The GHF takes on the human impact of climate change

As the clock keeps ticking, climate change leaves 300,000 people dead, 325 million people seriously affected and economic losses of US$ 125 billion every year.

Since 2007, the Global Humanitarian Forum (GHF) has targeted the human dimension of global issues. The Forum’s efforts and initiatives, under the energetic presidency of Kofi Annan and the visionary leadership of its CEO Ambassador Walter Fust, have started to address one of the most pressing issues our world currently faces and will continue to face in the next 20 years – the human impact of climate change.
It is a crisis of global resonance that requires immediate public attention and action – or else it will cause the deadly diminution of our lands, resources and peoples.

Inception and function

The Global Humanitarian Forum is a non-profit organization under Swiss law that emerged from a study done by the Geneva-based Graduate Institute for International and Development Studies. Soon after the study, the Swiss government approached then Secretary-General of the United Nations Kofi Annan to create an impartial and international platform on which global leaders could have the opportunity to convene and discuss international humanitarian issues as well as strengthen the humanitarian character of Geneva.
The reasoning for the Global Humanitarian Forum’s creation was threefold:

1. To create international awareness;
2. To stimulate debate; and
3. To inspire action.

After only two years, the Forum has already started to tackle the human consequences of climate change. For the Forum, climate change is not so much an environmental question – it is a humanitarian one.

The real issue of climate change is climate justice. Not only does the Forum act as the representative of the face of the climate crisis but as the voice of its effects.
In fact, the Forum recently published a Human Impact Report entitled Climate Change – Anatomy of a Silent Crisis which outlines the implications – past, present and future – of climate change and what must be done to combat the humanitarian impacts of such a crisis.
When asked about the specific functions of the Forum, CEO Ambassador Walter Fust emphasized that the Forum acts as an intermediary between various stakeholders, from the government and private sector to NGOs and civil society. Ambassador Fust adds that, “If we find that someone else can answer to an issue better, quicker and more eloquently, then we will work with those partners.”

Fust-take

Ambassador Walter Fust. CEO, Global Humanitarian Forum

For over 30 years, Ambassador Walter Fust has served in the Swiss government, primarily with a humanitarian function. His position as CEO of the Global Humanitarian Forum was unexpected. He had declared retirement following his long stint as head of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation.

It was only when Kofi Annan convinced him to head the project that Fust joined the Forum with a Board comprised of 25 senior members across several disciplines and professional fields. Now, the Forum deals directly with the prevention of present humanitarian crises, while anticipating those of the future.

“When you want something to carry on, you need to think about that in the early stages, not when those moments arrive,” Fust insists. The Forum developed its unique path early on – to represent the human face of issues related to climate change – but had trouble starting up the organization financially.

However, Fust does not concern financial support per-se: “It is my deepest conviction that no one can add genuine value only within the ambit of what he or she is doing. This is why we have to think out of the box,” he argues.

Fust is a calm and collected man, but ask him the right question or give him the right topic and his piercing blue eyes light up with enthusiasm and his hand gestures unfold with determination. His passion, his need, to serve humanity is transparent in his lyrical metaphors and analogies. He comments, “We have an illustrious board and very prominent people who can reach out, who can open doors, who can convince people to change, or to mobilize them for a common cause. And a global leader like Kofi Annan is, of course, an absolutely amazing channel for the Forum.”

The “silent crisis”

In May 2009, the GHF’s Human Impact Report Climate Change – The Anatomy of a Silent Crisis brought a silent crisis into dialogue. Because there is little to no research done on the human or social dimension of the issue, the Report provided statistical and graphical evidence to show the past, present and projected effects of climate change. Anatomy of a Silent Crisis also featured commentary and analysis of scientists and climate, humanitarian and development experts from across the world. Overall, “The role of this report is to document the greatest ongoing silent crisis of human history,” says Kofi Annan.
So, who is to blame for this crisis? Even though Kofi Annan encourages politics to be taken out of the issue, it seems nearly inevitable. Currently, whereas the 50 Least Developed Countries produce not even 2% of the total greenhouse gas emissions, industrialized countries and the biggest developing nations, e.g. India, China, South Africa and Brazil, are accountable for emitting between 75%–80%. The problem is that the least-developed nations are those who face the brunt of climate change and they are least equipped to deal with it.

The ticking time clock

“If political leaders cannot assume responsibility for Copenhagen, they choose instead the responsibility for failing humanity … The future of humanity is endangered by humanity itself”—Kofi Annan

The “‘Tck Tck Tck’ Time for Climate Justice Campaign” is an initiative of the Global Humanitarian Forum and advertising partner EuroRSCG to draw attention to the more than 26 million climate-displaced people (a number that will triple in the next 20 to 30 years) who have been unjustly removed from their homes because of climate-related events. The campaign encourages everyone to be a climate ally, along with Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu and many more; you can make a “tck” by uploading a video, picture or text message and downloading the free musical petition “Beds are Burning” – go to www.timeforclimatejustice.org and make a statement.

“There are no sides to climate justice,” claims Kofi Annan in his foreword to the Human Impact Report. Such a philosophy acts as the backbone to the Tck Tck Tck campaign and its theme song “Beds are Burning” featuring 60 musicians from around the world, such as Lily Allen, Bob Geldof and Simon Le Bon of Duran Duran. Ambassador Fust remarks that back in the ’80s, it was a political song about giving the Aboriginal Australians claims to their native title and land. Now, the song reaffirms lead singer-turned-environmentalist Peter Garrett’s message and inspires our generation to preserve our planet for future generations: “The time has come/To take a Stand/It’s for our Earth/For our Land”.
In response, Ambassador Fust raises the question: “Well, why should we, the present generation, change our attitudes because our predecessors did not take care of certain consequences? And why should we sacrifice liberties, among other things, for the generations after us?” In reality and after all, we love our children and we have to act for the unborn generations. As the clock keeps ticking, climate change leaves 300,000 people dead, 325 million people seriously affected and economic losses of US$ 125 billion every year, according to the Human Impact Report.
There is no time left to point fingers, only for our generation to solve such a serious and severe issue. In December, the United Nations 15th annual Climate Conference in Copenhagen aims not only to discuss energy sustainability but also to develop new climate policy before the expiry of the Kyoto Protocol.

