On December 3 2018, at last event of the year of Asia Society Switzerland, 150 people rushed into the chapel of the Helferei in Zurich’s old town. They came to see Uli Sigg,the world’s foremost collector of contemporary Chinese art and Kai Strittmatter, journalist and foreign correspondent to China.
Kevin Rudd, President of the Asia Society Policy Institute and former Prime Minister of Australia, talked about U.S.-China relations, China’s balancing act in managing slowing growth domestically and massive investments with the Belt and Road initiative globally, about the EU, Switzerland, and Australia on November 14, 2018, in Zurich.
It was a first: the live taping of one of Asia Society Switzerland’s favorite podcasts – the Sinica Podcast of SupChina. Host Kaiser Kuo discussed the controversial topic of China’s Social Credit System with China social trend watcher Manya Koetse and China law and digital technology scholar Rogier Creemers.
Fintech is changing and redesigning financial markets and our everyday monetary behaviour – and nowhere more so than in Asia. Investor Melissa Guzy explained, shared, and spread her knowledge on the topic.
Among the many regional organizations in Asia one in particular has made headlines lately: the «free and open Indo-Pacific». Former Swiss Ambassador to India, Philippe Welti, and former Swiss Ambassador to Australia, Daniel Woker, have talked with U.S.-citizen and long-time Japan-resident Jeffrey Bohn, head of the Swiss Re Institute, about what the concept means.
Partner, competitor, or incompatible – the relations to China are often a variety of things at the same time. On Monday, June 25 2018, German Ambassador Norbert Riedel and Swiss Ambassador Johannes Matyassy discussed how the Asian policies of Germany and Switzerland compare and what can be learned from each other.
On Monday we had the pleasure to listen to Amb. Paul Seger and SRF Correspondent Karin Wenger discuss the current state of Myanmar. Having presented the developments by both a diplomat and a journalist, we got to listen to a wide range of views and thoughts.
How do people live in North Korea? How do they spend their spare time? Former Swiss representative in Pyongyang, Katharina Zellweger, provided insights into the unknown and gave account of the diverse economical and social change.
Last Tuesday we enjoyed watching Patrik Soergel's documentary «The Other Half of the Sky» at our very first movie night. In a fully booked auditorium we learned about four of China's most powerful businesswomen and the deep socio-economic transformations the country is undergoing.
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