HSG receives CHF 3.1 million for an Associate Professorship in American Studies

A New Associate Professorship at HSG

The Claudine and Hans-Heiner Zaeslin-Bustany Foundation and the HSG Foundation have signed a funding agreement to establish an Associate Professorship in American Studies at the University of St.Gallen (HSG). The funding of CHF 3.1 million will be paid to the University in equal annual instalments over a period of ten years.

This external funding will cover a full-time (100%) Associate Professorship, including a doctoral research position. “We would like to express our sincere gratitude to the Claudine and Hans-Heiner Zaeslin-Bustany Foundation for its generous support of American Studies at HSG. The subject area is an excellent fit with our new strategic focus areas,” says HSG President Prof. Manuel Ammann.

HSG: A Natural Partner

In keeping with the foundation's purpose, the appointment aims to strengthen transatlantic relations by fostering mutual understanding between continental European and Anglo-American ways of thinking and helping to bridge existing differences in mentality and outlook.

This objective is also reflected in the name of the professorship: the Zaeslin-Bustany Professorship for Transatlantic Relations.

Among other activities, the foundation supports institutions and projects in higher education and promotes links between Swiss and American universities, particularly in the fields of economics, law and management.

Building on HSG's Strengths

One of HSG's key strengths lies in its ability to work at the intersection of precisely these disciplines, bringing together academia, business, politics and society. In addition, its established field of American Studies and its network of 28 partner universities across the United States provide a wealth of experience and valuable connections. This makes HSG an ideal partner for the Foundation.

“America is undergoing a period of change, both in how it sees itself and in its relationship with the rest of the world. These changes will also affect Switzerland, which would therefore be well advised to follow developments closely. After all, America remains vital to us,” says Dr Rolf Soiron, President of the Foundation's Board of Trustees.

Further Strengthening a Long-standing HSG Tradition

HSG recently identified “Leadership and Competitiveness in an Increasingly Geopolitically Fragmented World” as one of its three strategic focus areas. Transatlantic relations play a central role in this context, both for Switzerland and for Europe.

However, HSG's engagement with the United States goes back many decades. The University has long offered a range of courses covering US law, business, culture and history, as well as transatlantic relations. It also maintains close ties with organisations based in the United States through numerous events, collaborations and partnerships.