If you forgot to shut a window when you left your house this morning, no worries, there’s an app for that. Home security is becoming increasingly advanced, and more Swiss households are buying in as crimes rates rise. Data from the Federal Office for Statistics shows that property theft rose approximately 11 percent from 2011 […]
Future brightens for solar energy
GENEVA As Switzerland moves away from nuclear energy, experts are looking into ways to encourage people to switch to renewable energy sources for their homes, such as solar power. The clean energy source is more environmentally friendly than many others, they say, but this is not what led to a 33% increase in solar-panel sales […]
Phone tapping fears
BERN The Federal Council is seeking the same surveillance tools used by those who spy on Switzerland. If approved as expected by parliament later this year, Switzerland will have a new surveillance law giving intelligence services greater powers to tap the internet and private phone lines in the name of countering military and industrial espionage […]
CHF 4000 minimum wage proposal
GENEVA The proposal by Swiss unions to raise the minimum wage has sparked debate as to whether the initiative offers a durable option for the country. By increasing it to CHF 4,000 a month, Switzerland will have to adapt its fiscal policies accordingly. This in turn will affect Swiss businesses. They will have to contend […]
Swiss image suffers
GENEVA In 2012, Switzerland’s reputation ranked 8th among 50 countries on the Nation Brand Index largely due to its good governance and system of direct democracy. A study by Presence Switzerland then categorized its overall image abroad as ‘good’. For the current situation, however, Presence Switzerland’s director, Nicolas Bideau, gave a more cautious assessment in […]
Commodities: a suspect trade
GENEVA Developing countries could be losing between $8bn and $120bn a year as a result of commodity mispricing in Switzerland, the world’s leading commodities trading hub, according to a report published by the Centre for Global Development in January. Co-author Alex Cobham explained on the CGD’s website that it had also found evidence of “larger […]
How does the IB compare to other diplomas?
GENEVA Sabine Hutcheson explores the requirements for the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma, which is growing in popularity among international and Anglophone schools in Switzerland. The appeal of the IB Diploma is primarily its international approach. No particular culture is favoured and students are educated to become world citizens, preparing them for careers wherever they choose. […]
Becoming Swiss
Geneva Faced with the unknown prospects of this month’s referendum aimed at curbing immigration, some long-term residents eligible for naturalization are putting a rush on their applications. So who can become Swiss, and how? Citizenship may be granted through three different channels: birth, marriage or naturalization. Contrary to the US, UK or Germany where naturalization […]
Immigration vote: Dark clouds
GENEVA The European Union has warned that Switzerland’s narrow vote (50.3%) on 9 February to curb immigration could seriously impede economic relations with the 28-member community. Since the EU is the country’s main trading partner, this outcome could have a dire impact on business and jobs, a view widely shared by the main cities and […]
New heights for Swiss hotel schools
According to a recently published survey conducted by Taylor Nelson Sofres, the top three hotel schools in the world are Swiss: Ecôle Hotelière de Lausanne, Glion Institute of Higher Education and Les Roches International School of Hotel Management. The success of these schools is attributed to a unique “combination of professional excellence and international business […]
