Past Events 2008 / 2007

Upcoming Events

THE HIGGS PARTY
July, 2008
SWISSNEX SAN FRANCISCO
The world's biggest laboratory, CERN located in Geneva Switzerland will launch the world's biggest particle accelerator in the hope to find the secrets of the universe: dark matter, dark energy, extra dimensions, tiny black holes and the origins of mass itself! Come celebrate with us, when the first beam of protons enters the 17 miles long channel under earth..

CONTEMPORARY SWISS ARCHITECTURE: A CULTURE OF SUSTAINABILITY TRANSFORMED AND TRANSMITTED
FROM SEPTEMBER 24 TO NOVEMBER 7, 2008
AIA NY, CENTER FOR ARCHITECTURE
A series of three presentations, lectures and panel discussions involving three Swiss architects as well as New York architects, journalists and representatives of the responsible authorities (building legislation, town planning, New York city mayor Bloomberg’s important environmental plan PlanNYC2030, etc.) will be organized in fall in conjunction with the AIA. The Swiss architects’ presentation of their work - including regional, traditional and new materials and technologies being transformed into innovative design – will be confronted and discussed with U.S. needs and approaches. More information will follow.

APPRENTISHIP: A WAY TO REVITALIZE MANUFACTURING
JANUARY 1, 2007 - OCTOBER 31, 2008
PITTSBURGH, KANSAS CITY, SWITZERLAND, CHICAGO
Who will replace retiring baby boomers? What are our sources for tomorrow's broadly educated and trained knowledge workers? High schools and apprentiships? The community colleges? The universities? The associations? What should students learn?

"The project is designed to highlight the dual nature of the Swiss training system and to search for possible avenues of cooperation with US partners in the field of vocational training.

Switzerland has a traditional vocational training system featuring both a university education and an apprenticeship. This dual training system is one of the pillars of Swiss high tech innovation, and a business success which is disproportionate to its population of 7.5 Million. According to the US National Association of Manufacturers, 90% of their members reported in 2005 a severe shortage of qualified skilled production employees, and 65% could not find enough qualified engineers and scientists to fill open positions. In this context the need for more specific, practical ways of training becomes a pressing question for the future of US manufacturing". Click here for details.

U.S. FULBRIGHT SWISS SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM
2007/2008 ACADEMIC YEAR
SWISS UNIVERSITIES
For the 2007/2008 academic year, ThinkSwiss is funding one extra scholarship in the prestigious U.S. Fulbright Swiss Scholarship Program for a U.S. student studying for one year at a Swiss university. In a joint effort, Ambassador of the United States of America to Switzerland Peter Coneway and Ambassador of Switzerland to the United States of America Urs Ziswiler have pledged to raise funds to double the number of scholarships in both directions over the next few years.

Past Events

TRANSATLANTIC PITCHING SESSION
JUNE 19, 2008, 6:30pm
BOSTON, CAMBRIDGE INNOVATION CENTER
On Thursday June 19th, the Swiss “Start-up National Team” as well as Boston-based entrepreneurs were in high performing action! During this reception, every entrepreneur had 60 seconds to pitch an idea or business plan. For discussion afterwards there were five "entrepreneurial zones" (IT, Internet, Biotech, MedTech, high tech). The Swiss entrepreneurs met the local tech community and Boston-based entrepreneurs had a unique chance to interact with leading representatives of the innovation community in Switzerland such as the heads of the innovation agency (CTI), the entrepreneurship platform (venturelab) and the high tech investors association (CTI Invest). Representatives of other Swiss companies and organizations facilitating investments were also present.

This event took place in the context of the 8th edition of venture leaders, an entrepreneurial “bootcamp” that brought 20 entrepreneurs from Switzerland to the Boston area to visit local high tech companies, attend a course at Babson College, interact with experts and most importantly network with local entrepreneurs, investors and other members of the high-tech community. The program was a collaboration between CTI (Swiss innovation agency), venturelab (Swiss entrepreneurship training platform) and swissnex Boston, the Consulate of Switzerland. & Young joined the program as partner this year and put together an afternoon session as well.

By clicking here (LINK!) you can access the individual profiles of the participants by clicking on their names. If you click on the industry, you can download all profiles for this group. Finally, all profiles can be downloaded in a single document.

CHARLES RIVER SWIM RACE
JUNE 15, 2008
BOSTON
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.

MEET THE VENTURE LEADERS - SWISS NATIONAL STARTUP TEAM
FROM JUNE 11 TO 22
CAMBRIDGE INNOVATION CENTER
swissnex Boston is excited to have partnered with the venturelab to organize the 8th edition of the venture leaders (formerly NETS) program. Like every previous edition, the 20 entrepreneurs selected this year had a full program in Boston from June 10 to 20th. They visited local high tech companies, attended a course at Babson College, interacted with experts and most importantly networked with local entrepreneurs, investors and other members of the high-tech community. The program consisted numerous opportunities for face-to-face discussions with leaders of the high-tech community. From presenting their business idea to visiting successful startups in various stages of development, the participants gained a rare insight into world-class entrepreneurial businesses of the IT, life sciences and high-tech sectors. Ernst & Young joined the program as partner this year and put together an afternoon session as well.

