Back to local matters: public lectures and HSG at the OFFA

In Spring Semester 2022, the University of St.Gallen (HSG) invited the general public to attend 38 public lecture courses, which after two years in the grip of the corona pandemic largely took place on the HSG campus again.

“While the pandemic is manifesting itself globally in an unprecedented manner, we observe in parallel something that runs counter to this elimination of borders, namely a shrinking of our personal and social world,” says Prof. Dr. Florian Wettstein, Head of the Public Programme. The fact that the focus shifted onto local matters was also reflected in the range of lectures. Thus light was cast on the origin, history and significance of convents in Eastern Switzerland, the history of alcohol production and alcohol consumption in the Canton of St.Gallen was investigated, and architectural solutions for appropriate daycare in St.Gallen were provided.

Those who missed trips to faraway countries were able to look forward to lectures which focused on places and issues around the world: the most important ports of East Asia were presented and the Crimean peninsula was examined as the strategic hub of Eurasia.

After a two-year break caused by corona, HSG was again represented at the OFFA in April 2022. At the stand of the University of St.Gallen, visitors were able to obtain information about HSG’s public services – the Children’s University, the public lecture courses, the library, and SQUARE as the new public space for encounters in St.Gallen.