University of Fribourg
Encyclopedia
The University of Fribourg is a university
in the city of Fribourg
, Switzerland
.
The roots of the University can be traced back to 1582, when the notable Jesuit Peter Canisius founded the Collège Saint-Michel in the City of Fribourg
. In 1763, an Academy of law was founded by the state of Frobourg which formed the nucleus of the present Law Faculty. The University of Fribourg was finally created in 1889 by an Act of the parliament of the Swiss Canton of Fribourg
.
Located directly at the language border between the French and German speaking parts of Switzerland, the University of Fribourg is Switzerland’s only bilingual university and offers full curricula in those two Swiss national languages. Students also have the possibility to choose a bilingual curriculum in both French and German and some programmes are taught in English. Traditionally, the university also attracts a strong contingent of students from the Italian-speaking part of Switzerland as well as many students from abroad. Students number about 10,000, there are about 240 tenured professors and 700 other academic teaching and research personnel. The Misericorde Campus, constructed between 1939–42, was designed by the architects Honegger and Dumas, students of the famous Swiss architect Le Corbusier
and as such is deemed to be of major architectural importance. A second Campus for the sciences departments and laboratories was gradually developed in the “Pérolles” part of Fribourg during the 20th century. To accommodate a doubling of student numbers since 1980, a new, additional Campus complex “Pérolles 2”, designed by Büro B Architects, was inaugurated in 2005.
There are five faculties: Catholic theology, law
, natural sciences, humanities
, and economics
& social sciences
.
In 1886, Georges Python, founder of the cantonal bank and State Counsellor for Fribourg (M.P. in the upper house of the Swiss parliament) became Director of Public Education. He raised funds through a lottery and was
granted some 2,500,000 CHF by the canton. One of the conditions was that he should delay the construction of the university buildings and lectures took place in the buildings of St. Michel. The cantonal library became integrated with that of the university and the Academy became the Faculty of Law. Benito Mussolini
worked as a stonemason on the Bibliothèque Cantonale et universitaire (BCU) centrale, the central library of the university.
The Dominicans managed the theological faculty, due to an agreement with the canton of Fribourg. The buildings of St. Michel eventually became too crowded and in 1939 the university moved to a new campus constructed on the former cemetery of Misericorde, ceding St. Michel to one of Fribourg's gymnasia, which took the name College St. Michel. During the Second World War, the University set up "university camps" along with the University of Zürich to educate Polish prisoners of war.
The Perolles campus was constructed on the site of a former wagon factory.
Although many lectures were originally in Latin, Fribourg is now the only French/German bilingual university in the world (40% French and 60% German).The town itself is 70% French and 30% German. This fact, coupled with the traditional dominance of French as the language of the city aristocracy explains why French has remained so dominant in university administration and in the AGEF (Association Generale des Etudiants Fribourgois), the Student's Union. To commemorate the centerary of the University La Poste issued a stamp depicting the figures Science and Sagesse.
/ DESS, Doctorate
. The university now follows the requirements of the Bologna process
.
The University of Fribourg launched for the 2009–2010 academic year a new postgraduate law programme, the "Master of Laws in Cross-Cultural Business Practice
" (MLCBP), an LL.M taught entirely in English.
The main sites are:
Primary degrees used to last for five or five and a half years, culminating in a Lizenziat (equivalent to a Master's degree), although with the introduction of the Bologna reforms, the University awards a BA after three years and an MA after a further two years. Students are issued with a tabella, a book in which they record all the lectures which they have attended, and which the professors sign.
University
A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is an organisation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...
in the city of Fribourg
Fribourg
Fribourg is the capital of the Swiss canton of Fribourg and the district of Sarine. It is located on both sides of the river Saane/Sarine, on the Swiss plateau, and is an important economic, administrative and educational center on the cultural border between German and French Switzerland...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
.
The roots of the University can be traced back to 1582, when the notable Jesuit Peter Canisius founded the Collège Saint-Michel in the City of Fribourg
Fribourg
Fribourg is the capital of the Swiss canton of Fribourg and the district of Sarine. It is located on both sides of the river Saane/Sarine, on the Swiss plateau, and is an important economic, administrative and educational center on the cultural border between German and French Switzerland...