NANOTECH 2008
JUNE 5, 2008
MIT
At June 1-5, Nanotech 2008, the largest and most comprehensive technical and business event in nanotechnology world-wide with over 30 technical & business symposia, took place in Boston. As an add-on to this huge event, swissnex Boston organized an inspiring evening event to promote the Swiss science with guests from Switzerland and the United States as well as to mix academics, investors and companies in nanotechnology. This networking opportunity for all participants initiated a distinctive exchange of ideas and mindsets.

IMAGINE EARTH 2.0
MAY 15, 2008, 6.30 PM
SWISSNEX SAN FRANCISCO
Everything was set for the discovery of Earth 2.0 - a planet similar to Earth with liquid water on the surface. After spotting close to 300 planets outside our solar system, scientists are now zooming in with new tools on small Earth-like planets. Prof. Didier Queloz of University of Geneva and Debra Fischer, San Francisco State University talked about the latest research and discovery in the hunt for exoplanets.

SWISS TALENTS MEET AMERICAN TALENTS
MAY 6, 2008, FROM 6:00 TO 8:30 PM,
RESIDENCE OF CONSUL GENERAL GIAMBATTISTA MONDADA IN CHICAGO
Swiss Talents Meet American Talents brought together American and Swiss people from the range of research, science, and technology making them network, exchange their ideas, and explore cooperation by creating a platform where these talents can meet in future. Guest Speaker Christian Simm, Director swissnex San Francisco, talked about swissnex San Francisco and swissnex Boston, the actual state of science and research in Switzerland, and the importance of the ThinkSwiss initiative. Representatives of universities, industry and business were at hand to start discourses and build relationships. Swiss Talents Meet American Talents was an ideal platform to highlight Switzerland as a knowledge-based global country; full of talents as well as high-quality research, science and educational institutions.

CLIMATE CHANGE: FROM DIALOGUE TO ACTION - A PANEL DISCUSSION
MAY 6, 2008,
NEW YORK , SWISS RE
Climate Change: From Dialogue to Action - a Panel Discussion" organized by the Swiss Society of New York and the Swiss-American Chamber of Commerce, and supported by Swiss Re, took place in New York on Tuesday, May 6, 2008. The panel discussion "Climate Change: From Dialogue to Action" was an opportunity to listen to experts from the UN, Harvard Medical School, UBS and Swiss Re discuss the impact of global climate change and propose possible solutions. The panel discussion was followed by a moderated Q&A session and cocktail reception. More

BEST PRACTICES IN GREEN BUILDING--PERSPECTIVES FROM SWITZERLAND AND THE U.S.
MAY 5, 2008, SWISS EMBASSY IN WASHINGTON
SWISS EMBASSY IN WASHINGTON
The Swiss Embassy held a panel discussion on best practices in sustainable construction from Switzerland and the U.S. The panel featured Swiss and U.S. experts who compared and contrasted topics such as Minergie and LEED building standards, cost effectiveness of green projects and resources for green building. The panel discussion followed a tour of the Minergie-compliant Swiss Residence. A reception featuring the American Institute of Architects’ Residential Design Awards took place afterwards. More
Event Summary

CLIMATE TRAIL 2008 WITH MIT MUSEUM (CAMBRIDGE SCIENCE FESTIVAL)
MAY 3, 2008, 12–4 PM
MIT MUSEUM
As a follower of the Climate Trail which took place in 2007, swissnex Boston had been the lead organizer of a climate change walk in Cambridge that brought people to various exhibits and stops from green buildings to experts talking about the science of global warming. This project was part of the Cambridge Science Festival and by promising a strong involvement, the MIT museum served as the starting point and organizing hub of this project. The idea was to have the audience follow a trail in the Cambridge area to discover, in a fun and interactive way, facts about climate change and ways to help solve the problem. We aimed to bring together Swiss and local perspectives on climate change to show that not only glaciers, but also the environment in the Northeast U.S. are experiencing changes.

FULBRIGHT ASSOCIATION ATLANTA - HOSTING ANNUALRECEPTION IN RESIDENCE
APRIL 23, 2008
RESIDENCE OF THE CONSUL GENERAL MR. HUNN IN SANDY SPRING, ATLANTA(GA)
As every year the local Fulbright Association invited alumni and current Fulbright students and faculty to a spring reception, in order to learn more about studies & research in a foreign country. This year the Consulate General of Switzerland was honored to organize this meeting between Americans, foreigners and Swiss students and experts with a Swiss reception at the residence of the Consul General Mr. Hunn. With the collaboration of Ms. Dora Fitzli, Counselor for Science and Technology at the Embassy of Switzerland in Washington, this event explained and promoted education, science & technology, and study opportunities in Switzerland. The reunion has been followed by a typical Swiss buffet-dinner. To even enhance the swissness an alphorn player blowed this traditional instrument.