Geneva’s contribution

The Global Humanitarian Forum hosts its own annual event gathering over 400 international humanitarian actors across all disciplines and from public, private and non-governmental sectors. It is a manifestation of the Forum’s work and serves as a platform to exchange ideas and mobilize change in the humanitarian arena.
In the words of Ambassador Fust, “It is Geneva’s contribution of what is going on in the humanitarian world of here today and tomorrow.”
The Annual Global Humanitarian Forum annual event will take place in the home city of the Forum’s Secretariat in Geneva on 28–29 June 2010. Ambassador Fust is encouraging everyone to take up the initiative: “Nobody is ever too small to think future and be innovative”.

Specific initiatives

Earlier this year the Global Humanitarian Forum piloted a programme in Africa called “The Weather Info for All Initiative” to increase knowledge concerning the changing climate and how it will affect harvest and crop growth patterns. “It is not just money and charity that African farmers want,” asserts Fust, “it is the access to learn about climate patterns because the traditional knowledge is changing – when to harvest, when to plant, what kind of seed.” Therefore, the Forum increased the number of weather monitoring stations and used the power of telecommunications services in Africa by partnering with cell phone companies, the African Bank and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) to make this information readily available and free of charge for all.

“Can you imagine that tiny Switzerland has more weather monitoring stations than the African continent?” reaffirms Ambassador Fust.
Another specific focus of the Forum is the need for adaptation in dry lands where access to water is stringent. Access to water, which affects crop production, is a great potential source of conflict, especially as climate change will affect its availability.
Because of the severe competition for water, there exists a water security threat in the Nile Region of Africa, the Middle East and Asia. In future, thousands of inhabitants in these areas will be forced to move to other areas where water is more plentiful. This will then raise the questions of statehood and migration.

Corporate “authenticity”

Fust argues that for commercial enterprises to be successful, they must be authentic in their promotion of greener living: “I am convinced that tomorrow’s consumers will play a more decisive role; so if the corporate sector wants to be successful, it has to come forward with commitments that sustain and enhance their brand and reputation.”

Let’s fix it

Since, according to the Human Impact Report, current trends need to be reversed by 2010 and carbon emissions must drop before 2020, the Global Humanitarian Forum and other climate-focused organizations are at a critical juncture. In December’s UN Climate Conference in Copenhagen, there could be agreement on a new monitoring agency to check the greenhouse gas emissions of each country, particularly the most developed ones. In Ambassador Fust’s opinion, it is possible that there may even be a global tax on CO2; however, new taxes would impose a burden on the poor.
According to the Human Impact Report, “Even the most ambitious climate agreement will take years to slow or reverse global warming.” The outcome of the UN Climate Conference in Copenhagen not only allows for an opportunity to live a greener lifestyle but also an opportunity to participate in the world’s economic growth.
Kofi Annan contends: “If political leaders cannot assume responsibility for Copenhagen, they choose instead the responsibility for failing humanity.” In all, his words ring true: “The future of humanity is endangered by humanity itself.” It seems we are our own worst enemy when it comes to the climate crisis. Now, since we broke it, let’s fix it.

“The world is like a multi-story building with about 200 apartments – big rooftop apartments, very small tiny studios – but how can you live in the rooftop apartments when the whole building is burning up the 15th floor? How can you live when the apartments below don’t have water or light and people are dying and no one is noticing it?”— Ambassador Walter Fust, CEO, Global Humanitarian Forum

Article by Kesley Garvey

Profile: Lorenzo Lotti

Geneva-based architect Lorenzo Lotti combines environmentally friendly buildings with artistic, functional designs.

Lorenzo Lotti – environmentally friendly architect

If you search the Web for Lorenzo Lotti, you may find references to a Florentine sculptor of the Renaissance known more popularly by the name of Lorenzetto, or you may come upon an amateur of race horses, who purchased Ha Cherokee Steady, a 2003 bay mare, from the Hillis Akin Ranch in the USA on 11 September 2004.

Alternately, you will also encounter a contemporary Swiss architect who has won several architectural competitions, the most recent being a school and residential centre complex in Hermance, and whose architectural practice, AUA Architectes & Urbanistes Associés, has just completed the construction of a series of public infrastructures in a new neighbourhood in Grand Saconnex, Geneva.

Watches, chocolate, pharmaceuticals and banks are no longer the only images evoked by the label “Made in Switzerland”. Excellence in precision, technology and craftsmanship have taken on a new lease of life in the domains of sailing and architecture with the recent victory of the America’s Cup sailing team Alinghi and the world renowned team of Herzog and De Meuron, architects of the new Tate Gallery in London and an Olympic Stadium in Beijing.

First design awarded the “Minergie” label

Lorenzo Lotti’s recently inaugurated project “Le Pommier” not only has the above qualities of a product “Made in Switzerland” but it is also the first large architectural design in Geneva to be awarded the stringent environmental label “Minergie”, a recognition of Lotti’s engagement in designing environmentally friendly structures employing state-of-the-art technology to reduce energy consumption, reflecting the challenges facing all the professions involved in shaping the built environment.

On the site of the former country residence “Campagne du Pommier”, it is not apple trees but two magnificent centenary oak trees that have become the

Le Pommier – environmentally friendly and ‘Made in Switzerland’

centrepieces of Lotti’s architectural composition. One of the major qualities of the project is the manner in which the pure minimalist geometry and the abstractive repetition of the refined stone elements, as well as the glass and metallic structure, act as a frame for the only relics of this historic domain, and the contrast that is created between the “frozen music” of the architecture and the cyclically transforming space of nature, which one can interpret as a respectful homage to what the ancient inhabitants of Helvetia considered as sacred trees.