. In 1763, an Academy of law was founded by the state of Frobourg which formed the nucleus of the present Law Faculty. The University of Fribourg was finally created in 1889 by an Act of the parliament of the Swiss Canton of Fribourg
Canton of Fribourg
The Canton of Fribourg is a canton of Switzerland. It is located in the west of the country. The capital of the canton is Fribourg. The name Fribourg is French, whereas is the German name for both the canton and the town.-History:...
.
Located directly at the language border between the French and German speaking parts of Switzerland, the University of Fribourg is Switzerland’s only bilingual university and offers full curricula in those two Swiss national languages. Students also have the possibility to choose a bilingual curriculum in both French and German and some programmes are taught in English. Traditionally, the university also attracts a strong contingent of students from the Italian-speaking part of Switzerland as well as many students from abroad. Students number about 10,000, there are about 240 tenured professors and 700 other academic teaching and research personnel. The Misericorde Campus, constructed between 1939–42, was designed by the architects Honegger and Dumas, students of the famous Swiss architect Le Corbusier
Le Corbusier
Charles-Édouard Jeanneret, better known as Le Corbusier , was a Swiss-born French architect, designer, urbanist, writer and painter, famous for being one of the pioneers of what now is called modern architecture. He was born in Switzerland and became a French citizen in 1930...
and as such is deemed to be of major architectural importance. A second Campus for the sciences departments and laboratories was gradually developed in the “Pérolles” part of Fribourg during the 20th century. To accommodate a doubling of student numbers since 1980, a new, additional Campus complex “Pérolles 2”, designed by Büro B Architects, was inaugurated in 2005.
There are five faculties: Catholic theology, law
Law
Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
, natural sciences, humanities
Humanities
The humanities are academic disciplines that study the human condition, using methods that are primarily analytical, critical, or speculative, as distinguished from the mainly empirical approaches of the natural sciences....
, and economics
Economics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
& social sciences
Social sciences
Social science is the field of study concerned with society. "Social science" is commonly used as an umbrella term to refer to a plurality of fields outside of the natural sciences usually exclusive of the administrative or managerial sciences...
.
History
The University owes its earliest origin to the foundation of the Jesuit College St. Michel on Belze Hill by Peter Canisius in 1582 at the invitation of the government of Fribourg. The question of Catholic higher education came to the fore with the development of the Protestant academies at Geneva, Lausanne and Basle. In 1763, an Academy of Law was founded, housed in the Albertinium (now a Dominican residence). In 1834, the cantonal library was formed from works brought to Fribourg (from Catholic monasteries) for safekeeping. The College St. Michel was closed following the expulsion of the Jesuits from Fribourg after the canton's defeat in the Sonderbund war.In 1886, Georges Python, founder of the cantonal bank and State Counsellor for Fribourg (M.P. in the upper house of the Swiss parliament) became Director of Public Education. He raised funds through a lottery and was
granted some 2,500,000 CHF by the canton. One of the conditions was that he should delay the construction of the university buildings and lectures took place in the buildings of St. Michel. The cantonal library became integrated with that of the university and the Academy became the Faculty of Law. Benito Mussolini
Benito Mussolini
Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini was an Italian politician who led the National Fascist Party and is credited with being one of the key figures in the creation of Fascism....
worked as a stonemason on the Bibliothèque Cantonale et universitaire (BCU) centrale, the central library of the university.
The Dominicans managed the theological faculty, due to an agreement with the canton of Fribourg. The buildings of St. Michel eventually became too crowded and in 1939 the university moved to a new campus constructed on the former cemetery of Misericorde, ceding St. Michel to one of Fribourg's gymnasia, which took the name College St. Michel. During the Second World War, the University set up "university camps" along with the University of Zürich to educate Polish prisoners of war.
The Perolles campus was constructed on the site of a former wagon factory.
Although many lectures were originally in Latin, Fribourg is now the only French/German bilingual university in the world (40% French and 60% German).The town itself is 70% French and 30% German. This fact, coupled with the traditional dominance of French as the language of the city aristocracy explains why French has remained so dominant in university administration and in the AGEF (Association Generale des Etudiants Fribourgois), the Student's Union. To commemorate the centerary of the University La Poste issued a stamp depicting the figures Science and Sagesse.