THINKSWISS CLIMATE TRAIL IN WASHINGTON, D.C. (EARTH DAY CELEBRATION)
APRIL 20 AND 23, 2008
NATIONAL MALL AND FREEDOM PLAZA
Global warming is the most pressing environmental challenge today. Without corrective action, our future is at stake. This interactive exhibition created by the Embassy of Switzerland offered a fun opportunity to learn about climate change science and solutions. During the Earth Day Celebration in Washington D.C., more than 2,000 people walked the trail and viewed its fascinating displays. Students, scientists, families and others took the quiz and praised the exhibition’s clear and easy to understand messages. If you are you also interested in learning more and taking the quiz, please click here Pictures, exhibition and quiz.

EUROPEAN RESEARCHERS' GET-TOGETHER
FEBRUARY 28, 2008
swissnex SAN FRANCISCO
As part of "ThinkSwiss - Brainstorm the future." swissnex San Francisco organized a presentation on "New Directions in European Research". The focus of the event was on opportunities offered by Swiss Talents, a worldwide network of highly skilled professional living abroad, who are Swiss or have strong ties to Switzerland, and its European counterpart ERA-Link, a networking tool for European researchers in the U.S.". More

EXHIBIT SCHOOL BUILDINGS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND, OPENING CEREMONY AND SYMPOSIUM
FROM FEBRUARY 14 TO MARCH 14
UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND
This exhibition illustrated with 31 examples of recently accomplished or planned school buildings how new trends and insights in pedagogy and community needs make new schools look like to allow them acting as community centers. There was an outstanding collection mainly from Zurich and its environs enriched with a few representative examples from Austria, Germany, and the Scandinavian countries.

EVENTS 2007

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MR. EULER
AUTUMN
NEW YORK, NY
US-wide Birthday Celebration

CONFERENCE: SCIENCE AS NAVIGATION: LEONARD EULER'S JOURNEYS
NOVEMBER 30, 2007, 10.30 AM - 9.30 PM
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA SANTA BARBARA, CA
A one-day conference investigated the central role played in the life and work of Leonhard Euler (1707-1783), by the description, calculation and analysis of sites or places (topoi).
Click here for details

VISIT BERTRAND PICCARD & ANDRÉ BORSCHBERG
FROM NOVEMBER 12 TO NOVEMBER 14, 2007
BOSTON, MA
Bertrand Piccard has visited the Boston area as part of a US trip in mid-November where he had a main presentation at Harvard University. SHARE-Swissnex Boston organizes discussions and other opportunities to meet Bertrand Piccard and André Borschberg.

HIGH FASHION IN EQUATIONS
NOVEMBER 7 - 12, 2007
SAN FRANCISCO, LOS ANGELES, WASHINGTON DC, RICHMOND (VA)
MiraLab, a laboratory of the University of Geneva Switzerland, internationally known for exceptional computer simulations of the moving human body, gave a talk on “3D Computer Simulation of Textiles and Clothing."

Prof. Nadia Thalmann and her team mixed together mathematic, fashion and computer graphic components and developed a revolutionary program called the "Fashionizer". This program created a true to reality virtual version of dresses on virtual actors out of a simple sketch without having the dress physically made. Well-known clothing designers like Zara and Mango (comparable to the Gap in Europe) used this program already to make their textile industry more efficient.

Prof. Nadia Magnenat-Thalmann has pioneered research into virtual humans over the last 25 years. She obtained several Bachelor's and Master's degrees in various disciplines (Psychology, Biology and Chemistry) and a PhD in Quantum Physics from the University of Geneva in 1977. From 1977 to 1988, she was a Professor at the University of Montreal where she founded the research lab MIRALab. She was elected “Woman of the Year” in the Grand Montreal for her pioneering work on virtual humans and presented the artistic part of her work at the Modern Art Museum in New York in 1988. She moved to the University of Geneva in 1988, where she founded the Swiss MIRALab, an internationally interdisciplinary lab composed of about 25 researchers. She has received several scientific and artistic awards partly for the simulation of Marilyn and the film Rendez-Vous in Montreal. More recently, she has been elected to the Swiss Academy of Technical Sciences.

