In Depth

Content about the topic

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in depth Educating Switzerland

How does Switzerland turn out enough skilled workers? Do Swiss universities fare well on the world stage? Which languages are taught in Swiss schools?

in depth Innovation: Switzerland discovers

From basic scientific research to industrial R&D, we bring you stories of how knowledge born in Switzerland has informed and inspired the world.

in depth Making Switzerland home

Expat, immigrant, foreigner: Whatever you call yourself, you’re in good company. One in four people living in Switzerland is not Swiss.

in depth 500 years of the Reformation

Events to mark 500 years of the Protestant Reformation will have particular significance in Switzerland, thanks to the reformers Calvin and Zwingli.

in depth Ueli Steck - a life in mountaineering

Steck was a record-breaking Swiss climber who pushed boundaries and lived to take on ever more challenging feats in the mountains.

in depth Nouvo

Nouvo brings you short videos about Switzerland, Swiss current affairs and the wider world. Keep up to date and watch the videos wherever you are, ...

in depth Fact checks by swissinfo.ch

Ever seen a newspaper headline or a campaign poster and wondered, “Is that true?” Our goal is to verify factual statements public figures make ...

in depth Surrounded by Europe

A vote approving the re-introduction of immigration quotas for EU citizens has placed Swiss-EU relations in question.

in depth Indian intersection

Switzerland and India may seem like poles apart but they have more in common than you think.

in depth Swiss story

We wondered: What would happen if we asked people to tell us their Swiss stories, on video?

in depth Pressure on the financial sector

Swiss banks are struggling to cope with the aftershock of the financial crisis, tougher regulations, the end of banking secrecy and a series of ...

in depth Points of view

swissinfo.ch publishes op-ed articles by contributors writing on a wide range of topics – Swiss issues or those that impact Switzerland. Over ...

in depth The “capital of peace”

Geneva is known as a hub for dozens of international organisations, the United Nations and over 250 non-governmental agencies.

in depth Getting the job done

The Swiss apprentice system is admired the world over, as are the high wages and low unemployment rates. The job market can be tough though.

in depth A safe haven

For some, asylum seekers are a drain on the economy and a threat to social stability; for others, helping them is a cornerstone of Switzerland’s ...

in depth WEF Davos 2017

What were the big talking points of the 47th WEF annual meeting?

in depth Phasing out nuclear power

Voters have rejected plans for a 45-year limit to Switzerland's nuclear power plants.

in depth Child victims of the system

Despite Switzerland's current reputation as a wealthy country, as recently as the 1970s children from poor families were routinely sent by the ...

in depth Reforming FIFA

Having football's governing body headquartered in Zurich has been both a benefit and bane to Switzerland. With Swiss president Sepp Blatter ...

in depth The Gotthard: a tunnel carving out history

The Gotthard Tunnel is a symbol of Swiss identity and development. It’s the meeting point of Switzerland’s different languages and cultures, as ...

in depth Soaring with Solar Impulse

Solar Impulse 2 (Si2) was the first aircraft of its kind to circle the globe – flown by two Swiss pilots and making several stops along the way.

in depth The Swiss Bridge to Iran

Decades of Swiss outreach through diplomacy, business and other shared interests have played a role among efforts to bring Iran back into the fold ...

in depth Extraordinary expats

Switzerland has been home to a number of international writers, actors, musicians, intellectuals and other notable people.

in depth ‘We shall not stay long’

During the 19th century people left Switzerland’s Italian-speaking canton of Ticino for a better life abroad. Large numbers went to Australia, the ...

in depth The Short Wave Service during WWII

The Second World War broke out 76 years ago. Switzerland’s neutrality meant it stayed out of the conflict, but its conduct during this period was ...

in depth First World War

Although neutral Switzerland stayed in the background during the First World War, it was surrounded by warring nations and couldn’t avoid being ...

in depth The Swiss and their guns

Switzerland has one of the highest gun ownership rates in the world because of its militia army. The defence ministry estimates that some two ...

in depth MDGs and beyond

The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), established in 2000 to tackle the world's biggest problems, expired in 2015. How successful have they been?

in depth Cultural and natural jewels in Switzerland

The country has no fewer than 11 UNESCO World Heritage sites – places of historical importance which should be preserved for future generations.

in depth The cost of living in Switzerland

What does a franc really get you in a country considered one of the world's most expensive places to live? Our collection of stories on the topic.

in depth The Swiss music scene

There’s a lot more to the Swiss music scene than yodelling and accordions.

in depth Faces of Switzerland

To offer you a fresh glimpse of Swiss society and its diversity, this swissinfo.ch series from 2013 tells the stories of “ordinary” people of all ...

in depth 150 years of the Geneva Convention

The first Geneva Convention, signed over 150 years ago, lay the cornerstone for the work of the Geneva-based International Committee of the Red ...

in depth All vote results: November 30 2014

On November 30th 2014 voters rejected all three proposals in question: One from a group of ecologists to limit population growth by capping ...

in depth High costs: healthcare and eating out

Voters clearly rejected initiatives to create a single health insurance scheme and a level VAT playing field for restaurants and takeaways in a ...

in depth Minimum wage and fighter jets make noise

Voters on May 18, 2014 clearly threw out a proposal to introduce what would have been the world's highest minimum wage. In a much closer result, ...

in depth Immigration quotas approved by voters

A controversial anti-immigration initiative won the Swiss electorate’s backing on February 9, 2014. On the same day, voters rejected a proposal ...

in depth Militia army system under public scrutiny

Swiss voters went to the polls to decide on a proposal to scrap conscription and replace the militia system with a professional army. As part of ...

in depth Salary disparities top ballot sheet

A proposal to limit top executive salaries at a one to 12 ratio against low-paid wages led the last round of nationwide votes in 2013. Also on the ...

in depth Snowden and Switzerland

When whistleblower and former CIA employee Edward Snowden made revelations about alleged illegal spying activities by the United States in Europe ...