Recent developments
In 2005, the university inaugurated its Perolles 2 campus, to which the Faculty of Economics and Social Science relocated. Plans are underway to commence construction of a Museum for Biblical Antiquities, which will be housed in the Tower of Henry IV once it is renovated. The university has the third largest collection of Biblical antiquities in the world after the British Museum and the Cairo Museum. Fribourg has also developed FriMat, a centre of excellence in nanotechnology. As part of the BeNeFri association comprising the Universities of Berne, Neuchatel and Fribourg, students at any one of these universities may take courses at another in the association and still receive credit at their home institution. The academic degrees were the Demi-Licence, Licence, DEADEA (former French degree)
A Master of Advanced Studies is a non-consecutive postgraduate degree awarded predominantly in European countries. A MAS program offers comprehensive training in a specific field and can either give access to higher qualification in one's profession or lead to a new profession...
/ DESS, Doctorate
Doctorate
A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder to teach in a specific field, A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder...
. The university now follows the requirements of the Bologna process
Bologna process
The purpose of the Bologna Process is the creation of the European Higher Education Area by making academic degree standards and quality assurance standards more comparable and compatible throughout Europe, in particular under the Lisbon Recognition Convention...
.
The University of Fribourg launched for the 2009–2010 academic year a new postgraduate law programme, the "Master of Laws in Cross-Cultural Business Practice
Master of Laws in Cross-Cultural Business Practice
The Master of Laws in Cross-Cultural Business Practice is a post-graduate Master's degree offered by the University of Fribourg School of Law in collaboration with the University of Bern and the University of Neuchâtel, all in Switzerland.This one year program, taught entirely in English, begins...
" (MLCBP), an LL.M taught entirely in English.
Campuses
Fribourg has no central campus and its buildings are located throughout the city.The main sites are:
- Misericorde - Humanities and central administration (including the famous Senate room)
- Perolles - Science
- Perolles 2 - Economics & Social Sciences
- Regina Mundi - Psychology
- BCU centrale - Main Library
- Pierre Aeby - Department of Classical Philology
- Bonnesfontaines - Pedagogy
- Stade St. Leonard - University Stadium
Traditions
- Dies Academicus - On this day in November every year, no lectures are held. Festivities begin with Mass in the Chapel of the Collège St. Michel. The members of the University then proceed to the Aula Magna (Great Hall) in solemn procession. After an address by the rector and a prominent guest speaker, honorary degrees are awarded. The student guilds attend in ceremonial dress including swords.
- Student Guilds - These are similar to the student guilds in Germany and Austria, but there is no de facto constraint to participate as it is in the student nations at the universities of UppsalaUppsala- Economy :Today Uppsala is well established in medical research and recognized for its leading position in biotechnology.*Abbott Medical Optics *GE Healthcare*Pfizer *Phadia, an offshoot of Pharmacia*Fresenius*Q-Med...
, LundLund-Main sights:During the 12th and 13th centuries, when the town was the seat of the archbishop, many churches and monasteries were built. At its peak, Lund had 27 churches, but most of them were demolished as result of the Reformation in 1536. Several medieval buildings remain, including Lund...
and HelsinkiHelsinkiHelsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is...
. They maintain Central European student traditions and meet at least once a week around a Stammtisch ("regular's table") in order to socialise, drink and sing together. They tend to be organised on linguistic lines. One of them is still engaged in dueling, while the other guilds in Fribourg already rejected this tradition at the time they were founded, amongst others for religious reasons. Membership has often been considered advantageous for those wishing to pursue a career in business, politics or law. Most of Fribourg's student guilds belong to the formerly catholic Schweizerischer Studentenverein ("Swiss Student Association"). - The Day of Welcomes (Jour D'Accueil) - Similar to Fresher's Week in Anglophonic Universities. New students are invited to the Aula Magna, where they are welcomed to Fribourg by the Rector and the Syndic (Mayor of the City of Fribourg). This is followed by a meal in the university Mensa provided by the city, where new students are expected to dine with the rest of the Faculty to which they have been admitted.