SWITZERLAND’S SENSE OF SNOW: THE FUTURE OF WINTER SPORTS
FROM NOVEMBER 6 TO NOVEMBER 9, 2007
NEW YORK CITY, BOSTON
Winter sports regions both in Switzerland and the Northeastern U.S. faced the same threats: unseasonably warm weather and thin snow cover. While it is difficult to quantify the impact weather has on the winter sports industry, it is clear that snowfall has a direct effect on consumer purchases and participation levels. SHARE/swissnex Boston organized a series of informative and entertaining presentations on snow and winter sports and the various products and services.

Pictures and more

“REPAIRING THE INJURED SPINAL CORD” – PUBLIC LECTURE BY PROF. MARTIN E. SCHWAB FOLLOWED BY A RECEPTION WITH A WELCOME ADDRESS BY NOBEL LAUREATE PROF. KURT WÜTHRICH
FROM NOVEMBER 6, 2007
6.30 PM - 9.00 PM
GENOMICS INSTITUTE OF THE NOVARTIS RESEARCH FOUNDATION (GNF)
10675 JOHN JAY HOPKINS DRIVE
SAN DIEGO
Martin E. Schwab, Professor of Brain Research and Co-Director of the Brain Research Institute of the University of Zurich and Professor of Neuroscience at the ETH Zurich, gave a public lecture on his highly awarded research (i.e. Christopher Reeve Medal) on regeneration and functional repair of the injured spinal cord. His speech was followed by a reception with a welcome address by Nobel Laureate Prof. Kurt Wüthrich, who devoted his time between his positions as Cecil H. and Ida M. Green Professor of Structural Biology at The Scripps Research Institute and as Professor of Biophysics at the ETH Zurich. This event was open to the public and organized by the Office of Science, Technology and Higher Education (OSTHE) of the Swiss Embassy in Washington, D.C. and the Consulate General in Los Angeles.

THE FUTURE OF SOCIAL SECURITY AND HEALTHCARE IN AGING SOCIETIES: SWISS AND U.S. PERSPECTIVES
NOVEMBER 6, 2007
EMBASSY OF SWITZERLAND, WASHINGTON DC
Switzerland has a widely acclaimed three-pillar social security system and institutions which, according to the World Bank, serve as role models for other countries. U.S. and Swiss experts shared practices and examined common areas of concern on how to create sustainable systems that provide for current and future generations.

Event summary and more information

PRESENTATION ON 2008 SWISS LIFE SCIENCES SUMMER PROGRAMS AT UCSD
FROM NOVEMBER 6, 2007
11.30 AM - 1.00 PM
DIVISION OF BIOLOGY, UNIVERSITY OF COLIFORNIA SAN DIEGO (UCSD)
Representatives of the University of Basel, the Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), the University of Lausanne, the University of Zurich and the ETH Zurich gave a brief overview of their 2008 life sciences summer programs. The Office of Science, Technology and Higher Education (OSTHE) of the Swiss Embassy in Washington, D.C. and the Division of Biology of the University of California San Diego (UCSD) invited all interested UCSD students to join us for this orientation meeting over lunch with some pizza to learn more about these programs at distinguished Swiss universities.

PRESENTATION ON 2008 SWISS LIFE SCIENCES SUMMER PROGRAMS AT SDSU
FROM NOVEMBER 5, 2007
4.00 - 6.00 PM
COLLEGE OF SCIENCES, SAN DIEGO STATE UNIVERSITY (SDSU)
Representatives of the University of Basel, the Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), the University of Lausanne, the University of Zurich and the ETH Zurich, gave a brief overview of their 2008 life sciences summer programs. The Office of Science, Technology and Higher Education (OSTHE) of the Swiss Embassy in Washington, D.C. and the Division of Biology of the University of California San Diego (UCSD) invited all interested UCSD students to join us for this orientation meeting over lunch with some pizza to learn more about these programs at distinguished Swiss universities.

FERDINAND RUDOLPH HASSLER (1770-1843) AND THE HISTORY OF THE US COAST SURVEY
NOVEMBER 1, 2007 7.00 PM
MATHEMATICAL ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA, WASHINGTON DC
In a special program with the Mathematical Association of America and the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Historian Albert E. Theberge talked about Ferdinand Rudolph Hassler (1770-1843) and the history of the US Coast Survey.
Pictures

THINKSWISS CLIMATE TRAIL
FROM SEPTEMBER 20 TO OCTOBER 29, 2007
BOULDER, CO
A dozen posters about climate change designed by Swiss experts were featured on the existing NCAR’s “Weather Trail,” a half mile, handicapped accessible signed trail behind the Mesa Laboratory. This “Climate trail” took place in the context of the EcoArts festival, a two-week event bringing people from the arts and the scientific world around leading discussions and performances related to climate change (www.ecoartsonline.org). On September 29th, a Swiss climate expert, Matthias Vuille of UMASS, was talking about climate change in the Andes as part of a day-long kids’ science festival, The Wonder of Science.

