Switzerland?

The Swiss connection

The  mention  of  Switzerland  immediately  brings  up  vivid  images  of  mouth-watering  chocolates,  cheeses,  Swiss watches, world-renowned banks, the red cross, and the breathtakingly beautiful Swiss Alps. A country with a rich history, Switzerland has the advantages of a blended culture, built on the combined historical influence of the French, German as well as the Italians.

Since Switzerland has no raw materials, it must import, process and resell them as products. The service industries are arguably the most important part of the economy. These include banking, insurance and tourism. It is considered No.1 in Hot leering, Finance and Dairy Products.

Switzerland has a high quality system of education that is relatively accessible to foreign students. The student population of some universities, for example, consists of over 40% foreign students, and this trend is on the upswing.

About two thirds of the area of Switzerland is covered with forests, lakes and mountains. You   will    find   towns   steeped   in  history, cities  that  are  very cosmopolitan and offer the usual facilities that you would expect from any major European City, as well as traditional wooden – chalet mountain communities that have been established for centuries.

Major  events,  such  as  the  Zurich Street parade, Féte du Genève, Verbier Extreme, Swiss Open Tennis Tournament among many  others  provide  a  constant flow of fun and excitement to people from  all over  the  world. Also,  the  beautiful  mountain  ranges  have  made  skiing  and snowboarding a national pastime.

As a European business hub, several university courses have links with locally based businesses. Special strengths are in banking, machine tool and precision engineering. Other strengths include chemical and pharmaceutical engineering, and great hotel and tourist educational departments.

The country has been very successful in attracting the investment of foreign multi – nationals and businesses, also one of the reasons for its huge banking sector. The Swiss are multi – lingual; often speaking four or more languages, thus trade expansion and travel across Europe become hassle-free.