St. Gallen Symposium

St. Gallen Symposium
Formation	1969
Type	Non-profit organization
Legal status	Club
Headquarters	St. Gallen, Switzerland
Region served	Worldwide
Website	www.stgallen-symposium.org

The St. Gallen Symposium (formerly also known as the ISC Symposium) is an annual symposium on the campus of the University of St. Gallen, Switzerland which brings together distinguished leaders from business, science, and politics as well as some of the most talented youngsters from around the world. They come together to discuss some of the most pressing issues facing the world in the fields of management, the entrepreneurial environment and the interfaces between business, politics and society. The St. Gallen Symposium is organised by the International Students' Committee (ISC) St. Gallen a non-profit student initiative at the University of St. Gallen. The first International Management Symposium took place in May 1970.^[1]

Annual Symposium

The annual symposium at the University of St. Gallen takes place in May. Each year, it attracts around 600 leaders from business, science, politics and society.^[2] It brings them together with 200 of the most talented students of the world which have to qualify via the St. Gallen Wings of Excellence Award. They are completed in the dialogue by around 100 selected representatives of the media.^[3] Participation at the Annual Meeting is by invitation only. The around 1,000 participants come together for three days and participate in around 40 different sessions. These sessions are set up in different structures. There are Plenary Sessions with the whole plenum, Work Sessions with groups as intimate as 20–30 participants, and Background Sessions, which provide insight into current affairs and theories by experts. All sessions focus on the interaction either being based on discussion or at least including an intense Q&A section. All the sessions deal with issues in regard to each year's topic which itself tackles burning issues fundamental questions "concerning management, the entrepreneurial environment and the interfaces between business, politics and society".^[4] The topic itself is structured into four major clusters (A-D), with each session being clearly categorised among these clusters, thus aiding participants in finding the sessions they're most interested in.^[5]

All plenary debates from the St. Gallen Symposium are available on the Symposium's website. The St. Gallen Symposium is also present on Facebook^[6] and Youtube.^[7] CNBC & n-tv have broadcast a series of interviews from St. Gallen in recent years^[8] and Spiegel Online (German magazine) has published a series titled "St. Galler Gespräche".^[9]

The 41st St. Gallen Symposium will take place from 12–13 May 2011.^[10]

Participants

Leaders of Today

Every year, the St. Gallen Symposium draws highly distinguished personalities to join the dialogue on the campus of the University of St. Gallen. In recent years this included public figures such as: Josef Ackermann, nobel prize laureates Robert John Aumann, Amartya Sen, Muhammad Yunus and Gary Becker, Brady Dougan, Samuel A. DiPiazza, Joseph Hogan, Fujio Chō, Hans-Rudolf Merz, Heinz Fischer, Misha Glenny, Parag Khanna, Mohammad Khatami, Jeannot Krecké, Christine Lagarde, Didier Lombard, Sergio Marchionne, Sheikha Lubna bint Khalid Al Qasimi, Nuguib Sawiris, Boris Tadic, Toomas Hendrik Ilves, Dieter Zetsche.^[11][12]

Leaders of Tomorrow

Half of the 200 students attending the St. Gallen Symposium are selected from among more than 1,000 contributions to the St. Gallen Wings of Excellence Award each year. The other half, the St. Gallen "Knowledge Pool", are selected by the ISC directly based on previous accomplishments in business and academia relevant to the annual topic. They then are invited to take part in the exchange of ideas just based on their skill. The ISC's sponsors cover the expenses for transfer, accommodation and boarding. Also, the student participants take an active part in session by leading Work Sessions and taking part in Keynote Sessions such as the traditional Award Ceremony for the St. Gallen Wings of Excellence Award. These contributions are arguably the highlights each year.^[13] Many students continue to develop into outstanding personalities and return to the St. Gallen Symposium as members of the faculty (such as CAI Shiyin, William Devine^[14] or Werner Wenning^[15]).

Press

Among the 100 press participants there are representatives from the national and international written press as well as international television stations. In recent years, camera teams from ARD, Bloomberg, CNBC, ORF and SF were among those videoing the event.^[16]

Awards

The St. Gallen Symposium is home to the St. Gallen Wings of Excellence Award. In the years from 1979–2003, it was also home to the Max Schmidheiny Freedomprize.

St. Gallen Wings of Excellence Award

St. Gallen Wings of Excellence Award

The St. Gallen Wings of Excellence Award is the biggest quality student competition of the world. It receives contributions from over 60 nations each year. The around 1,000 contributions are assessed by a preliminary jury consisting of doctoral candidates of the University of St. Gallen and the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zürich. After passing the preliminary jury, the contributions will be evaluated by the jury and the winners are selected. In 2009, the jury was led by Prof. Dr. Georg F. von Krogh who replaced Prof. Dr. Gilbert J.B. Probst who had headed the jury for many years. Other members of the jury were Peter Day, Christophe R. Gautier, Prof. Dr. Odd Gisholt, Charlotte A. Gubler, Barbara Kux, Prof. Dr. Günter Müller-Stewens and Sushil K. Premchand. Past winners of the with EUR 20,000 endowed prize include Marcelo Ber (2011), Kanan Amal Dhru (2011), María de los Ángeles Lasa (2011), Ainur Begim (2010), Shofwan Al-Banna Choiruzzad (2009), Christoph Matthias Paret (2008), Benjamin Block (2007), Maximilian Freier (2006), Fabien Curto Millet (2005) and Ravi Rauniyar (2004).^{[17][18][19][20]}