UNCONVENTIONAL AERIAL ROBOTICS - WEST COAST TOUR
FROM OCTOBER 22 TO OCTOBER 26, 2007
VARIUS LOCATIONS
Program:

Monday October 22nd
Visit of EECS Department and BEAR Team at UC Berkeley
Visit of CIBER and PlyPEDAL at UC Berkeley
Conference at swissnex

Tuesday October 23rd
Visit of ARL and Starmac Labs at Stanford University
Robotics group lunch at NASA Ames Research Center
Robotics seminar at NASA Ames Research Center

Thursday October 25th
Visit of Micromachining Lab at the California Institute of Technology
Visit of Dickinson Lab at the California Institute of Technology
Visit of the Jet Propulsion Lab

Friday October 26th
Visit of NASA Dryden

MINIMAL LANDSCAPES
FROM SEPTEMBER 19 TO OCTOBER 12, 2007
SWISSNEX SAN FRANCISCO
As part of ThinkSwiss – Brainstorm the future – swissnex kindly invited to visit the exhibit of a series of 15 prints from the artist and scientist Ariel Ruiz I Altaba. 'Minimal Landscapes' represented an exploration of form in its essence, devoid of distracting elements. The photographic images showed black islands forming archipelagoes of explicit and implicit meanings that became imaginary landscapes in the viewer’s mind. Each image was the approximation of actual living form to classical minimal perfection. The exhibit opened on September 19th kicked off by a round-table on the relation between art and science entitled “Boundaries and Meaning in Landscapes: from science to art and back”.

Ariel Ruiz I Altaba has participated in many international exhibitions and currently holds a professorship in the School of Medecine of the University of Geneva.

"LEONHARD EULER - MASTER OF THE INFINITE"
OCTOBER 11, 2007, 6:30PM
LOYOLA UNIVERSITY, WATER TOWER CAMPUS, LEWIS TOWERS BALL ROOM, CHICAGO, IL
Lecture by Eli Moar, Professor of Mathematics at Loyola University Chicago.
Reception following

CHICAGO GRADUATE AND PROFESSIONAL SCHOOL FAIR
OCTOBER 2, 2007
UIC PAVILION, CHICAGO
The Office of Science, Technology and Higher Education of the Embassy of Switzerland and the Consulate General in Chicago participated at the Chicago Graduate and Professional School Fair. As ThinkSwiss representatives we invited all students from the involved colleges to meet us and learn more about higher education opportunities in Switzerland.
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U.S. BUSINESS ANGEL’S EDUCATIONAL AND SCOUTING TRIP TO SWITZERLAND
SEPTEMBER 18 TO 21, 2007
BERNE, ZURICH, SWITZERLAND
To follow up on previous discussions between Swiss and U.S. experts in early stage financing, ThinkSwiss organized a 3-day program for three Business Angels in Switzerland. Two of the investors were former high tech executives from the West Coast and one was a former entrepreneur and current professor from the Boston area. The group shared their experience in venture investing during an event in Bern, interacted with other investors and CEOs during a day-long conference and visited leading Swiss startups interested in U.S. financing and business development opportunities. This program was a unique opportunity to share practices among investors and for entrepreneurs to get access to leading experts in high tech ventures. Partners were CTI Invest, CTI and venturelab.

GRADUATE AND PROFESSIONAL SCHOOL FAIR, WASHINGTON, D.C.
SEPTEMBER 24, 2007
GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY, SMITH CENTRE, WASHINGTON, D.C.
The Office of Science, Technology and Higher Education of the Embassy of Switzerland participated at the Graduate and Professional School Fair at the George Washington University. As ThinkSwiss representatives we invited all students from the involved colleges to meet us and learn more about higher education opportunities in Switzerland.
More
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NYU GRADUATE AND PROFESSIONAL SCHOOL FAIR
SEPTEMBER 26, 2007
PUCK BUILDING GRAND BALLROOM, NEW YORK
The Office of Science, Technology and Higher Education of the Embassy of Switzerland and the Consulate General in New York participated at the New York University (NYU) Graduate and Professional School Fair. As ThinkSwiss representatives we invited all students from the involved colleges to meet us and learn more about higher education opportunities in Switzerland.
More
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EXHIBITION "ETRE - THE FACE OF HUMAN RIGHTS"
FROM SEPTEMBER 6 TO 12, 2007
HARTSFIELD-JACKSON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, ATLANTA
The exhibition „Être. The Face of Human Rights“ was organized within the ThinkSwiss program under the topic "Human Rights". At the world's busiest airport 15 photo panels were shown from September 6 to September 12, 2007. At four tables with documentation materials about Human Rights and Switzerland four students were positioned to answer the questions, to distribute the materials and to forward the interested people to the other pillars and tables. The exhibition was accompanied by an alphorn blower during the afternoon. After the week at the airport, the exhibition was presented at the Georgia State University or the Atlanta City Hall.