“Sequences”, as the winning design was named, is an urban ensemble serving the new residential neighbourhood in Grand Saconnex. Through a string of public buildings—a concert and sports hall, a school, a kindergarten and a community spaces building—each articulated along an urban walkway, Sequences acts as a catalyst in integrating the community and residential functions, and as a link between the existing urban context and the new neighbourhood.
Lotti’s project transitions from the dense urban space to the green open, and in the near future, an indoor swimming pool, integrated into the new park, will complete the “sequence”.

A focal point of a new neighbourhood

On a beautiful spring day, as we walk up to meet Lorenzo Lotti, who is observing the flow of young students leaving the building and parents arriving to fetch them, one of the children pauses to praise the architect for his design and convey his enthusiasm for what has become the focal public space of the new neighbourhood.

Lotti is seated on the low wall that follows the ramp leading to the entrance of the school. This wall separates the mineral promenade above from the large green space below and continues along the plaza to encircle one of the oak trees, forming a small amphitheatre in the shade of the branches. This demonstrates the attention that has been given to shaping the public spaces of the project, with equal importance being given to the external as well as internal spaces. Natural stone paving, in a warm sandy tone (yellow quarcite) covers the horizontal plane of the promenade and open spaces between the buildings, and it unfolds and rises to become a vertical plane and form the plinth of the buildings. In plan, the project has the seductive simplicity of a minimalist Modernist composition of rectangular buildings.

In the school buildings, daylight flows into the classrooms, situated on the upper floors, through large floor-to-ceiling windows oriented towards the north-west onto a curtain of trees, offering a regular and excellent quality of natural lighting. These openings also allow light to flood into the main staircase and entrance. The main school hall, situated at the lower level, has windows that open onto a landscaped, sunken patio.
A separate building houses the community activities, and with the kindergarten situated on the ground floor, opens onto an enclosed outdoor green space for recreation. Karate and judo halls are located in the lower level, while the two upper levels contain the after-school activities and the different community organizations. These elements are arranged freely as individual modules, punctuated and articulated by shared spaces to provoke encounters between the different users. Large windows allow natural light to penetrate deeply into the interior, and a system of well-selected, vibrant colours identifies and differentiates the spaces.

Colour is also employed in a subtle and dynamic manner in the external spaces and façades. The uniformity of the warm sandy stone paving of the public spaces and lower levels of the buildings contrasts with red, green and transparent glass panels, whose appearance changes with the movement of the sun’s rays, to alternate between absorbers and reflectors of light, causing the panels to transform from a vibrant red or green, to a semi-reflective and toned down colour, to totally reflective glass.

“the first large architectural design in Geneva to be awarded the stringent Minergie environmental label”

Selected as Switzerland’s representative choice

The project was designed in collaboration with the CUEPE, a research centre based at the Architecture Institute of the University of Geneva, which specializes in the implementation of energy efficient and sustainable architecture. As a result, a centralized energy-producing system for heating, cooling and hot water, passive and active energy saving devices (natural ventilation system, solar panels, optimum thermal insulation to reduce heat loss) all participate in reducing the energy consumption of the building. A ventilation system with double flow produces a building that breathes, and the external fresh air that is drawn into the building is heated through the used warm air that is being exhaled, cool air also being drawn through the ground in the warm months. Landscaped roofs participate in the thermal and acoustic insulation of the buildings, and the changing aspects of the plantations mark the passage and cycles of the seasons.

It was the notoriety of this project and its rigorous guidelines of sustainable development that led the Geneva authorities and Swiss Confederation to choose it to represent Switzerland at the International Conference on Sustainable Development (S-DEV) that took place in Geneva in October. Countries from all over the world were represented, with the presence of heads of state and representatives for offices involved in urbanism, construction and sustainable development.

Successfully combining quality with avant-garde

But Lotti’s success in combining his continuous search for quality with avant-garde ideas is, for him, not new. He has taught at the renowned architecture schools of ETHZ in Zurich and the EPFL in Lausanne for a number of years, infusing his students with his unique concept of architecture’s role in our lives.
Those familiar with Geneva of the late 1990s will also surely remember the project called “STAIRS”, a collaboration Lotti and AUA architects had with British film director Peter Greenaway. Together they conceived 100 white stairs, in 100 chosen locations of Geneva, for 100 days.

The offices of Architectes & Urbanistes Associés are located at 11, rue du Tunnel, 1227 Carouge (tel: 022-300 36 00; e-mail: l.lotti.architect.aua@bluewin.ch).

Article by Anna Grichting

Anna Grichting is an architect, urbanist and musician. She is currently a teaching fellow and Doctoral candidate at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design.

USM modular furniture – “Form follows function”

Form follows function

One furniture brand that gives that extra edge to design is USM. Its long tradition of excellence has made it into a design classic earning itself a permanent position at The Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) in New York.

What sets USM apart is that it combines its sleek and timeless design with practicality, making it a favourite amongst those who take their furniture seriously. The brand’s modular furniture addresses two purposes: it is both simple and durable while being versatile and adaptable to each and every environment. A unique system of chrome-plated brass ball joints allows for complete flexibility.
USM’s designers will even assist in configuring your furniture according to your personal needs and environment both in corporate structures as well as at home. It also provides the perfect solution to creating an ideal home-office setting.

Les Ambassadeurs – For the perfect gift

Strolling down some of the most elegant thoroughfares of Geneva, Zurich, Lugano or St. Moritz, both casual admirer as well as timekeeper aficionado will be mesmerized by the prestigious collections of Haute Horlogerie and Haute Joaillerie on view at Les Ambassadeurs.
With the end-of-year festivities at our heels, the specialists at this time-honoured institution have a few suggestions that will make stockings by the fireplace “tick” – with classical, sporty and elegant timepieces.