- Every year, the Catholic Church holds collections during masses throughout Switzerland. Known as Fribourg Sunday, the funds raised are mainly used to award scholarships to foreign priests by the Faculty of Theology.
Student life
The main sports at the University are skiing, fencing, ice hockey, football, and basketball. In common with many Swiss universities, Fribourg does not have its own halls of residence. A minority of students live in foyers often run by religious organisations (though the University aids with some of the construction costs), but most rent places of their own, a common practice in Switzerland. Two of the main foyers at Fribourg are Cité St. Justin and the Salesianum. There is also a student housing cooperative known as APARTIS.Primary degrees used to last for five or five and a half years, culminating in a Lizenziat (equivalent to a Master's degree), although with the introduction of the Bologna reforms, the University awards a BA after three years and an MA after a further two years. Students are issued with a tabella, a book in which they record all the lectures which they have attended, and which the professors sign.
Branding
The University Seal depicts a Cross and Bishop's ring representing the University's Catholic ethos on a shield of black and white, representing the canton of Fribourg. The logo of the Université is a blue stylized "F" (with triangles echoing the facade structure of the Miséricorde Building and simbolizing the Alps) and the name of the University in Latin.Writers and Academics
- Maurice ZermattenMaurice ZermattenMaurice Zermatten was a French-speaking Swiss writer.He was born in Saint-Martin, Valais, a small village situated in the Val d'Hérens, in the canton of Valais. He was first educated at the Ecole normale and then at the University of Fribourg...
, writer, winner of the Schiller International Prize - Tariq RamadanTariq RamadanTariq Ramadan is a Swiss academic, poet and writer. He is also a Professor of Contemporary Islamic Studies in the Faculty of Oriental Studies at Oxford University...
, philosopher and Islamic scholar - Michel Plancherel, mathematician
- Alfred Gockel, physicist, a graduate of HeidelbergHeidelberg-Early history:Between 600,000 and 200,000 years ago, "Heidelberg Man" died at nearby Mauer. His jaw bone was discovered in 1907; with scientific dating, his remains were determined to be the earliest evidence of human life in Europe. In the 5th century BC, a Celtic fortress of refuge and place of...
but a Professor of Fribourg, involved in the discovery of cosmic radiation - Gonzague de Reynold, writer and academic, author of Cités et pays suisse
- Mary DalyMary DalyMary Daly was an American radical feminist philosopher, academic, and theologian. Daly, who described herself as a "radical lesbian feminist", taught at Boston College, a Jesuit-run institution, for 33 years. Daly retired in 1999, after violating university policy by refusing to allow male...
, feminist theologian and advocate of parthenogenesis - Emmanuel LevinasEmmanuel LévinasEmmanuel Levinas was a Lithuanian-born French Jewish philosopher and Talmudic commentator.-Life:Emanuelis Levinas received a traditional Jewish education in Lithuania...
, philosopher - Thierry Madies, economic advisor to French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin
- Philippe Gugler, president, European International Business Academy
- Peter TrudgillPeter TrudgillProfessor Peter Trudgill FBA is a sociolinguist, academic and author.He was born in 1943 in Norwich, England, where he attended the City of Norwich School from 1955....
, British sociolinguist and dialectologist - Jerome Murphy-O'ConnorJerome Murphy-O'ConnorReverend Dr Jerome Murphy-O'Connor O.P., is a Dominican priest, a leading authority on St...
Professor of New TestamentNew TestamentThe New Testament is the second major division of the Christian biblical canon, the first such division being the much longer Old Testament....
at the Ecole BibliqueÉcole BibliqueThe École Biblique, strictly the École biblique et archéologique française de Jérusalem, is a respected French academic establishment in Jerusalem, founded by Dominicans, and specialising in archaeology and Biblical exegesis.-Foundation:...
in Jerusalem - Jean ZermattenJean ZermattenJean Zermatten is a specialist of Children's Rights. He's the son of the Swiss writer Maurice Zermatten. He's Chairman of the U.N. Committee on the Rights of the Child...
, academic and Vice-Chair of U.N. Commission on the Rights of the Child. - Luc E. WeberLuc E. WeberLuc E. Weber is the Rector Emeritus of the University of Geneva and the President of the Glion Colloquium.-Biography:...
