20 August 2015. The Swiss National Bank (SNB) has been making regular appearances in the media ever since January 2015: with its lifting of the fixed exchange rate, the transition to negative interest rates and dark red figures in the first six months. Another permanent media issue has been the election campaign for the National Council and the Council of States. This was sufficient reason for Prof. Dr. Caspar Hirschi, the Head of the Public Programme, to make current affairs an issue in the public lecture courses.

Past and future

Caspar Hirschi was able to attract reputable speakers for the series "The economy and the law explained simply". The lecturers will illustrate current affairs in and around the National Bank in economic, legal and historical terms, and will not only focus on the present, but also on the past.

The lecture on economic history will also home in on a topical debate: the western nations' authority and cost-cutting policies. On the basis of the history of economising and thrift, Florian Schui will provide a better understanding of the current political discussions about Greece and other "debt states".

Present and future
In October, the election campaign for the National Council and the Council of States will heat up. The three-lecture course on the Swiss parliamentary elections will not only provide background information about the most important debating points and the promises made by the parties in the run-up to the elections, but also the initial analyses and cautious forecasts after the elections on 18 October.

Likely developments and desirable visions will also be outlined by the geography lecture series. The lectures will focus on challenges such as globalisation, energy supply and climate change – with the geographical scale of the small mountain village of Andermatt extending from the national level to the global level.