Max Schmidheiny Freedom Prize

Every year, the Max Schmidheiny Foundation (in honor of Dr. h.c. Max Schmidheiny (1908–1991) presented the Max Schmidheiny Freedom Prize at the St. Gallen Symposium. After 2003, the board of trustees decided to cease this tradition and concentrate on other methods of fulfilling its aim of promoting a free economic and social order. Winners of the Max Schmidheiny Freedomprize presented during the symposium each May include Kofi Annan, Nicolas Hayek, the International Committee of the Red Cross and Jorma Ollila. Currently, the foundation sponsors a professorship at the University of St. Gallen, holds regular forums and pursues various projects. During all the time, it has held its close relation with the St. Gallen Symposium.^[21][22][23]

Organisation

The International Students' Committee (ISC) St. Gallen, the organising committee of the St. Gallen Symposium, is based in St. Gallen, Switzerland. The ISC is supported and guided by the St. Gallen Foundation for International Studies, an independent foundation with the focus on international projects at the interfaces between business, politics and society.^[24]

International Students' Committee (ISC) St. Gallen

The ISC is an independent initiative of students at the University of St. Gallen. Every year around 25 students set aside their study for 10 months in order to make the St. Gallen Symposium possible. During the time of the symposium the ISC-Team is supported by more than 200 students from the university who invest their time into offering the almost perfect service to the participants. The ISC Support Crew provides the service for the attending leaders of today and tomorrow. The responsibilities range from Catering and Evening Events to Information Technology, Technical Operations and Transport but also include Students' and Participants' Service as well as Media Relations. The ISC-Team also creates and publishes print products including pre, parent and past Symposium Documentation.

Among the more than 500 former ISC-Team Members are distuingished personalities such as Martin Blessing, Stan Brenninkmeijer, Michael Hilti, Bénédict Hentsch, Dr. Konrad Hummler or Walter B. Kielholz.

Funding

The St. Gallen Symposium is funded by financial aid from the members of a so called "Circle of Benefactors" as well as donations in form of goods, services and money. Participants in the symposium pay a participation fee. In addition, a close relationship with the University of St. Gallen is kept. During the event, this allows the ISC to be supported by students from the University as well as to use the University's infrastructure. In 2008, the Circle of Benefactors included nearly 400 companies from around the world.^[25]

St. Gallen Foundation for International Studies

The St. Gallen Foundation for International Studies is a foundation under Swiss Law with its base in St. Gallen, Switzerland. It aims to promote "international projects at the interfaces between business, politics and society"^[26]. It supports and guides the International Students' Committee in the organisation of the St. Gallen Symposium and at the same time garantuees a responsible use of the resources provided to the St. Gallen Symposium by its Circle of Benefactors.

It was founded in 1974 and was also known as the ISC-Foundation for some years. Former CEOs include Dr. h.c. Wolfgang Schürer and Andreas Kirchschläger.

The current Board of Trustees includes Josef Ackermann (Chairman), Deutsche Bank, Walter Kielholz, Swiss Re, Nicola Leibinger-Kammüller, Trumpf, Gerhard Schwarz, Neue Zürcher Zeitung. The current CEO is Philip Erzinger.^[26]

References

1. ^ St. Gallen Symposium Website
2. ^ "Fragilität der Finanzmärkte". Neue Zürcher Zeitung. 16 May 2008 p.21.
3. ^ The Symposium, St. Gallen Symposium Website
4. ^ Core Themes, Symposium's Website
5. ^ Topic 2010, St. Gallen Symposium Website
6. ^ http://www.facebook.com/pages/Saint-Gallen-Switzerland/St-Gallen-Symposium/32613739495?ref=ts
7. ^ http://www.youtube.com/stgallensymposium
8. ^ http://www.cnbc.com/id/15840232?video=743141214
9. ^ http://www.spiegel.de/wirtschaft/0,1518,k-7131,00.html
10. ^ http://www.stgallen-symposium.org
11. ^ Past Speakers, Symposium's Website
12. ^ "Introductory Booklet". International Students' Committee (ISC) St. Gallen. St. Gallen: ISC, 2008.
13. ^ "Markt und Moral sind keine Gegensätze". Neue Zürcher Zeitung. 17 May 2008, p.25.
14. ^ International Student's Committee (ISC). 'Global Capitalism – Local Values: 38th St. Gallen Symposium , University of St. Gallen, Switzerland, 15–17 May 2008'. St. Gallen: St. Gallen Symposium, 2008.
15. ^ International Student's Committee (ISC). 'Inspiring Europe: 36th St. Gallen Symposium , University of St. Gallen, Switzerland, 18–20 May 2006'. St. Gallen: St. Gallen Symposium, 2006.
16. ^ Media Coverage, Symposium's Website
17. ^ "St. Gallen Wings of Excellence Award 2009". International Students' Committee (ISC). St. Gallen: 2009
18. ^ "Vorlesungsverzeichnis Frühjahrssemester 2008". Universität St. Gallen. St. Gallen: Universität St. Gallen, 2008.
19. ^ "Tübinger Universitäts Newsletter". Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen, 23 June 2008. retrieved on 05.12.2008
20. ^ Student Award, Symposium's Website
21. ^ Max Schmidheiny Foundation Portrait
22. ^ "Presentation of the Freedom Pize of the Max Schmidheiny Foundation to Kofi Annan". International Students' Committee (ISC). St. Gallen: 2006.
23. ^ Max Schmidheiny Foundation, Symposium's Website
24. ^ St. Gallen Foundation for International Studies Website
25. ^ Members of the Circle of Benefactors, Symposium's Website
26. ^ ^{a b} St. Gallen Foundation for International Studies

External links

• St. Gallen Symposium
• University of St. Gallen
• St. Gallen Foundation for International Studies
• Max Schmidheiny Foundation at the University of St. Gallen