Set up in 2007, our Foundation has supported doctoral candidates at universities in Switzerland and Austria on an exclusively non-profit basis. To this day, this has been done in close cooperation with the universities of Salzburg, Basel and, for a time, Zurich. As stated in previous performance reports, our Foundation will be ceasing its activities at the end of 2024 and will be liquidated during the course of 2025. Until then, it will be using the full amount of its capital to support more than 70 doctoral candidates. The Foundation has awarded funding totalling around CHF 9.5 million during the 18 years of its work. In doing so, the goals set by the Foundation in 2007 have been achieved and, indeed, surpassed. Not only have we been able to provide targeted support to numerous especially talented young scholars when working on their thesis, which typically lasts for three years, but we have also seen theses produced to a high standard, receiving attention and recognition in the academic world as a result.

What is particularly pleasing from the Foundation Board’s point of view is that the doctoral candidates we support have been able to launch impressive careers in economics, science and politics after completing their university work. The office staff and the Foundation Board have regularly filled each other in on these career stories. In summer 2024, in the company of the Governor of Salzburg and various representatives of the Universities of Basel and Salzburg, our Foundation will host a closing event in the city at which former doctoral candidates will speak about their career paths since completing their studies.

We have deeply valued the intensive collaboration with the relevant staff at these universities throughout all the years of our Foundation’s existence. The professors involved have regularly monitored the quality of the individual theses, which ensures high standards at all times. Even when selecting the individual doctoral candidates, it was always the respective university that was responsible for this, not our Foundation.

Regarding the year under review, in 2023, the University of Salzburg received a sum of EUR 250'000. This support enabled five candidates to continue their doctoral work at the Centre of European Studies. Our Foundation has also once again supported the University of Basel with a grant of CHF 100'000 for the key research topic “Africa”. This sum was used to fund two doctoral candidates.

During the year under review, the Foundation Board met in two sessions, in Arlesheim and Salzburg. The main focus was the evaluation and approval of requests for financial support for doctoral candidates, which was undertaken on the basis of thorough, balanced assessments made by the two universities. In addition, the Foundation’s statutory business (annual accounts, yearly review, auditor’s report, elections) was dealt with. Furthermore, the Foundation Board reviewed the success of our funding activities. Finally, we also dealt with the financial issues, including our investment principles.

At the end of 2023, the organisation’s capital totalled around CHF 466'000. With the organisation’s capital at this level, it will be possible for the Foundation to completely fulfil its obligations by the end of 2024. The office was managed by Lauffer & Frischknecht, a communication management consultancy, on a consultative basis until the end of 2023. For the 2024/25 period, Stéphanie Ramel will assume the management role directly. Fritz Frischknecht, MA Econ., will remain responsible for financial matters, including the accounts. Swiss GAP FER 21 is used for the annual financial statements.

As executive member of the Foundation Board, I would like to say thank you for all the support I have received in this post over the years.