US STUDY TRIP ON PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION AND MOBILITY TO SWITZERLAND
FROM AUGUST 27 TO 31
SWITZERLAND
Together with the Swiss Embassy in Washington DC, the Consulates General and Honorary Consuls in the United States, and the swissnex US network, Presence Switzerland organized a Study Trip on Public Transportation and Mobility to Switzerland end of August. The participants came from the mayor’s office, transportation agencies or think tanks from Atlanta, San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York City, Chicago, Denver and Seattle. More

HES-SO SUMMER SCHOOL EXCURSION TO ZURICH
JULY 27, 2007
ZURICH, SWITZERLAND
This project was a one day of socio-cultural activity for the foreign participants of the Summer school, initiated by the Haute école vaudoise`s Director, Michel Rochat. The summer school was jointly organized by Haute Ecole Spécialisée de Suisse Occidentale (HEIG-VD), San Jose State University (SJSU), California State University Long Beach (CSULB) and California State University Fullerton (CSUF). This summer school took place for the first time this summer between June 16 and 3 August in Yverdon-les-Bains with up to 30 US and 30 CH students. It should happen from then on every year, alternatively in the USA and in Switzerland. The socio-cultural excursion took place at 27 July. First, we led the delegation to the ETH in Zurich, where the group attended different presentations about research programs in the Department of Computer Science. Later on, the group could visit the google engineering office in Zurich. After a short office tour, Google showed different career possibilities in their enterprise. Before they went back to Lausanne, the day was concluded with a BBQ at the waterside of Lake Zurich. More

EULER AND ASTROPHYSICS
FROM JUNE 27 TO 29, 2007
PRINCETOWN UNIVERSITY, DEPARTMENT OF ASTROPHYSICAL SCIENCES
Professor Thomas Zurbuchen, University of Michigan spoke about Leonhard Euler's relevance for today's astrophysics at the NASA sponsored: "New Trends in Astrodynamics and Applications IV - An International Conference". For more information, refer to : http://www.spaceroutes.com/astrocon/

WORKSHOP ON RETIREMENT AND SOCIAL SECURITY
JUNE 25, 2007
AT AMERICAN ACADEMY OF ARTS AND SCIENCES, CAMBRIDGE MA
A discussion about the American and European perspectives on three main topics:

• Retirement: implications for social security in ageing societies
• Pension challenges: from social security to privately managed schemes – risks and opportunities
• Social security reform: marginal or fundamental change?

More

GERMAN LANGUAGE TEACHER STUDY TRIP
FROM JUNE 23 TO 30, 2007
SWITZERLAND
Ten teachers traveled to Switzerland for a week, starting June 23, 2007, to gain first-hand knowledge of all things Swiss which they can bring back to the classroom. They hailed from every corner of the United States: Texas, Rhode Island, Iowa, Maryland, Michigan, and Arizona to name a few.

MEET THE SWISS TALENTS - VENTURE LEADERS FROM SWITZERLAND
JUNE 12, 2007
BOSTON, MA
The Consulate of Switzerland SHARE partnered with the Gebert Rüf Foundation and Venturelab to organize the 7th edition of the venture leaders (formerly NETS) program. Like every previous editions, the 20 entrepreneurs selected had a full program in Boston from June 12 to 22nd. They visited local high tech companies, attended a course at Babson College, interacted with experts and most importantly networked with local entrepreneurs, investors and other members of the high-tech community. Ernst & Young joined the program as partner and put together an afternoon session as well. More

THINKSWISS RECEPTION AT NAFSA 2007 IN MINNEAPOLIS
MAY 29, 2007
MINNEAPOLIS, MN
The Embassy of Switzerland, the Rectors' Conference of the Swiss Universities (CRUS), and the Conference of the Universities of Applied Sciences Switzerland (CUAS) invited the Swiss delegation and the representatives of their worldwide partner universities to a reception. The NAFSA annual conference and international education expo brought nearly 7,000 international educators to Minneapolis.

AMERICA'S CUP / ALINGHI / EPFL: DRIVER FOR TECHNOLOGY?
MAY 21, 2007
SANTA CLARA UNIVERSITY, CALIFORNIA
A conference and dinner reception mixing academics, investors and companies in Nanotechnology, following the NSTI 2007 Nano for investors Summit. Ideal networking opportunity for all participants. Welcome by Aymeric Sallin, Founder & Managing Director, NanoDimension and lecture by Jan-Anders Manson, VP Innovation & Technology, EPFL. Title of lecture: America's Cup / Alinghi / EPFL : Driver for technology?

