25 April 2013. Contextual studies occupy an important position in the HSG’s curricula. With the conference on “The Future of Content is Context”, the School of Humanities and Social Sciences will demonstrate the issues which will characterise contextual studies in future.

In addition, the conference will discuss how the interaction between core subjects and contextual studies can be improved and how an up-to-date education in economic sciences is based on findings from a variety of fields.

Attention economics and creativity
The conference will be launched with a panel discussion which includes philosopher Katja Gentinetta, Yale Professor Howard Bloch, expert in executive education Thomas Sattelberger and the President of the University of Lüneburg, Sascha Spoun, as external guest speakers.

This will be followed by panel discussions about central issues of contextual studies such as multidisciplinarity, responsibility and the St.Gallen Management Model, attention economics, creativity and transculturality. The guests are members of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, representatives of the HSG core subjects and extramural experts. The conference will be rounded off by an evening event on the topic of “Text/Textiles” in the St.Gallen Textile Museum.

Contextual studies in St.Gallen
The HSG pursues an integrative overall concept in research and teaching. Contextual studies implement this concept by introducing students to the prerequisites of society as a whole and to the framework conditions of economic, legal and political practice.

Since excessive specialisations are no longer able to do justice to the increasing complexity of a globalised work and life reality, the University thus provides its students with skills which enable them to deal with these challenges in a reflected manner.

More than ever before, HSG graduates’ professional practice requires the ability to think in terms of relations. Above and beyond technical competence, linguistically and historically schooled fundamental competencies are needed. The HSG responds to these requirements by offering its students the intellectual stability of a broadly grounded education, on the basis of which they learn how to understand and shape the economy, law and politics from the perspectives of their cultural and social contexts.

Intellectual stability for professional life
Ensuring that its graduates think independently and with critical reflection, and that they are able to decide and act flexibly, responsibly and sustainably in positions of leadership, in particular, is part and parcel of the HSG’s concerns of its integrated educational concept. To promote these skills, contextual studies support the core subjects in that they provide a wide range of courses from among which students are able to make a selection that is optimal for their respective individual development.

Phorto: Photocase / DerGrafischer