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Tag: universität

  • The Swiss Bitcoin expert with a top international reputation in the Moneycast

    The Swiss Bitcoin expert with a top international reputation in the Moneycast

    It is a highly political question what our monetary system will look like, says Fabian Schär. The professor of financial market infrastructure is one of the most sought-after experts internationally when it comes to cryptocurrencies and blockchain technologies. He has even been invited to speak at the G-20 meetings, most recently at the invitation of the Indian Ministry of Economic Affairs.

    Bitcoin as a “store of value”
    For him, it was a tremendous experience, says Schär. “The atmosphere at such a meeting is very impressive This is also because the most powerful of the powerful come together there: The G-20 is a loose association of the most important economic nations in the world. At these meetings, international regulations are regularly discussed in advance, often behind closed doors.

    Currently a hot topic is Schär’s area of expertise: “FinTech”. This means everything that has to do with financial market infrastructure. For example, the question of how payments are processed. Cryptocurrencies are important drivers of innovation here: for example, payments with Bitcoin no longer need a central counterparty – the money can be sent directly from the buyer to the seller. This is not the case with standard bank transfers: in most cases, payments go through a third party, often a bank.

    So will Bitcoin become established as a new currency? Schär is very cautious about making predictions. He says: “If everything develops the way the original idea was, then Bitcoin can possibly become a store of value in the future.” Bitcoin, on the other hand, is unlikely to establish itself as a means of payment.

    “I was extremely sceptical”
    Nevertheless, Schär says he finds the innovations of cryptocurrencies extremely exciting. One reason for this lies in the hobby of his youth: back then, he spent a lot of time playing video games and thus developed an interest in computer science. Later, when he was studying economics, he began to look into cryptocurrencies.

    “At first I was extremely sceptical,” says Schär, “but the more I looked into it, the more it fascinated me.” Bitcoin is highly exciting, he says today, a fantastic innovation. “The system is incredibly well thought out.” But Schär also warns of the risks: “The high fluctuations in value are a problem.” One should be careful when investing in cryptocurrencies, he says. He recommends rather investing in one’s own education and in a better understanding of cryptocurrencies.

    What will banks do in the future?
    Schär does the same in his role as a professor for cryptocurrencies. What he likes most about his job is the versatility. As a professor, he can exchange ideas with many exciting people from politics and the private sector and pass on input from his research. This also involves the financial infrastructure of the future and the role of intermediaries such as banks. Much is still unclear, says Schär, but one thing can already be said: “The roles will change

    Source: www.swissinfo.ch

  • "The potential is enormous"

    "The potential is enormous"

    In the heart of the city of Zurich is the university area with the knowledge and health clusters of the University Hospital Zurich (USZ), the University of Zurich (UZH) and the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Zurich – three successful institutions with a high international reputation. The spatial proximity of the three institutions offers unique opportunities for intensive cooperation, which brings about innovations in research, teaching and medical care. However, numerous buildings in the Zurich center university area no longer meet the requirements of modern hospital, research and teaching operations. The infrastructure has reached its capacity limits. With the generation project at the Zurich Center University Area (HGZZ), the infrastructure of the USZ, UZH and ETH Zurich is being improved and the leading position of the institutions is being secured.

    Common vision
    The “Zurich Center University Area” building project is a Herculean task: “There are three levels of government (federal, canton and city) and three institutions (university, university hospital, ETH) involved,” says Roman Bächtold, head of the HGZZ office, which is responsible for the various projects in the Coordinated university area. “Getting the interests and needs of all these players under one roof, right in the center of Zurich, was and is a special challenge. The potential is enormous. If it succeeds, the population will benefit far beyond Zurich, and not just today and tomorrow, but across generations. ” Zurich has a unique knowledge and health cluster that integrally combines research, teaching and health care in a very small space. It is important to secure and strengthen this advantage. This shared vision made it possible to unite the parties. That was and remains demanding and time-consuming.

    Upgrading the quarter
    The planning goes way back. The main milestones were the location decision in September 2011, the elaboration of a master plan (2012/2013), its approval in August 2014, the tendering and implementation of the study contract for the urban space concept HGZZ (2016/2017). But the adoption of a joint white paper in March 2018 was also an important stopover on the way to our destination. The University of Zurich can be recognized from afar by its green dome. Will it stay that way? – «The green dome remains. But the quarter will be massively upgraded, greener, more accessible, more liveable, ”says Bächtold. And he adds: “There are hardly any projects in Switzerland that are so complex and varied. You come into contact with countless stakeholders from politics, business, the population and the media. This great challenge is appealing and exciting ».

  • Holcim supplies sustainable concrete for HSG Learning Center

    Holcim supplies sustainable concrete for HSG Learning Center

    The HSG Foundation is currently building the new HSG Learning Center on the premises of the University of St.Gallen ( HSG ). The general contractor HRS Real Estate AG has commissioned the Swiss Holcim AG with the delivery of the concretes. A new, more sustainable Holcim product, EvopactPLUS, is used in around half of the total of 6,000 cubic meters of concrete used.

    "With EvopactPLUS we close the building material cycle, conserve natural resources and save CO2," said Roger Dällenbach, Regional Manager for German-speaking Switzerland and Ticino, in a press release from Holcim. The new type of concrete replaces natural gravel with a reclaimed aggregate from the region. It also includes Susteno, which, according to the company, is the "first and only resource-saving cement in Europe that uses mixed granulate from demolitions as an additive". This fine material is not used in conventional concrete production and must therefore be dumped.

    "Compared to an already optimized mass cement, the use of Susteno saves 10 percent CO2," the press release said. Regionality also plays a role: the building material is delivered from the Holcim concrete plant in St.Gallen, just three kilometers from the construction site. "It was an experiment for us because we were working with the product for the first time," Holcim foreman Marcel Kunz is quoted as saying. He is very satisfied with it, "it's a wonderful concrete."

    In the future, the modern building should focus less on technical learning than on learning the necessary skills such as critical thinking and self-reflection, according to the client, the HSG Foundation . It finances this project largely from donations from HSG alumni .