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Is Swiss university prowess in jeopardy?

This content was published on Feb 20, 2014 Universities recently learned that their participation in the European Union’s Horizon2020 funding programme, as well as the Erasmus Europe-wide student exchange, could be withdrawn after the immigration vote, which calls for a re-negotiation of the free movement of people agreement with the European Union. University rectors have sent a letter to the Swiss government expressing…

Immigration: one vote, many questions

This content was published on Feb 20, 2014 Who is affected by the curb on immigration? The amendment to the federal constitution requires upper limits and annual quotas for immigrants. This could affect every foreigner who wants to move to Switzerland: EU citizens, workers from third (non-EU) states, cross-border workers and asylum seekers. Will there also be consequences for foreigners already living in…

Most Swiss gold is exported to Asia

This content was published on Feb 20, 2014 The Asian market, including countries such as Hong Kong, India and Singapore, was the primary purchaser of Swiss gold and silver bullion and coins in January 2014, according to the customs administration. The top five purchasers were all countries in Asia, and made up more than 80% of the total worth of CHF6.9 billion ($7.8…

Ants build rafts to escape flood, protect queen

This content was published on Feb 20, 2014 During flooding, worker ants link bodies and protect the most vulnerable and valuable nest mate, the queen, by placing her in the centre of the raft, according to research released by scientific publisher PLOS ONE on Wednesday. When put in harm’s way, social animals are often able to work together to enhance the survival and…

After 20 years, Alpine truck traffic still not on track

This content was published on Feb 20, 2014 On that night of February 20, 1994, then-transport minister Adolf Ogi must have had trouble getting to sleep. The nation’s voters had just accepted the “Alpine Initiative”. The “yes” side had won with 51.9% of the votes and 19 cantons out of 26, and the popular Swiss People’s Party politician had just acquired the dubious distinction,…

ESA approves space telescope project

This content was published on Feb 20, 2014 The 1.5-metre-long telescope is to be placed into orbit at the end of 2017, 800 kilometres above the Earth. There, its job will be to help observe 500 particularly bright stars outside the Earth’s solar system, as well as any planets that may orbit them. The name of the project, CHEOPS, stands for “Characterizing Exoplanet…

Racism watchdog calls immigration vote a ‘setback’

This content was published on Feb 19, 2014 Sabine Simkhovitch-Dreyfus, vice-president of the Federal Commission against Racism, spoke to swissinfo.ch on the day Switzerland defended its race relations record before the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) in Geneva as part of a regular country review. Drawing on the findings, she examines the impact of the recent vote in favour of…

Minister seeks damage limitation after immigration vote

This content was published on Feb 18, 2014 Burkhalter, who acts as Swiss president this year, held talks in Berlin and Paris on Tuesday to explain the government’s refusal to sign a labour market accord with new EU member Croatia as a result of the ballot on February 9. He pledged to find a solution to apply the vote result which is not…

Tax evasion controversy shifts east

This content was published on Feb 18, 2014 Philip Marcovici, who has advised governments such as Liechtenstein on addressing the crackdown on tax evasion, spoke to swissinfo.ch after recent revelations from the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists. The ICIJ has accused Swiss banks of helping relatives of Chinese leaders set up opaque financial structures in far flung tax havens. The ICIJ claims, using…

Mobile academics – brain drain or circulation?

This content was published on Feb 17, 2014 When Meghali Randive arrived at the University of Zurich from India to take up her scholarship for German studies in 2008, she had a bit of a culture shock. “I did not realise how different Swiss German was to the High German I had learned in India,” she recalled. Six years on, and working towards…

Internal: Archive

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Internal: Archive

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Is Swiss university prowess in jeopardy?

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Immigration: one vote, many questions

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Most Swiss gold is exported to Asia

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Ants build rafts to escape flood, protect queen

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After 20 years, Alpine truck traffic still not on track

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ESA approves space telescope project

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Racism watchdog calls immigration vote a ‘setback’

More

Minister seeks damage limitation after immigration vote

More

Tax evasion controversy shifts east

More

Mobile academics – brain drain or circulation?

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