Jaeger-Lecoultre	Chanel
Reverso Squadra Lady Duetto - CHF 11,150.-	Première Rubber Steel Diamonds - CHF 4,270.-
Ulysse Nardin	A. Lange & Söhne
Lady Diver Starry Night - CHF 27,500.-	1815 - CHF 20,600.-
Breguet	Bovet
Classique Grande Complication–Minute Repeater - CHF 26,500.-	Sportster Saguaro Chronograph Meteorite - CHF 21,500.-

Article by Paula Svaton

Who has an edge in the Swiss job market?

Who has an edge in the Swiss job market

Even in a time of crisis, the Swiss have not lost their time-honoured reputation for accom-modating their job-seekers. According to data compiled by the Créa Institute of Applied Microeconomics, Swiss exports have declined by 14% in the first quarter of 2009 and the Swiss economy as a whole is predicted to shrink by 3.2% in 2009 and by 0.8% in 2010.

Despite the significant economic downtown, however, unemployment rates in Switzerland have remained among the lowest in the world, at a yearly average of 2.6% throughout 2009.

Job prospects are especially bright for foreign nationals seeking work in Switzerland. Due to federal laws that guarantee equal salaries and working conditions for non-nationals, Switzerland has long been a haven for foreign employees. There are currently 1.5 million foreign residents in Switzerland, 50% of who reside in Geneva where droves of international organizations and multinational corporations employ English-speaking foreign nationals.

However, recent developments in Swiss hiring policy have made competition uneven for different categories of foreign job-seekers in Switzerland.

Good news for EU nationals

In 2004, European workers got a significant leg-up in the Swiss job hunt when a second round of bilateral negotiations between Switzerland and the EU resulted in a renewed Agreement on the Free Movement of Persons that waived Swiss hiring regulations for foreign job-seekers hailing from EU-17 and EFTA countries. As of today, EU and EFTA citizens enjoy virtually unlimited access to the Swiss job market.
Today, obtaining a Swiss work permit is far simpler for EU citizens than it was in the days before the agreement. Employers no longer have to prove that there are no qualified Swiss candidates to fill available positions before hiring EU nationals, nor are they permitted to favour Swiss nationals over equally qualified EU citizens in their hiring decisions. Consequently, job-seekers from EU and EFTA countries are no longer required to present specialized degrees and high-level qualifications to obtain a permit, and are much freer to hunt for jobs in any skilled or unskilled sector.

Following the renewed Swiss-EU agreement in 2004, the migration of EU workers into Switzerland increased dramatically, as did the number of cross-border day commuters from neighbouring countries. In 2005, EU nationals comprised roughly 62% of foreign workers in Switzerland, with the number of workers from western and northern Europe in particular increasing by 3.8% since 2003. German migration also rose sharply by approximately 8% in the last five years.
Despite early fears among Swiss citizens that opening the door to foreign EU workers would result in higher unemployment rates and lower wages for Swiss nationals, the influx of EU job-seekers in recent years has not had a significant impact on either of these indicators. One possible reason is that EU job-seekers are often highly qualified and fill positions in high-growth sectors such as communications systems engineering, microtechnology, biotechnology, finance, law and foreign language teaching where there is a current shortage of specialists. The most recent wave of German migrants, for instance, is predominantly employed in the university and health-care sectors.

A double-edged sword

On the other hand, another reason that the large influx of EU migrants over the last few years has had little impact on job market conditions could be due to the fact that the Swiss government has been steadily tightening the regulations against their non-EU counterparts. Despite opening doors for EU workers, the Swiss-EU agreement may have also created a two-tier system when it comes to the granting of work visas to foreigners.
Although less than half of all Swiss work permits available for non-EU nationals are granted each year, the requirements for obtaining one are so rigorous that many non-EU job-seekers – including Japanese, Australians, Canadians and Americans – are often forced to back out of their contracts. Such was the experience of Cathy Johnson, an American expatriate who was denied a work permit for a communications position in 2005, despite the enthusiastic backing of her Swiss employer and a university degree in her area of specialization. In all Swiss cantons, caseworkers handling applications for work permits strictly enforce the laws requiring employers to actively seek out Swiss and EU candidates before hiring non-EU nationals for the job.
The enormous amount of paperwork that must be filed in this lengthy and often expensive process has unfortunately discouraged Swiss employers from hiring beyond European borders. As Johnson’s tale indicates, those who do brave this process often fail to secure the permit, since there is likely to be an abundance of equally qualified European candidates for entry and lower-level positions in even specialized, skilled sectors.

Finding a niche

Although today’s job prospects for foreign non-EU nationals look grim, reports on Swiss hiring conditions for non-EU workers agree that finding a professional niche could be key to securing a position in the Swiss job market. Highly qualified managers, senior executives and higher-level specialists and technicians always have top priority when it comes to work permits. English-speaking employees of United Nations and other international organizations also enjoy preference in the process, as do the relatives of those who already hold Swiss work permits.
Traineeship programmes could also serve as an indirect avenue into the Swiss job market. Since the requirements for trainees are usually lower than for full-time employees, non-EU job-seekers denied work permits could still eventually secure an entry-level position through trainee programmes, which also help build the qualifications and skills needed to secure full-time work permits.

The Swiss have come far in opening the doors of opportunity to their EU neighbours. However, until further national legislation is passed to improve hiring conditions for non-EU nationals, the latter will have to rely on special skills and niches in order to gain an edge over their European and Swiss competitors.

Article by Karin Sun

University of Geneva – Executive MBA

Created in 1559 at the initiative of Jean Calvin, University of Geneva celebrates its 450th Anniversary this year. Originally designed as a theological and humanist seminary, University of Geneva – now the second largest university in Switzerland – is characterized by its intellectual heritage and quality instruction covering the fundamentals of science, arts and literature, as well as its cutting-edge research.