GLOBAL INTERNET GOVERNANCE AND SECURITY: EXPLORING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN GLOBAL AND NATIONAL SOLUTIONS
MAY 17, 2007
EMBASSY OF SWITZERLAND, WASHINGTON DC
High-level symposium on Internet Governance and Security. The event explored the relationship between global and national Solutions to problems of cybercrime and cyber security. The meeting focused on the tensions and complementarities between global and national policy making for issues related to the security and privacy of commerce and communication on the Internet.

SUN 21: CELEBRATION EVENT
MAY 8, 2007
NEW YORK, NY
Transatlantic21: Celebration of the arrival of the Solar boat sun21 in New York and events thereafter.
Official Homepage
Information
Details

UN HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL: HAPPY FIRST BIRTHDAY?
MAY 1, 2007
HARVARD UNIVERSITY, CAMBRIDGE, MA
Lecture by the Swiss Ambassador to the UN Geneva, Blaise Godet. More

EXHIBITION ETRE
APRIL 30, 2007
BOSTON LOGAN AIRPORT, MA
Opening of the exhibition at Logan International Airport. More

CAMBRIDGE CLIMATE TRAIL
APRIL 29, 2007
CAMBRIDGE, MA
As part of the Cambridge Science Festival and within the framework of the Think Swiss program, the Swiss consulate is invited to learn about climate change by walking along the “Cambridge Climate Trail 2007”on Sunday April 29th from 10am to 2pm. Starting at the Swiss consulate at 420 Broadway (www.swissnexboston.org), there was a unique opportunity to learn about climate change science and solutions by walking the 2-mile trail to various zones with interactive displays and experts. Partners included Green Decade, City of Cambridge, Cambridge Walks. There were food, hands on experiments for kids and various animations.

THE 300TH ANNIVERSARY OF LEONHARD EULER “SWITZERLAND’S GIFT TO SCIENCE AND MATHEMATICS”
APRIL 27, 2007, 7:00pm
ATLANTA, GA
GERMAN CULTURAL CENTER
COLONY SQUARE, PLAZA LEVEL
1197 PEACHTREE ST NE
Together with Joe Albree, Professor of the Mathematics Department at Auburn University in Montgomery, and Historian of the Southeastern Section of the Mathematical Association of America, Leonhard Euler was recovered in a historical context. Joe Albree surveyed Euler’s many contributions to science and mathematics, including his “Letters to a German princess” which he wrote within two years to instruct the Princess of Anhalt-Dessau in science. More

EUROPEANS (AND SWISS) GET-TOGETHER - EUROPEAN RESEARCH DEVELOPMENTS
APRIL 26, 2007
SWISSNEX SAN FRANCISCO
As part of ThinkSwiss – Brainstorm the future – swissnex kindly invited to join a Europeans (and Swiss!) researchers’ get-together.

They showed the opportunities offered by Swiss Talents, a worldwide network of highly skilled professional living abroad, who are Swiss or have strong ties to Switzerland (www.swisstalents.org), and its European counterpart ERA-Link, a networking tool for European researchers in the US.

Charlotte Jourdain, Deputy Director of swissnex San Francisco introduced Switzerland as a knowledge-based country and presented the display of brochures on Swiss ERI.

Laurent Bochereau, Head of Science, Technology and Education, Delegation of the European Commission to the US, provided information about research in Europe, European research policy, opportunities for research funding, for international collaboration and for transnational mobility.

LECTURE ON MIGRATION AND INTEGRATION
APRIL 26, 2007
MIT, CAMBRIDGE, MA
Lecture by the Swiss Ambassador to the USA, Urs Ziswiler. More

PRESENTATIONS
APRIL 25, 2007
LOS ANGELES, CA
The California Institute of Technology organized a variety of presentations and discussions on the sociological, technological and legal aspects of e-voting as part of the Caltech/MIT “Voting Technology Project”

THE INCOMPARABLE LEONHARD EULER: PRINCE AMONG MATHEMATICIANS
APRIL 24, 2007, 6:00pm - 8:45pm
SAN DIEGO,CA
UNIVERSITY OF SAN DIEGO
PEACE AND JUSTICE AUDITORIUM
5998 ALCALA PARK
Exploration of Euler’s work during Reception, Lecture, Birthday cake cut

PANEL DISCUSSION
APRIL 24, 2007
LOS ANGELES, CA
The Swiss delegation traveled to Los Angeles, where Hollywood Hill, a social change organization comprised of entertainment professionals from film, television, and music, hosted an evening event including a discussion about e-voting and Switzerland’s experience. More

PRESS CONFERENCE, WORKSHOP AND PUBLIC EVENT
APRIL 23, 2007
WASHINGTON DC
The program began with a press conference with Annemarie Huber-Hotz, Swiss Federal Chancellor, Robert Hensler, Chancellor of the Canton of Geneva, Urs Ziswiler, Ambassador to the United States, and Christoph von Arb, Head of the Swiss Consulate, SHARE in Boston.