, Rector Emeritus of the University of GenevaUniversity of GenevaThe University of Geneva is a public research university located in Geneva, Switzerland.It was founded in 1559 by John Calvin, as a theological seminary and law school. It remained focused on theology until the 17th century, when it became a center for Enlightenment scholarship. In 1873, it... - Werner UlrichWerner UlrichWerner Ulrich is a Swiss social scientist and practical philosopher, and a former professor of the theory and practice of social planning at the University of Fribourg...
, Swiss social scientist and practical philosopher, one of the originators of "critical systems thinkingCritical systems thinkingCritical systems thinking is a recent systems thinking framework, that wants to bring unity to the diversity of different systems approaches and advises managers how best to use them....
" (CST). - Hans Wolfgang Brachinger, German mathematician and econometrician
- Patrick AebischerPatrick AebischerPatrick Aebischer is the president of the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne since March 17th, 2000. He is also a professor in neurosciences and head of the Neurodegenerative Disease Laboratory of the EPFL....
, the current president of the École Polytechnique Fédérale de LausanneÉcole polytechnique fédérale de LausanneThe École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne is one of the two Swiss Federal Institutes of Technology and is located in Lausanne, Switzerland.The school was founded by the Swiss Federal Government with the stated mission to:...
Clergy
- Cardinal Georges Cottier, official theologian to the Papal Household (under John Paul II), Secretary of the International Theological Commission
- Cardinal Christoph Schönborn, Archbishop of ViennaViennaVienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
- Cardinal Angelo Scola, Patriarch of Venice
- Cardinal Basil Hume, former Archbishop of WestminsterArchbishop of WestminsterThe Archbishop of Westminster heads the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Westminster, in England. The incumbent is the Metropolitan of the Province of Westminster and, as a matter of custom, is elected President of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales, and therefore de facto spokesman...
- Cardinal Henri Schwery, Bishop of SionSion, SwitzerlandSion is the capital of the Swiss canton of Valais. it had a population of .Landmarks include the Basilique de Valère and Château de Tourbillon. Sion has an airfield for civilian and military use, which, because of its location in a valley, causes a reasonable amount of noise pollution. FC Sion...
- Cardinal Michael Browne O.P., Master General of the Order of Preachers
- Cardinal Gilberto Agustoni, Prefect Emeritus of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signature
- Cardinal Gaspard MermillodGaspard MermillodGaspard Mermillod was a Swiss Bishop of Lausanne and Cardinal.-Life:...
, attended the Jesuit Seminary that was the forerunner of the University, Cardinal Beer takes its name from him. - Cardinal Aloisius Joseph MuenchAloisius Joseph MuenchAloisius Joseph Muench was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Fargo from 1935 to 1959, and as Apostolic Nuncio to Germany from 1951 to 1959...
, Bishop of Fargo, North Dakota - Prince Max von Sachsen, Bishop, Prince of SaxonySaxonyThe Free State of Saxony is a landlocked state of Germany, contingent with Brandenburg, Saxony Anhalt, Thuringia, Bavaria, the Czech Republic and Poland. It is the tenth-largest German state in area, with of Germany's sixteen states....
and son of King George of Saxony and Donna Maria Anna, the Infanta of Portugal - Bernard GenoudBernard GenoudBernard Genoud was the Swiss Roman Catholic prelate who served as the bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Lausanne, Geneva and Fribourg from his appointment on 18 March 1999, until his death on 21 September 2010. He was formally ordained bishop on 24 May 1999...
, Bishop of Geneva, Lausanne and Fribourg - Dom Henry Wansbrough OSBHenry WansbroughThe Very Reverend Dom Henry Wansbrough, OSB, MA , STL , LSS , is a biblical scholar and a monk of Ampleforth Abbey in North Yorkshire, England....
- Cardinal Clemens August Graf von GalenClemens August Graf von GalenBlessed Clemens August Graf von Galen was a German count, Bishop of Münster, and Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church....
Politics
- Giuseppe MottaGiuseppe MottaGiuseppe Motta was a Swiss politician, member of the Swiss Federal Council and President of the League of Nations .-Commemoration:...
