Swiss Day 2015: from higher education, to space industry and innovation

Press release, 03.07.2015

Did you know Switzerland is internationally recognized as a country that values education and innovation, and it possesses an education system that is of one of the world’s highest standard? Did you know Switzerland has been dominating in the world’s most innovation indicators and ranked No. 1 in the Global Competitiveness Index for six consecutive editions since 2009? Were you aware that Switzerland is a founding member of the European Space Agency and has actively participated in world-renowned space projects including the Apollo missions?

All these topics will be addressed and illustrated through a number of fun and interactive lectures, exhibitions and games at the Swiss Day at Beihang University in Beijing on July 6 and 7.

 

Organized by the Science, Technology and Education Section of the Swiss Embassy in China in partnership with swissnex China, the two-day event, in its second year, will showcase the country’s renowned universities, excellence in research, technological development and innovation initiatives.

 

The special focus of this year is the visit of Claude Nicollier, the first and only astronaut from Switzerland who has flown on four Space Shuttle missions and performed an eight-hour spacewalk. During his talk at Beihang University, Nicollier, also professor of Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), will expound on Switzerland’ s success in the space industry and his experience working on the Hubble Telescope.

 

The Data Canvas: Sense your City exhibition is another highlight of the event. Featuring big data visualization, one of the most popular  topics in the tech world, the exhibition showcases creative visualization of data collected from a number of DIY sensor networks created with open source by citizens around the world. The networks allow visitors to measure pollution, dust, light, sound, temperature and humidity.

 

“With this year’s event, we'd like to reinforce the modern image of Switzerland as a leading country particularly in science, technology and innovation, and enhance its image of a top-notch tourist destination and ideal business investment location,” said Nektarios Palaskas, Head of the Science, Technology and Education Section of the Swiss Embassy. “By having the event on the campus of a Chinese university, we also aim to foster a networking platform between Swiss and Chinese universities,” he added.

 

Thanks to the long-term cooperation between Beihang University, EPFL and swissnex, last year’s event attracted a large number of students who are interested in Switzerland. The Swiss Day 2015 is jointly supported by the International Space Science Institute-Beijing, Swiss multinational company Nestlé, premium manufacturer of synthetic ice rinks Glicer, Switzerland Tourism and Cleantech Switzerland.