Thousands of students from the University of Geneva, L’Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), the University of Lausanne and the many hotel schools in the area graduate each year, but where do they go? The results of the recent Swiss Student Survey have identified which companies graduates view as the top employers, taking into consideration […]
Bionic hand success
LAUSANNE A prosthetic hand with touch-sensitive fingers has allowed Dennis Aabo Sørensen to feel objects in his grasp for the first time since he lost his left hand in an accident almost 10 years ago, EPFL scientists said. The 36-year-old Danish man was fitted with the “bionic hand” during a month-long trial last year, and […]
House renovation: cross-border cost comparisons
Whether renovating a house or putting finishing touches to those dirt-prone skirting boards, there are distinctive advantages to being cross-border savvy. Some items, such as paint and electric drills, can be purchased more cheaply in Switzerland, while timber is better picked up in France. As a rule, Swiss workmanship and material quality trump French, but […]
Foreigners: bane or boon? Swiss 9 February 2014 immigration vote
Once more to the ballot box! The Swiss are voting – once again – in a referendum to limit the number of foreigners. Even if a majority of the 5.15 million voters oppose it, it’s an issue that won’t go away. Most citizens remain pragmatic about the economic necessity of the Swiss-EU accords, but the […]
Swiss Real Estate getting risky
ZURICH Buying a house or a flat in Switzerland is a less attractive proposition now than it has been in the last 10 years. While property values have reached a high, according to the UBS Real Estate Focus Report 2014 earlier this week, there has been a decline in momentum, which could mean that residential […]
Sponsorship restarts Swiss Hockey Cup
LAUSANNE Starting this year, Switzerland will once again have a national ice hockey competition. Zurich Insurance Group has become the official presenting partner of the Swiss Hockey Cup in a four-year deal brokered by InfrontRingier. The tournament was last held in 1965–1966. “With the Swiss Ice Hockey Cup, we are taking the opportunity to mark […]
Choosing a school in the region
GENEVA English-speaking families are often overwhelmed by which option to choose for their children: a local Swiss or French school, or an international one with English only, or bilingual options. The same goes for Germans, Italians, Dutch and other nationalities. The Lake Geneva region is an exciting place for education because of the variety of […]
Abortion: Only for the rich?
Switzerland’s 9 February national referendum will see the people decide on three initiatives, including whether abortion should be considered a private cost. Acceptance of the proposal would engender a redefinition of what constitutes legitimate health treatment. This is particularly relevant to the Geneva region, which had the country’s highest abortion rate in 2012. The line […]
The Roma – begging for an answer
The number of Roma in Switzerland has increased significantly since the 2004 adoption of the EU’s right of the free movement of persons. As in other European countries, the result has been a hostile reaction from local inhabitants disturbed by the uncommon sight of beggars on their streets. A study by the University of Zurich, […]
Geothermal power: getting into hot water
Switzerland’s geothermal power cure – energy provided from underground sources – is nothing new in Switzerland. “Taking a cure” at a Swiss mountain thermal spa is a tradition that has been enjoyed by Europe’s elite for centuries. Only since the beginning of this century, however, has geothermal power begun to be taken seriously as a […]