, Federal Chancellor (Swiss Cabinet member) 1911-40 (President of Switzerland 1915, '20, '27, '32, '37), President of the League of NationsLeague of NationsThe League of Nations was an intergovernmental organization founded as a result of the Paris Peace Conference that ended the First World War. It was the first permanent international organization whose principal mission was to maintain world peace...
1924-25 - Joseph DeissJoseph DeissJoseph Deiss is an economist, Swiss politician and a member of the Christian Democratic People's Party . From 1999 to 2006, he was a member of the Swiss Federal Council, heading first the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs and then the Federal Department of Economic Affairs...
, Federal Chancellor 1999-2006, President of Switzerland 2004, President of the United Nations General AssemblyPresident of the United Nations General AssemblyThe President of the United Nations General Assembly is a position voted for by representatives in the United Nations General Assembly on a yearly basis.- Election :...
2010-11 - Ruth Metzler, Federal Chancellor, Member of the Swiss Federal Council 1999-2003
- Chaim WeizmannChaim WeizmannChaim Azriel Weizmann, , was a Zionist leader, President of the Zionist Organization, and the first President of the State of Israel. He was elected on 1 February 1949, and served until his death in 1952....
, First President of IsraelPresident of IsraelThe President of the State of Israel is the head of state of Israel. The position is largely an apolitical ceremonial figurehead role, with the real executive power lying in the hands of the Prime Minister. The current president is Shimon Peres who took office on 15 July 2007... - Juan Carlos I, King of Spain
- Albert PintatAlbert PintatAlbert Pintat Santolària was the head of government of Andorra fom 27 May 2005 to 5 June 2009.Pintat graduated from the University of Fribourg in Switzerland in 1967, majoring in economics....
, head of the government of AndorraAndorraAndorra , officially the Principality of Andorra , also called the Principality of the Valleys of Andorra, , is a small landlocked country in southwestern Europe, located in the eastern Pyrenees mountains and bordered by Spain and France. It is the sixth smallest nation in Europe having an area of... - Giuseppe LeporiGiuseppe LeporiGiuseppe Lepori was a Swiss politician.He was elected to the Federal Council of Switzerland on December 16, 1954 and handed over office on December 31, 1959. He was affiliated to the Christian Democratic People's Party .During his time in office he held the Department of Posts and Railways.-...
, Federal Chancellor and Consigliere del popolo (M.P.) for TicinoTicinoCanton Ticino or Ticino is the southernmost canton of Switzerland. Named after the Ticino river, it is the only canton in which Italian is the sole official language... - Ignacy MościckiIgnacy MoscickiIgnacy Mościcki was a Polish chemist, politician, and President of Poland . He was the longest-serving President of Poland .-Life:...
, President of Poland 1926-1939 - Bill PressBill PressWilliam "Bill" Press is a US talk radio host, political commentator and author.-Career:Press has a Bachelor of Arts in philosophy from Niagara University and Bachelor of Sacred Theology from the University of Fribourg. He started his broadcasting career in Los Angeles for TV stations KABC-TV and...
, U.S. political commentator and former Chairman of the Democratic Party of CaliforniaCaliforniaCalifornia is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area... - Corina CasanovaCorina CasanovaCorina Casanova is the Federal Chancellor of Switzerland.Born 1956 in Ilanz, Graubünden, Casanova worked as a lawyer in the practice of the former President of the Swiss Federal Supreme Court, Giusep Nay, as well as a Red Cross delegate in South Africa, Angola, Nicaragua and El Salvador...
, Federal Chancellor of Switzerland 2008–Present - Flavio CottiFlavio CottiFlavio Cotti born in Prato-Sornico on 18 October 1939) is a Swiss politician.He was elected to the Federal Council of Switzerland on 10 December 1986 and handed over office on 30 April 1999...
, President of the Swiss Confederation 1991, 1998 - Enrico CelioEnrico CelioEnrico Celio was a Swiss politician.He was elected to the Federal Council of Switzerland on February 22, 1940 and handed over office on October 15, 1950...
, President of the Swiss Confederation 1943, 1948 - Kurt FurglerKurt FurglerKurt Furgler was a Swiss politician and member of the Swiss Federal Council .He was elected to the Federal Council of Switzerland on December 8, 1971 and handed over office on December 31, 1986...
