New contacts and activities, guest lectureship (August 2016)

In addition to consolidation and expansion of current activities, there were many notable activities and contacts during the past months. Among them, the talks during the 14th Alpensymposium at 12 and 13 January 2016 in Interlaken with the following personalities: Prof. Yanis Varoufakis (Economist and former Greek Minister of Finance), Dr. Auma Obama (Kenyan Germanist and Sociologist; sister of US-President Barack Obama); Micheline Calmy-Rey (former Swiss Foreign Minister and President of the Confederation) and Dr. Bertrand Piccard (Swiss Psychiatrist, Scientist and Adventurer). A long-term cooperation is planned between CICB and Yanis Varoufakis, regarding to the themes intercultural stumbling blocks as well as synergy potentials within international politics.

As part of further meetings, the following discussions, partially cooperation and friendly relations are to mention: with Claude Nicollier (Swiss Astrophysicist, NASA-Test Pilot and Astronaut); Aldo Schellenberg (Lieutenant General; Commander of the Swiss Air Force); Dr. Pierin Vincenz (former CEO Raiffeisen Bank Switzerland; since October 2015 Chairman at Helvetia Insurance); Dr. Jörg Peltzer (Surgeon and Chief Physician in Delémont and initiator of trauma centers Swiss surgeons in Ethiopia); Prof. Martin Killias (criminologist and criminal law expert); Dr. Beat Curti (Swiss Retail and Media entrepreneur); Jean-Claude Biver (Swiss Watch entrepreneur); Diego Hangartner (Swiss Pharmacist, neuro-scientist and co-founder of Mind and Life institute Europe) and with Shlomo Graber (survivor of concentration camps and author; this year he had his 90th anniversary).

In November 2015, Thomas Baumer performed two workshops in intercultural competence for the staff of Beyer Chronometry in Zurich. Beyer Chronometry is the oldest watch shop in Switzerland and is lead today, in the 8th generation, by René Beyer.

During winter semester 2016-17, Thomas Baumer is teaching as guest lecturer at the Academia Engiadina / Higher Technical School for Tourism in Samedan (Grisons/Switzerland) during 2 course days per month the subject “Intercultural Management”.