Pascal Couchepin participates in a series of lectures at EPFL
The former Federal Councillor will be on campus to bring his expertise to three exception classes on Swiss institutions.
The newly established Centre for Area and Cultural Studies (CACS) of the College of Humanities is offering a crash course on Switzerland, specifically aimed at introducing our foreign guests on campus to the mysteries of their host country. Starting this fall and extending to spring 2011, prominent representatives from politics, the economy and culture will present and discuss Switzerland every fortnight in late afternoon classes. It’s a non-credit course, tailored for exchange and PhD students, post docs and faculty from abroad, but open to anyone on campus interested in improving his or her knowledge of Switzerland, including bachelor and master students, staff, and, yes, the Swiss in need of an update!
There will be five parts: History, Politics, Economy/Entrepreneurship, Policies and Culture. Courses start with an introduction by a representative from academia. He/she will be complemented – and challenged – by a personality from «the terrain»: former Federal Councillor Pascal Couchepin will comment on politics, Logitech founder Daniel Borel on entrepreneurship, Nobel Prize winner Kurt Wüthrich on science, architect Mario Botta on multiculturalism, etc. We will show movies, bring in “authentic Swiss” music, organize field trips and do our best to make it fun and special.
About Pascal Couchepin
After a long career in local politics as mayor of the city of Martigny, Pascal Couchepin was elected to the Swiss parliament in 1979 where he soon became a “front bencher” and the head of the Parliamentary Group of his party, the Swiss Radical/Liberal Party. In 1998 he was elected to the Swiss Government where he took over the Federal Department for Economic Affairs. From 2003 until his resignation in September 2009, he acted as the head of the Department of Home Affairs, a ministry with a very broad range of responsibilities including Education and Research, Social Security and Public Health. Twice, in 2003 and 2008, Pascal Couchepin served as the President of Switzerland.
- The course is in English. However, in order not to miss out on the world-renowned Swiss spontaneity (!), some parts will be in French (why not improve your French at the same time….).
- The programme begins on Thursday, 30 September, 2010.
- The classes are every second Thursday from 5.15 to 7 pm.
- The sessions take place in auditorium SG 1 from October 7, 2010.
- Registration by email to the following address : [email protected]