Recent UNIGE MBA students “cap” their graduation (Photo: Nicolas Millot)

Executive MBA

Based on its original MBA created in 1992, UNIGE’s Executive MBA offers a unique balance between the academic tradition of the University of Geneva and the entrepreneurial perspective of the HEC (“Hautes Etudes Commerciales”) business school.
The MBA programme includes a comprehensive range of specializations in French and English that constitute the foundation of a highly modular MBA degree curriculum. This modularity now includes the choice of language: students may choose to follow one year in French and a consecutive year in English, or vice versa. The University thrives on its ability to generate new knowledge through research and to make it applicable directly in the participants’ workplace.

The teaching methods are adapted for working professionals, combining courses and current and real life case studies with conferences and professional development seminars, or simulation exercises. Because of its reputation for excellence, admission to the MBA programmes is highly selective.
Since last year, the University of Geneva has implemented “Self-Leadership”, a new innovative coaching programme.

Self-Leadership

The first edition of the “Self-Leadership” training course was launched in January 2009 as a theme-based module within the MBA programme at the University of Geneva. Originally designed as a professional skills inventory tool for in-house MBA students, the programme is now open to individuals and companies involved in career management activities.

Structuring a unique balance

The “Self-Leadership” programme provides a unique balance between complexity, flexibility and interaction. It follows a four-step structure throughout the academic year allowing participants to reflect progressively, both on their present and future positioning within the labour market. Upon completion of the four-step programme, participants construct a personal “Action Plan”, which will guide them throughout their professional career. The aim of this plan is to provide participants with the necessary steps to be followed in order to achieve their desired professional goals. In addition, the programme is particularly flexible and thus appropriated for working professionals. Most of the assignments are conducted individually: for each of the four steps, participants will watch a video and then complete an online test. Results of the test are discussed afterwards with their peers under the supervision of a coach. As a result, personal knowledge is enhanced through the process of individual reflections and mutual coaching.

Innovative learning methods

The “Self-Leadership” programme is self-paced: multimedia and Internet-based tools provide the audience the freedom to speed through or slow down depending on their topics of interest. The process of learning is thus customized for each and every participant as it accommodates different styles, needs or preferences when it comes to learning.

By using the programme’s innovative learning tools – whether on iPod, computer or DVD player – everything is just one click away: the accessibility to online media enables students to complete training conveniently off-campus.

For further information on the University of Geneva’s Executive MBA programme and its “Self-Leadership” course, contact the University’s by e-mail at mba-hec@unige.ch or visit its website at http://mba.unige.ch

Article by Jules Landon

Business schools need to rethink many concepts they hold dear –including academic departments, tenure and the full-time MBA

Peter Lorange President, Lorange Institute of Business Zurich

Several prominent voices have criticized business schools and the traditional full-time MBA. They argue that the classical business school curriculum helped develop business leaders who contributed to today’s global economic crisis. Quite frankly, I believe there are several good reasons that their criticism, at least in part, is valid.

First, most business schools teach linear thinking: too often, students learn to make decisions in an “either/or” or “positive/negative” fashion. They often don’t work actively with constant up-down, in-out, long-short movements of business cycles. They don’t learn to recognize critical turning points or understand the factors that make the difference between success and failure.

Those students then become real-world leaders, whose lack of understanding can lead to decisions and strategies that make the peaks and valleys of business cycles much more severe. Second, business schools often teach students to focus on short-term bottom-line results, even through long-term growth is equally important. They often fail to remind students that a company’s customers are just as important to its financial success as its shareholders.
Third, while business schools have made changes to their curricula to eliminate “silos” and teach across disciplines, they still are hampered by outdated approaches, which keep the silo mentality firmly entrenched.

Lastly, in general, today’s business schools seem to be heavily committed to full-time education, particularly the full-time MBA. But, that does not reflect the rapid pace of business, where leaders need lessons they can use in the workplace today, not one or two years from now. I truly believe that part-time education formats are more important than ever, because they allow students to continue to work during their courses and offer them opportunities to apply what they learn immediately. Equally important, part-time programmes allow students to bring to the classroom practical insights they gain on the job.
I believe that executive education deserves a more prominent role in a business school’s mission statements . So, to use lingo from marketing, many business schools might need to change “the mix” of their offerings to better reflect the needs of 21st century business.

Moving from “me” to “we”

Many business schools have recognized that teaching in silos is a dysfunctional way to teach management – and that’s a good thing. These schools have devised new, more integrative curricula. They are assigning more project work and encouraging faculty from different disciplines to work as teams to teach the same courses. While these efforts are all admirable, they might not be enough.

Why? Because while schools might be changing how they teach, they aren’t necessarily changing how their faculty think. Even with business schools’ efforts to integrate curricula, too many faculty members still work in disciplinary isolation. They still work in separate departments, garnering titles based on academic specialty – and seek tenure in their disciplines. They pursue axiomatic research and publish predominantly in axiomatic journals. The business curriculum might be integrated, but business faculty, most often, are not.

That reality encourages a “me, me, me” attitude among faculty members, which keeps them separate from their colleagues in other disciplines. As long as this is the case, the silo mentality will stay strong.
But eliminating departments might not necessarily eliminate disciplinary silos. For example, at IMD in Lausanne, where I was president for 15 years, we had not titles, no departments and no tenure. Still, the bulk of IMD’s professors stayed with the school for a long time, setting in to their specialties. As a result, even at IMD, we had silo elements. Even we could not break free into a truly integrated way of thinking.

Making it work – the new way

Our new model, however, does present significant challenges. What we are doing at the Lorange Institute of Business Zurich is different. We need to be optimistic that we can change the way we teach business, that we can create new business opportunities for our students and faculty. To do that, we must change our model so that focus is squarely on our students – rather than on our faculty.

We know we must attract strong first-tier research faculty because research is key for cutting-edge teaching. Faculty, in effect, will be “moonlighting” at the Lorange Institute of Business Zurich from other institutions to work with us on a part-time basis.
However, we realize that other institutions have cultivated the talents and research of these faculties. We do not want to be accused of “cherry-picking” the best talents from other schools. Therefore, we will ensure that their commitment to their home institution is fully recognized. We will not only support part-time faculty members, but also fund their parent institutions in return for their contributions.