, President of the Swiss Confederation 1977, 1981 and 1985 - Ludwig von MoosLudwig von MoosLudwig von Moos was a Swiss politician and member of the Swiss Federal Council ....
, President of the Swiss Confederation 1964, 1969 - Hans HürlimannHans HürlimannHans Hürlimann was a Swiss politician and member of the Swiss Federal Council .He was elected to the Federal Council of Switzerland on 5 December 1973 and handed over office on 31 December 1982...
, President of the Swiss Confederation 1979 - Arnold KollerArnold KollerArnold Koller is a Swiss politician and member of the Swiss Federal Council .He was elected to the Federal Council of Switzerland on December 10, 1986 as a member of the Christian Democratic People's Party of Switzerland from the canton of Appenzell Inner Rhodes...
, President of the Swiss Confederation 1990, 1997 - Simonetta SommarugaSimonetta SommarugaSimonetta Sommaruga is a Swiss politician of the Social Democratic Party of Switzerland. She is a member of the Swiss Federal Council, the federal government of Switzerland, and head of the Federal Department of Justice and Police .- Early life :Born in Zug, Sommaruga grew up with two brothers and...
, Member of the Swiss Federal CouncilSwiss Federal CouncilThe Federal Council is the seven-member executive council which constitutes the federal government of Switzerland and serves as the Swiss collective head of state....
2010–Present - Martine Brunschwig GrafMartine Brunschwig GrafMartine Brunschwig Graf is a Swiss politician, member of the Swiss National Council for the Canton of Geneva in FDP.The Liberals....
, Swiss politician, member of the Swiss National Council - Richard Thomas "Dick" McCormack, US Ambassador to the Organization of American States 1985-1989, US Under Secretary of State for Economic and Agricultural Affairs 1989-1991
- Otmar HaslerOtmar HaslerOtmar Hasler was the Prime Minister of Liechtenstein from 5 April 2001 to 25 March 2009. He was educated at the University of Fribourg. He was appointed on 5 April 2001, replacing Mario Frick, and led a government of the Progressive Citizens' Party in Liechtenstein and the Patriotic Union...
, Prime Minister of Liechtenstein 2001-09 - Gerard BatlinerGerard BatlinerGerard Batliner was a former Head of Government of Liechtenstein and attorney-at-law...
, former Head of Government (Regierungschef) of Liechtenstein (1962–1970)
Business, Economics
- Heinrich Burk, former CEO of ACNielsenACNielsenACNielsen is a global marketing research firm, with worldwide headquarters in New York City. Regional headquarters for North America are located in Schaumburg, Illinois. As of May 2010, it is part of The Nielsen Company.-History:...
- Klaus Martin Schwab, German economist, the founder and executive chairman of the World Economic ForumWorld Economic ForumThe World Economic Forum is a Swiss non-profit foundation, based in Cologny, Geneva, best known for its annual meeting in Davos, a mountain resort in Graubünden, in the eastern Alps region of Switzerland....
- Adolphe Merkle, founder of Vibro-Meter International AG, Adolphe Merkle Foundation
- Urs FelberUrs FelberUrs Felber was a Swiss industrialist, philanthropist and design pioneer.-Life and career:Felber was born in 1942 in Egerkingen, Switzerland, a small town in the canton of Solothurn. His family ran a local carpentry workshop....
, Swiss industrialist, philanthropist and design pioneer. - Pietro BalestraPietro Balestra (economist)Pietro Balestra was a Swiss economist specializing in econometrics. He was born in Lugano and earned a B.A. in economics from the University of Fribourg. Balestra moved for graduate work to the University of Kansas and Stanford University. He was awarded the Ph.D...
, Swiss economist specializing in econometrics - Reiner Eichenberger, Chair of the Center for Public Finance at the University of Fribourg
- Albert M. Baehny, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Geberit Group since January 1, 2005
- Jean-Marie Ayer, co-founder of Dartfish, Chairman and CEO 1999-2003.
- Arthur DunkelArthur DunkelArthur Dunkel was a Swiss administrator. He served as director-general of General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade between 1980 and 1993. Dunkel was educated at the Graduate Institute of International Studies, in Geneva.Arthur Dunkel took an active part in the Uruguay Round Negotiations of the GATT...