In the afternoon, a workshop on “E-voting and E-democracy – a Swiss/US perspective” included two presentations by academic experts and representatives from various Swiss cantons which had successfully organized e-voting elections.

The day concluded with a public event and a panel discussion on “Innovation meets Democracy – a Discussion of Swiss and U.S. Best Practices in E-Voting”. The talk provided a unique opportunity to see how two democracies are adapting to the internet era. The audience heard from Swiss experts about recent developments in using web-based platforms to decide on an issue or cast a vote. The US side then commented on the challenges of new ways of recording and transmitting votes. A Q&A session invited people to comment and ask questions to the panel of experts More.

CAL DAY 2007: GREEN CITIES AND THE 2000-WATT SOCIETY
APRIL 21, 2007
INTERNATIONAL HOUSE, UC BERKELEY, CA
On the occasion of the University of California, Berkeley "Cal Day 2007", Think Swiss and its partners will host a poster exhibit illustrating the role of Switzerland as solution-provider to the issue of Global Warming & Natural Resources. The exhibit is entitled "Green cities and the 2000-watt society", and features "Satellite Images of cities through time, a compelling evidence for the need to pursue Green Cities Strategies" (by the United Nations Environmental Program), and "Novatlantis' vision of the 2000 watts society", a Swiss energy solution to global city growth.

THINKSWISS RESEARCH SCHOLARSHIP: CALL FOR APPLICATIONS
APPLICATION DEADLINE: APRIL 20, 2007
AT VARIOUS SWISS UNIVERSITIES
Switzerland is offering 10-14 scholarships for a ThinkSwiss research stay at a Swiss university. This scholarship program supports highly motivated and qualified U.S. undergraduate and graduate students living and doing research at a Swiss university for 2 to 3 months. The grantees will serve as U.S. student “ambassadors” for study and research in Switzerland. For further details, see CALL FOR APPLICATIONS.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MR. EULER
APRIL 16, 2007
BOSTON, MA
Have you ever been to anyone’s 300th birthday party? Well then - come and join us to celebrate world's most prolific mathematicians, "intellectual ancestor" of Sudoku, the man who discovered how water flows, designed the perfect shape for teeth on a gear and so much more. Dominic Klyve, Co-Director and Executive Manager of the Euler archives currently finishing his doctorate at Dartmouth College will take us back into the future. He will be accompanied by a Renaissance Ensemble for the proper enlightenment.. More

THE EULER ARCHIVE: ILLUMINATING THE LIFE AND TIMES OF LEONHARD EULER
LEE STEMKOSKI, CO-DIRECTOR OF EULER ARCHIVE
APRIL 16, 2007, 6.30pm
Embassy of Switzerland, 2900 Cathedral Avenue, NW, Washington, DC
A special program sponsored by the Embassy of Switzerland and the Mathematical Association of America. In this talk, the Euler Archive will be used to survey some of the highlights of the life and times of Leonhard Euler: his family and colleagues, his involvement with scientific academies, his publications and correspondence, and the influence of his work in the sciences today.
More

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MR. EULER
APRIL 15, 2007
SAN FRANCISCO, CA
Come celebrate this famous Swiss mathematician’s 300th birthday. We will count vertices, edges, faces, eat cake and think about pi. This afternoon includes special guest speakers. Be there or be square! Sam Vandervelde received his doctoral degree is currently coordinating the Mandelbrot math competition, organizing a math circle at Stanford. We will also have hands-on activities provided by a member of the Exploratorium's Teacher Institute. more

NETWORKING BREAKFAST
MARCH 19, 2007
BOSTON, MA
Swiss Science Networking Breakfast with a Focus on Solar Power. Breakfast Meeting for French Speaking Scientists, Researchers, Business People, Students, Professors in the framework of the “Semaine de la Francophonie, incl. Video Conference with Bertrand Piccard;

BIOLOGY OF PROSOCIAL BEHAVIOUR
MARCH 15, 2007
BOSTON, MA
Prosociology; workshop on biological foundation of Prosociality of humans and primates. The leading researchers from CH+US discuss research from the view point of behavioral sciences (e.g. economy) and natural science (e.g. biology). 4 professors come from University of Zurich, 4 from the United States. Besides these, the workshop consists of 15-20 local scientist
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LEONARD EULER ONLINE POSTER CONTEST
FEBRUARY 22, 2007
USA
US-wide EULER Contest more

TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH BOARD EVENT
JANUARY 24, 2007
WASHINGTON DC
Transportation Research Board (TRB): Swiss transportation event at embassy together with Prof. from ETHZ/EPFL during the TRB conference

HOME ENERGY
JANUARY 16, 2007
BOSTON, MA
SHARE and the Tufts Climate Initiative offer a free 1.5 hour 'Seminar on Saving Energy & Money in Your Home' and welcome your ideas and inputs on this topic
more