, 2025 Swiss neutrality isn’t always easy to understand. You sent us your questions, and we’ve answered a selection of them.

Swiss neutrality: your questions answered – Part two

This content was published on Sep 10, 2025 Swiss neutrality isn’t always easy to understand. You sent us your questions, and we’ve answered a selection of them.

Swiss neutrality: your questions answered – Part one

This content was published on Sep 3, 2025 Swiss neutrality isn’t always easy to understand. You sent us your questions, and we’ve answered a selection of them.

Neutrality

Swiss neutrality: your questions answered

This content was published on Sep 3, 2025 Swiss neutrality isn’t always easy to understand. You sent us your questions, and we’ve answered a selection of them.

Swiss Abroad

Between two worlds: Thomas Badat, a Canadian wrestler with a Swiss heart

This content was published on Aug 29, 2025 Swiss-Canadian wrestler Thomas Badat returns to Switzerland for his third Schwingfest. What does it mean to be a Schwinger from the Swiss Abroad community?

Swiss Abroad

Swiss wrestlers from abroad are proud of their tradition

This content was published on Aug 29, 2025 Six Swiss expats from North America are heading to Mollis in canton Glarus, for the 2025 Federal Wrestling and Alpine Games Festival (Schwingfest).

Photo of a young woman in a street with Swiss flag in the background.

Swiss Abroad

Why is the Swiss flag square?

This content was published on Aug 7, 2025 The Swiss flag is one of only two national flags in the world that are square. Why does it have this unique shape and where does it come from?

A woman speaking into a microphone with an airport in the background.

Climate solutions

Truth or tale: is Switzerland injecting harmful chemicals into the sky?

This content was published on Aug 2, 2025 We received a number of social media comments referencing the “chemtrails” conspiracy theory, but is that true?

Swiss position

Figure it out: in Switzerland, migration isn’t just inbound

This content was published on Aug 1, 2025 The high immigration figures for Switzerland make it easy to forget that not everyone who arrives is going to stay. ⁠

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Swiss Abroad

Why is Switzerland’s national anthem not widely known among its citizens?

This content was published on Jul 31, 2025 In this video, we explore the story behind the Swiss Psalm, how it came to be and why so few Swiss know the lyrics.

Locarno City Archives, Rodolfo Huber, Locarno Pact centenary

War & peace

How Locarno became the ‘city of peace’

This content was published on Jul 9, 2025 The Swiss city of Locarno rose to diplomatic fame in 1925 when a set of post-war treaties were negotiated there, leaving behind an enduring legacy of peace and tolerance.

Swiss oddities

Feline felons: The issue with Switzerland’s free-roaming cats

This content was published on Jun 5, 2025 Cats kill millions of birds, frogs and other animals every year in Switzerland.

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Swiss diplomacy

How a Swiss fund helps Global South artists connect with rest of the world

This content was published on May 16, 2025 SWI swissinfo.ch speaks to Ghanaian artist Ibrahim Mahama as cuts to Switzerland's cultural development assistance budget looms.

Democracy

The Swiss militia principle – what’s it all about?

This content was published on May 14, 2025 The militia principle is a special feature of Swiss democracy, as this video explains.

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Swiss position

Truth or tale: does Switzerland send its unusable old cars to Africa?

This content was published on Apr 9, 2025 A reader asked if it was true that Switzerland sends large waste items, such as unusable old cars, to countries in Africa. We went in search of an answer.

Patient safety

Lost stem cells: the scandal of a Swiss cord blood bank

This content was published on Mar 21, 2025 Imagine placing all your hopes on your baby’s stem cells to save their life or yours, only to fear seeing that hope vanish along with your child’s cells.

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Demographics

Why it’s so hard to be a working woman in Switzerland

This content was published on Mar 20, 2025 Despite Switzerland's high wages, working conditions for women remain among the worst in the OECD.

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Inside SWI

How we work: the impact of our investigations

This content was published on Dec 28, 2024 How do SWI swissinfo.ch journalists conduct their investigations, and what impact do they have?

Sara Pisano talks to students about how AI could change their futures.

Is AI making young people rethink their careers?

This content was published on Dec 16, 2024 We spoke with vocational school students in Bern to hear their thoughts on AI and discuss the potential risks it poses to their careers.