(August 26, 1932 - June 8, 2005) was a Swiss (Portuguese-born) administrator and a professor at the University of Fribourg. He served as director-general of General Agreement on Tariffs and TradeGeneral Agreement on Tariffs and TradeThe General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade was negotiated during the UN Conference on Trade and Employment and was the outcome of the failure of negotiating governments to create the International Trade Organization . GATT was signed in 1947 and lasted until 1993, when it was replaced by the World...
between 1980 and 1993.
Sports
- René FaselRené FaselRené Fasel DMD is a Swiss dentist and ice hockey official. He started his ice hockey career as a player for HC Fribourg-Gottéron, in 1960, and became a referee in 1972 and president of Switzerland's ice hockey federation in 1985. In 1994 he was elected president of the International Ice Hockey...
, president of the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF)International Ice Hockey FederationThe International Ice Hockey Federation is the worldwide governing body for ice hockey and in-line hockey. It is based in Zurich, Switzerland, and has 70 members...
Architecture
- Mario BottaMario BottaMario Botta is a Swiss architect. He studied at the Liceo Artistico in Milan and the IUAV in Venice. His ideas were influenced by Le Corbusier, Carlo Scarpa, Louis Kahn. He opened his own practice in 1970 in Lugano.-Career:...
, Founder of the Academy of Architecture at Mendrisio (Honoris Causa)
Judiciary
- Antonin Gregory ScaliaAntonin ScaliaAntonin Gregory Scalia is an American jurist who serves as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. As the longest-serving justice on the Court, Scalia is the Senior Associate Justice...
, U.S. JusticeAssociate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United StatesAssociate Justices of the Supreme Court of the United States are the members of the Supreme Court of the United States other than the Chief Justice of the United States... - Giusep NayGiusep NayGiusep Nay was the president of the Federal Supreme Court of Switzerland for the years 2005 and 2006. He was elected to the Supreme Court in 1988 after being nominated by the Christian Democratic People's Party of Switzerland.Nay resigned his office in 2006...
, president of the Federal Supreme Court of SwitzerlandFederal Supreme Court of SwitzerlandThe Federal Supreme Court of Switzerland is the supreme court of Switzerland. It is located in Lausanne.According to the Constitution of Switzerland, the court has jurisdiction over violations of:*federal law;*public international law;*intercantonal law;...
2005-2006, 1988–2006 - Alois Pfister, member of the Federal Supreme Court of SwitzerlandFederal Supreme Court of SwitzerlandThe Federal Supreme Court of Switzerland is the supreme court of Switzerland. It is located in Lausanne.According to the Constitution of Switzerland, the court has jurisdiction over violations of:*federal law;*public international law;*intercantonal law;...
Media
- Miguel San Juan, Mister Switzerland 2006
- Christa RigozziChrista RigozziChrista Rigozzi was crowned Miss Switzerland 2006 on 9 September 2006 in Geneva. She is the first woman from Ticino to win the title in 10 years....
, Miss Switzerland 2006-2007
In Fiction
- Professor Paul Canntoneau, modelled on Georges Python is a Professor at Fribourg in one of the Tintin comics.
See also
- List of largest universities by enrollment in Switzerland
- List of modern universities in Europe (1801–1945)
- List of universities in Switzerland
- Education in SwitzerlandEducation in SwitzerlandThe education system in Switzerland is very diverse, because the constitution of Switzerland delegates the authority for the school system mainly to the cantons...
- Myscience.chMyscience.chmyScience.ch is the Swiss Portal for Research and Innovation. This portal gives an overview of sciences, employment, funding, research area, universities and other research institutions in Switzerland...
- Science and technology in SwitzerlandScience and technology in SwitzerlandScience and technology in Switzerland play an important role in economy as very few natural resources are available in the country. The Swiss National Science Foundation, mandated by the Federal government, is the most important institute promoting scientific research.The raw output of scientific...
- List of colleges and universities by country
- List of colleges and universities
External links
- http://www.unifr.ch
- Information's about the University of Fribourg
- see Master of Laws in Cross-Cultural Business Practice, the University of Fribourg new LL.M Programme