Detail

Events - 23.05.2014 - 00:00 

2015 Dies academicus

On 9 May, the University of St.Gallen (HSG) celebrated this year’s dies academicus with University members and guests. Two Honorary Doctorates were awarded, and His Serene Highness Prince Hans-Adam II. von und zu Liechtenstein is the new Honorary Senator.
Source: HSG Newsroom

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9 May 2015. Numerous guests from academia, business and politics, among them Education Minister Stefan Kölliker, together celebrated the University of St.Gallen's greatest day of the year, the dies academicus. The musical background to the event was provided by the HSG Big Band.

A new Honorary Senator, two new Honorary Doctors

His Serene Highness Prince Hans-Adam II. von und zu Liechtenstein was appointed as a new Honorary Senator, while Honorary Doctorates were awarded to Prof. Anne Tsui Ph.D. (Economic Sciences) and Federal Judge Prof. Dr. Fabienne Hohl (Law).

Outstanding achievements honoured

The 2015 Latsis Prize was awarded to Prof. Dr. Nadine Kammerlander. The Latin America Prize for Doctoral Theses at Swiss Universities was awarded to Dr. Vanessa Boanada Fuchs. This year’s Advancement Prize of the Academic Club of the HSG went to Angela Holguin Moreno Ph.D.

The HSG's Student Union awarded two prizes: the prize for excellent teaching, the Credit Suisse Award for Best Teaching, went to Prof. Dr. Markus Menz. The Mentor Prize was awarded to Thomas Jordan, the Deputy General Counsel.

Ceremonial address by a Federal Councillor

Federal Councillor Johann N. Schneider-Ammann delivered the ceremonial address on the topic "The Business of a Business School is more than Business". To him, it was a certain degree of rootedness that had always characterised the HSG. Young people at the HSG learned what it takes to perform a balancing act between globalisation and local roots. It was inappropriate to worry about the HSG's future success, said Federal Councillor Schneider-Ammann. But it was clear to him that even a real pearl had to be cared for to make sure that it would continue to shine in future.

A new campus: an opportunity for the city

President Thomas Bieger opened the ceremonial act of the 2015 dies academicus and described the essential steps that had been taken in the past year. Among other things, substantial progress had been achieved with the extension of the HSG campus in two locations. "It is also an opportunity to create a new space for encounters not only for students, researchers and teachers but also for the city with its University," said Bieger.

Furthermore, Thomas Bieger addressed the introduction of the multi-annual performance agreements, for which the Cantonal Parliament had adopted the necessary amendments to the University Act in February 2015. "Besides the establishment of suitable general short-to-medium-term financial conditions for teaching and research, we also maintain our focus on the University’s actual long-term mission," said Bieger, for a university’s main purpose was its contribution to the acquisition of knowledge through research and teaching.

"Reflection, discussion, feedback"

Shin Szedlak, President of the Student Union of the University of St.Gallen, spoke about what he would wish for the future of teaching. According to a survey conducted by the Student Union, students would welcome more reflection and discussion in teaching. For Szedlak, there is another important desideratum for the future: feedback. Only detailed feedback helped improve one’s one performance on a constant basis. "Many of my ideas about the future of teaching are at the launching stage or have already been partially implemented." 

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