In addition, we will embrace a “flat hierarchy”, where all faculty members are involved with the governance of the school, so that we can eliminate bureaucracy. We will form a Faculty Senate, which will be in continuous contact with school leadership regarding curricular design and development. Faculty will also reside on campus to encourage informal, daily interaction with students and other stakeholders.

Our students will be older executives – typically 35 to 45 years old – with different professional, educational, cultural and national backgrounds. They will bring their real-world experiences into each course and be able to put what they learn to the test almost immediately. We will teach through “living” case studies, which will be assigned to student as consulting projects or presented by guest speakers who have lived them. Our EMBA students will complete “living research projects” that will demonstrate positive impact on our students and the companies where they work.

In all respects, we view Lorange Institute of Business Zurich as a “meeting place” for ideas. It will be a place where students and faculty share their immediate experiences. We are committed to the Socratic Method, where all participants engage in debate about what really works in practice, rather than a one-way communication from professor to student.

Our programmes offer leadership development in a challenging, global and highly interactive learning environment. Participants deepen their knowledge in subjects as diverse as managerial accounting, business law, IT management and business statistics. They also learn cutting edge practices from Masters-level courses, including Applied Business Fundamentals, Management of Business Cycles, Marketing for High Quality Goods, Leadership, Applied Business Statistics, HRM, Corporate Strategy and Effective Management Communication, etc. – and they improve their social skills.

Peter Lorange is president of Lorange Institute of Business Zurich in Switzerland (formerly GSBA Zurich). For further information about the Institute’s programmes, contact Lorange Institute of Business Zurich, Hirsackerstrasse 46, CH-8810 Zurich/Horgen (tel: +41-(0)44 728 99 44; fax: +41-(0)44 728 99 45; web: www.lorange.ch).

Article by Peter Lorange

Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies

Keeping abreast of information in a rapidly changing world can be a challenge for may professionals. Swiss Style spoke with Jasmine Champenois of the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies, who offered some words of advice and spoke of the Institute’s executive education programmes that are designed for

Swiss Style: Professionals who need to stay well informed about their global environment face a new challenge: how can they keep up with the growing flow of information?

Jasmine Champenois: Global affairs have, by definition, always been a busy field. What has changed is that today there is tremendous pressure on civil servants and businessmen alike to keep on top of the constant changes in global regulations, geopolitics and the world economy. What was once a career asset has now become a career necessity. Most professionals now have to deal with global or multicultural issues every day: climate change, global crises, public-private partnerships, etc.

SS: Professionals don’t always have enough time to acquire information on how global governance impacts on their activities. How can they cope?

JC: In most fields of work, people are encouraged to continuously update their knowledge and skills. This is particularly true of professionals working in a fast-moving field like global affairs. Fortunately, today there are a number of tools available for personal and professional development including competitive intelligence newsfeeds, independent tailor-made reports, peer forums and executive programmes.

SS: Which skills do you think are important in the ideal global enterprise?

JC: When we reflect on the cluster of skills needed by both graduates and participants in our executive programmes, we come up with an endless list. What really matters therefore is for each individual to have a clear vision of where to find the information they need, and not to be overloaded by it. So, for example, if someone is looking to sell more milk in a new market or develop a local-governance project, what type of information should they be looking for? The efficient professional needs to build a framework for analysis and action based on expert knowledge, available global information, and most importantly, what we term “innovative thinking”. This is very often the missing link that participants are seeking when they turn to our programmes. It is this asset that gives any organization that little something extra in the world today.

SS: The Graduate Institute offers executive education programmes on world affairs. How do these fit in at a time of high uncertainty in the work market?

JC: Professionals come to us for degree-granting programmes but also for short and tailor-made courses. Most have between three and 20 years’ professional experience in both the private and public sectors. What we do is to bring together experienced professionals and a world-class faculty who share and work towards a common goal: a commitment to help professionals develop a deep understanding of world affairs.

Our part-time programmes, for example, such as the Executive Master in International Negotiation and Policy-Making, enable participants to design their own analytical framework through which to quickly and critically make sense of their global environment. Our short programmes on specialized topics such as international trade, development project evaluation, or global health diplomacy, offer participants a space within which to think outside the box and an opportunity to discover alternative perspectives that they might not have otherwise explored. For instance, one diplomat recently admitted that a case study that she had examined as part of our programme on international law had been spot on! The very next day she had had to adopt a multi-stakeholder approach in order to solve an issue with a business partner.

Our programme on Global Economic Governance teaches a lot about decision-making in time of crisis while at the same time contributing to creating scenarios for a sustainable future. This is perhaps one of the most valuable aspects of our approach to the study of world affairs: we look at what is happening today in the global arena and examine how events can be transformed into opportunities for achieving the long-term ideal of just and sustainable development.

Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies - Geneva

Geared for working professionals

The Executive Master in International Negotiation and Policy-Making (INP) offers working professionals the opportunity to build up knowledge and practical skills in international affairs and negotiation. The INP programme explores world affairs with a focus on global governance, international policy-making and international negotiation. The INP Executive Master is a part-time programme and runs annually from October to June.

The INP Executive Master aims at balancing academic background, analytical expertise and practical skills. At the end of the 9-month programme, successful participants receive an Executive Master on International Negotiation and Policy-Making from the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Geneva.

Ideally located in Geneva, the Graduate Institute strongly benefits from the environment of international, governmental and non-governmental organizations, as well as diplomatic missions. The research centres also widely contribute to intellectual debates by providing independent and rigorous analyses of international and development issues.

For further information about the Graduate Institute’s Executive Education programmes, contact Jasmine Champenois, Executive Education, Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies, Geneva (tel:+41-(0)22 908 57 35; e-mail: executive@graduateinstitute.ch; web: www.graduateinstitute.ch/executive).

