"The Canton of St.Gallen is proud of HSG! In addition to excellent staff, it also makes an important contribution to value creation in the region, and its excellence shines throughout Switzerland and beyond." This is State Councillor Stefan Kölliker, Head of the Department of Education congratulating the University of St.Gallen (HSG) on its 125th anniversary. It has put together a varied programme for its anniversary year consisting of several public events and various other offerings. 

Launch in SQUARE

The first public will also celebrate the one-year anniversary of SQUARE, the experimental field for future forms of learning and teaching. The glass building designed by Japanese architect Sou Fujimoto was financed entirely by donations, mainly from graduates of the University. This high level of loyalty that alumni have towards their alma mater is one of the strengths of HSG. Another is student engagement: To make this visible, 35 of the 130 student clubs and initiatives at HSG are organising events aimed at both  young and old at "Open SQUARE" starting on 25 February: The programme offers a range workshops on the topics of creativity, sustainability, technology and the future to podium discussions and concerts, as well as other activities.
"This is the first time that the student clubs are coming together to hold a big event like this, making the full array of student engagement culture at HSG accessible to a wider audience. This is what I like best about Open SQUARE," says SQUARE manager Philippe Narval. 

Dies academicus and insights into research

The traditional birthday celebration at the University is "Dies academicus", which takes place on 13 May. This year, two other seminars will also be hosted from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. Anyone with an interest learning about the research at the University can attend a session titled: in "Research at the HSG: What? How? What for?" in SQUARE. In addition, the vernissage of the anniversary will take place in the afternoon. A textile installation for this occasion, like the anniversary logo, is a reminiscence of the St.Gallen textile industry, which was a driving force behind the founding of the HSG. 

See the future

What does the future hold for HSG and universities in general? That will be the topic of an international symposium on 15 September. TEDxHSG will take place a day later, where it will focus on learning in a broader sense. 

Finally, there will be topic-based tours taking place all year, which will be dedicated to the history of HSG and its relationship to the city and the canton. As part of the public lecture program, the lecture series "(T)Räume menschlicher Begegnungen" (Spaces of Human Encounters) invites you to a special exchange. Together with representatives of the University and the City of St.Gallen as well as external experts, the topic will be brough to light.  

Further information on the anniversary celebrations can be found at: www.hsg.ch/125