Just when your children are happily setled in school, you are relocated to Switzerland. This insiders guide provides all you need to know about the Swiss educational system and the cultural customs and practices that may surprise you.
Who are the Swiss, and what unites them? What is Switzerland's place in the world? What should the Swiss protect themselves from, and which institutions should they preserve? How balance tradition and innovation? Contributors from around the globe recognize that Switzerland gains much strength from being small, from having a system of direct democracy and federalism, and from a deeply rooted commitment to liberty, together with economic wisdom and reliability. Nevertheless, the interaction with the European Union is difficult, and the United States has been putting the Swiss system under stress. Some of these conflicts might imperil Switzerland's model altogether, if creative solutions aren't found.
Why has Switzerland - a tiny, land-locked country with few natural advantages - become so successful for so long at so many things? In banking, pharmaceuticals, machinery, even textiles, Swiss companies rank alongside the biggest and most powerful global competitors. How did they get there? How do they continue to refresh themselves? Does the Swiss 'Sonderfall' (special case) provide lessons others can learn and benefit from? Can the Swiss continue to perform in a hyper-competitive global economy? Swiss Made offers answers to these and many other questions about the country as it describes the origins, structures and characteristics of the most important Swiss companies. The authors suggest success is due to a large degree to sound entrepreneurial thinking and an openness to new ideas. And they venture a surprising forecast on the country's ability to keep pace in an age of globalisation.
This paper presents key findings of Switzerland’s Financial System Stability Assessment, including Reports on the Observance of Standards and Codes on Banking Supervision, Securities Regulation, Insurance Regulation, Payment Systems, and Monetary and Financial Policy Transparency. Overall, financial institutions in Switzerland are well capitalized, but the risks of the current environment should not be underestimated. The large internationally active banks have suffered from the recent asset market volatility and the global economic slowdown. The domestically oriented banks are well capitalized, but their lower level of underlying profitability makes them sensitive to the economic cycle.