Article by Jules Landon

ICS’s specialized services are the key

Gina Empson - Founder and Managing Director, International Corporate Services SA

When it comes to decision-making and problem-solving in the ICS (International Corporate Services S.A.) office, simplicity and efficiency are the keys. “At the risk of sounding cliché – I really believe that one plus one actually equals three because we energize and inspire each other,” says Managing Director and Founder Gina Empson of her ICS team.

The independent, privately owned Swiss fiduciary firm provides outsourced back office services to local, national, multinational and international small to medium-sized companies. In 10 short years, the 10-person advisory staff has extended ICS services to over 200 clients across 18 countries.
Geneva-based ICS tailors its accounting, fiscal, financial, payroll, human resources, and back offices services to fit each individual company’s needs.

Always providing consistent, top-quality service to a wide spectrum of clients, ICS is determined to make their business experience as productive as possible while suiting all of their business preferences. Ultimately, it is within the ICS job description, according to the company’s website (www.icsglobal.ch), to “make data interpretation simple for businesses that are not.”

Three pillars to success

“Competency, international background and customer care are the three pillars on which ICS success is founded,” asserts Gina Empson, who started the fiduciary firm in 1999. The growth of ICS can be attributed to its dedication and determination in dealing with its varied client portfolio, ranging from private equity investment companies to hi-tech international businesses. Even in this cut-throat market, the ICS staff – who represent eight different nationalities and six languages – continue to strive for excellence.

From small private banks to “Big Four” accounting firms, the professional backgrounds of ICS staff allow for a diverse understanding of an even more diverse clientele. “But everyone brings something to the table,” according to Ms Empson. “It is the marriage between the great training ground of the large accounting firms and smaller industries that develops our most pragmatic skills.” Having already served as executive director to a 40-person commercial company, ICS Managing Director Gina Empson knows this skill firsthand. The dual British and Swiss national has managed financial and commercial operations in France, Asia and Switzerland, and is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales as well as the Chambre Suisse des Experts Comptables.

Highly specialized services

“We take pride in providing our customers with a service fully adapted to their needs and established on the highest standards of quality, ethics and continuous pursuit of excellence,” says Ms Empson. ICS both mobilizes and supplements operations in Switzerland and abroad. To optimize results, the ICS staff develops a two-way dialogue to understand their customers’ business and specifically targets their needs.
ICS fully believes that outsourcing administrative and financial tasks maximizes its customers’ efficiency and provides financial benefits. Outsourcing data, accounts and reports, for example, will reduce in-house administrative costs and organize bookkeeping and reporting services. ICS also maintains a profound knowledge of legal and fiscal requirements surrounding companies’ operations, including labour law and Swiss federal and cantonal taxation regulations.

And for the self-employed…

ICS also parents SLC (Swiss Labour Contractors SARL), a services company intended for those considered self-employed “independents.” The company facilitates a 3-way relationship between itself, contracting companies and the employee to capitalize economic activity and employee benefits.
As an employee of SLC, you can negotiate your own self-employment with contracting companies while securing your social protection (e.g. social security, accident insurance, pension scheme).

Fostering art in the young

ICS’s efforts outside the realm of business extend to the art world, one of its greatest accomplishments being its support of young artists in the greater Lake Geneva region. In celebration of its 10th anniversary, ICS hosted an art contest this past September for kids aged 5–15 in the Swiss Romande area, as well as neighbouring France. The theme of its first Art Festival My Alps encouraged young artists to interpret their surroundings. It also served as a tribute to 19th century Swiss painter Ferdinand Hodler, who was famous for his Alpine scenes and landscapes.

With over 100 submissions in September, ICS set up a 3-person International Jury Panel of art connoisseurs, including the company’s art curator Peta Papas, to judge the contest. Prizes were awarded to the three best paintings in each age group, as well as 10 additional prizes at a vernissage and prize remittal ceremony held at the end of November. A total of 12 paintings were also selected for a calendar whose proceeds will later be donated to charity.
All contestants in the ICS Kid’s Art Festival – both literally and figuratively – left their mark on the company: a white poster covered in nearly 100 multicoloured handprints brightens an ICS conference room and serves as daily testimony of the company’s 10 years of success and commitment to the art world.
Since its inception ICS has encouraged young artists to showcase their work by providing exhibition space to over 1,200 paintings – and its Kid’s Art Festival is only one way it fulfils and furthers its endeavour to stay close to the local community.

Article by Kelsey Garvey

…the way the world is moving

Over the last 10 to 15 years, globalization has created a world market for skilled professionals. International corporations have been among the first to take advantage of this globalism by restructuring their approach to their workforce and their way of doing business.

Along with this, the cost of world travel has become sufficiently low to make recruitment on a global scale cost-effective – as the business book by Thomas L. Friedman so clearly states: “The world is flat” – a world where the differences of distance, culture and language are of less and less relevance.

Corporate expatriates

All this change has created a different type of expatriate where short- and medium-term assignments are becoming common, as those of us who live in Switzerland – where over 25% of the working population are expatriates – know from personal experience.
Traditionally, corporate expatriates did not integrate and commonly only associated with the elite of the country where they were living, whereas, today, expatriates have become the norm in major conglomerates in cities around the world. They form a global middle class with shared multinational corporation experience, working and living in global financial and economic conurbations, eased and supported by specialist services within the countries they are temporarily living in.

Modern communication technologies such as the Internet, radio, telephones and television have globalized communication by allowing expatriates around the world instantaneous links with their home country and culture. This has had the effect of reducing the separation anxiety associated with the expatriation process and specialist companies have emerged to facilitate this virtual connection to the home country.

An indicator of a moving world

The removals and storage industry is an interesting indicator of how the world is moving – probably because they actually move the world! It is obvious that changes in ways of doing business are reflected in the way company facilities are organized and this is manifest in the way companies operating in the fields of relocation, removals and storage plan their expansion.

