Professor Yen-Ling Lin from the Department of Economics of our university invited Dr. Patrick Ziltener, professor at the University of Zurich and board member at the University of St. Gallen in Switzerland, to visit our school on September 15th. Professor Ziltener delivered a lecture titled 'The Journey of Switzerland's Industrial and Economic Growth: What You Didn't Know About Switzerland.' At 1:00 PM, they visited Chairperson Flora Chia-I Chang to discuss potential opportunities for the 2 universities to establish a partner school relationship, engage in student exchanges, and foster academic collaboration in the future.
Professor Ziltener discussed the similarities between Taiwan and Switzerland, such as their similar land sizes, with over 60% being high mountains, and both facing constraints on natural resources. However, he also highlighted the very different economic development trajectories of the two countries. He provided examples of how Switzerland managed to overcome the challenges posed by its lack of natural resources and identified potential economic opportunities, such as high-altitude tourism. He introduced Switzerland's globally renowned industries, including watches, chocolates, and cheese. In particular, he mentioned the rise of the watchmaking industry, which started in a small workshop and later developed into globally recognized brands.
Professor Ziltener mentioned that he had visited our Lanyang Campus and, like at our Tamsui Campus, he could easily see the estuary of the Tamsui River and the beautiful Pacific Ocean in the distance. He expressed his admiration for the scenic beauty of the campus and the proximity to the ocean, which is quite different from Switzerland, a landlocked country. He stated that he really liked Tamkang University, especially during the beginning of the academic semester when he saw many students on campus, all full of energy. He believed that our two universities were well-suited for student exchanges and learning.
Chairperson Chia-I Chang warmly welcomed Professor Ziltener's visit and expressed optimism about further exchanges between the 2 universities. Given that the Mid-Autumn Festival was approaching, Chairperson Chang presented a box of mooncakes with cute rabbits and the character "卯" (pronounced as mao, the fourth earthly branch) on the cover. Professor Ziltener mentioned that he could feel the approaching festive atmosphere and also mentioned that the next World Economic Forum would be held in Switzerland. He welcomed our university's faculty to participate in the discussions.