CEO, Harsch, The Art of Moving

“We noted in 2006,” says Bertrand Harsch, CEO of Harsch, The Art of Moving, headquartered in Carouge, Geneva, “that due to demand, we were becoming restricted in space, especially space dedicated to Fine Art and record storage. Consequently, we decided to expand our premises. In fact, ten years ago we expanded into what we had in 2006 so it was normal that ten years later we would need to expand again. We decided to more than double our capacity.”
In fact, Harsch’s projected needs at the time were more or less five times what they had for Fine Art, three times their existing space for record storage and they also needed more office space to handle both the existing and projected business. “We started building two years ago and expect to complete in early 2010,” says Bertrand Harsch. “We have over 30% already allocated although the building work is not fully completed and we are considering how we can further expand in another ten year’s time.” Today, the company employs over 100 people, including 20 in Zurich.

Gérard Kohler, Harsch’s Director – Fine Arts, showed me round the new building with its five floors, each of 800 sq metres. Access to these floors is via an enormous lift that has been especially constructed to facilitate the moving of extra-large contemporary Fine Art canvases and sculptures.

Fine Art storage

A special state-of-the-art security floor is dedicated to Fine Art storage, which has a specially lit presentation room where owners of works of art can view their works in comfort and privacy or even display the art works to friends or potential purchasers. The main Fine Art storage area is also state-of-the-art with climate and dust-free controls.

Another floor has individual state-of-the-art security, air conditioned, individually fire-controlled storage rooms of differing sizes rented out to clients for their own personal storage use. Each “cabin” has telephone and Internet access, large entrance doors and is rented on quarterly basis.

Archive storage

Archive storage is another indicator of the changes that have taken place over the last 10 years in the way people do business. Gone are the days of excessive numbers of box files – today most companies archive the minimum amount of paper archives, concentrating instead on digital archiving systems. These systems demand a different approach to archiving.

The new archive floor at Harsch, The Art of Moving, has specially constructed archive storage and incorporates sliding rail systems on which large sets of archiving stacking sections slide. Digitally stored material has its own air-conditioned special section offering up-to-the-minute protection against microwaves and other potential damaging external elements. Other potential risks are avoided by the fact that everything is manual – so eliminating electrical risks – and there is a sophisticated smoke detection system linked directly to the local fire services.
The floor dedicated to general furniture storage is naturally lit so as to provide a comforting home for plants that are left there while their owners are living abroad – with air circulation and an ambient temperature to cosset the objects left in storage.

Relocation

Relocation is an important indicator of the global approach to business. In dealing with expatriates, most international companies often have in place a company-wide policy and coaching system that includes spouses at an earlier stage in the decision-making process. The level of support differs by corporation but virtually always includes some level of relocation support.

Harsch, The Art of Moving – new name, new logo

Harsch, The Art of Moving, entered this field just six years ago employing just one person to handle the business; this department has now grown so that today it employs seven people in Geneva, two in Lausanne and one in Zurich, and has become one of the company’s most important departments for turnover development.
Typical Swiss expats will be living in housing provided by the employer, with most other expenses such as children’s education also paid by the employer. In theory, this is because they are still maintaining a home in their original country. Expatriate contracts are usually time limited, so the expats either move on to another assignment or are given a local contract without expat subsidies.

“In terms of sales,” says Bertrand Harsch, “international moving of expats, managers and directors, and also office moves – we did the office moves of several important banks – are the most important sector. After this comes Fine Art, including exhibitions such as those for museums. Relocation and Record storage come after but show the strongest growth of all these activities. All of these require specialist storage facilities, care and follow-up – which fit neatly into our portfolio of services.”

“Due to demand … we decided to expand our premises … we decided to more than double our capacity”

Article by Ita Mc Cobb

Hennessy Paradis – neat, with sweet chocolate, is pure paradise

In these cold and grey winter months, we sometimes need some help to bring out our dormant Christmas spirit. And what better way than with another kind of “spirit”? We at Swiss Style have explored the different ways to combine sugar and spice and everything nice with one of the world’s best cognacs: Hennessy.

Marc Boissonnet, ambassador of the brand, is passionate whilst distilling his advice on the best ways to enjoy Hennessy’s libations. His suggestions are child’s play to prepare – although best kept at arm’s-length from our younger readers – and rightly deserve to be on the carte of many a reputable bar.

Hennessy “Spiced Up”

Hennessy Richard Hennessy – mature, intense, combining over 100 eaux de vie

Hennessy VS is both strong and delicate. Its liveliness and versatility stem from a unique blend of over 40 “eaux de vie” selected from the best growing areas of the Cognac region. A great way to enjoy this classic product during the Christmas season is with ginger. Hennessy VS has the necessary strength to resist the overpowering flavour of ginger. At the same time, the delicate taste of the drink is enhanced through combination with the ginger root.

A blend of over 60 “eaux de vie”, aged in French oak casks, Hennessy Fine de Cognac is subtler than VS. Given its more delicate nature, Fine de Cognac should be enjoyed either neat, “on the rocks” or in a light fruity cocktail. In these cold festive times, freshly squeezed orange juice and brown sugar are the ideal Fine de Cognac companions. The fresh juice underlines the delicate floral taste of the cognac. This cocktail highlights the beauty of simplicity. Elaborate recipes and infinite ingredients are no match for the combination of just the right few elements.

Hennessy “Pure”

Hennessy XO – enjoy with friends, and some bitter chocolate, to warm the cockles of your heart

Hennessy XO, Richard Hennessy and Hennessy Paradis are all examples of cognacs that combine over 100 different “eaux de vie”. Thus their compositions are more complex than the VS or Fine de Cognac. In the case of XO, a cube of ice suffices to release its subtle yet powerful flavours and aroma, whereas the Richard Hennessy and the Paradis should be enjoyed neat.
Chocolate is a good companion for these unique cognacs. The mature and intense flavours of both the Richard Hennessy as well as the XO are enhanced by bitter dark chocolate, whereas the Paradis, with its silky sensuality, calls for lighter, sweeter chocolate.

Yet, at the end of the day, there is only one way to truly appreciate any fine Hennessy product, be it winter, summer, autumn or spring – and that is with friends.

Article by Adam Lockstein