2022 Swiss Prize commemorates winners and celebrates Swiss-Australian collaboration

2022 Swiss Prize commemorates winners and celebrates Swiss-Australian collaboration
Wednesday 2 November 2022

The 2022 Swiss Prize ceremony at the Embassy of Switzerland in Australia commemorated the winners and celebrated the partnership of over two decades between the Embassy and The Australian National University (ANU).

Running in its 24th year, the Swiss Prize is a collaboration between the Embassy of Switzerland in Australia and the ANU School of Literature, Languages and Linguistics (SLLL).

Ambassador of Switzerland to Australia Caroline Bichet-Anthamatten applauded the long-standing collaboration and commended ANU students for their efforts.

“Learning a different language and providing a critical discussion of a highly complex topic in another language demonstrates the competence of students to enter an inter-cultural dialogue and utilise language to foster connections with your peers around the world,” Ambassador Bichet-Anthamatten said.

“In Switzerland, multi-linguism is a bridge between regions and their people that can bridge gaps and enhance understanding, all of which are of great importance to Switzerland. So, I am very pleased to continue our contribution to multi-linguism in Australia as it gives students here an opportunity to forge connections with Switzerland and in turn, learn about our cultures and perspectives.”

This year, students from the ANU College of Arts and Social Sciences (CASS) studying French, German and Italian wrote an essay in their language on a set topic that was given to them - ‘Perspectives on Switzerland, Migration and Mobility’.

“For Switzerland, migration has always been an important topic. In the wake of recent developments in Ukraine and Russia as well as displacements due to disasters, international discussions on migrations have surged. This year’s Swiss Prize topic reflects the same.”

She lauded the efforts of the students who approached the topic with historical, artistic and political perspectives on migration and presented a critical view on migration and mobility encouraging readers to reflect on their own perspectives.  

Professor Kate Mitchell, the ANU Director of the Research School of Humanities and the Arts, also congratulated the winners and called the Swiss Prize a flagship between the Embassy of Switzerland and ANU.

She congratulated the winners and said that their dedication towards learning a Swiss language is remarkable.

“ANU is a proud supporter of continued efforts to foster education and research partnerships between Australia and Switzerland,” she says. 

“The borders are now open and we are looking forward to welcoming many more Swiss students to our campus and sending our ANU students to Switzerland.”

ANU alumni mezzo-soprano AJ America (PhB (Hons) ’18) gave a vocal performance and student Aaron Chew at the piano provided the musical accompaniment at the event in between the announcements of prizes.

Award winners

French

1st Prize - Mariane Johnstone
“Le risque d’une migration hors des Alpes suisse à cause du changement climatique” (The risk of migration out of the Swiss Alps due to climate change)

2nd Prize - Ally Pitt
“La Suisse est-elle responsable de la sédentarisation des Yéniches?” (Is Switzerland responsible for the sedentarization of the Yenish)

3rd Prize - Arja Sayers-Lowe
“La Suisse, a-t-elle pu justifier sa neutralité au sujet des réfugiés de la Seconde Guerre mondiale?” (Has Switzerland been able to justify its neutrality on the subject of World War II refugees?)

German

1st Prize - Ulrika Wild
“Italiener und die Gotthardbahn – was hat die Eisenbahn wirklich vernetzt?” (Italians and the Gotthard Railway – what really connected the railways)

2nd Prize - Maximilian Meyer
“Ein Rampenlicht an Integration: Was Sports und National-Mannschaften sagen zur Integration der Immigranten in der Schweiz” (A spotlight on integration: What sports and national teams say about the integration of immigrants in Switzerland)

3rd Prize - Madeleine Fletcher
“Steht S für Schutz, oder steht S für Sonderbehandlung?” (Does S stand for protection, or does S stand for special treatment)

Italian

1st Prize - Elizabeth Fuccilli
“’Benvenuti, ora andate via!’: La contraddizione al centro del trattamento svizzero dei giovani rifugiati non accompagnati” (‘Welcome, now go away!’: The contradiction at the heart of the Swiss treatment of young unaccompanied refugees)

2nd Prize - Sabina Morgan
“Il movimento delle persone e della conoscenza: implicazioni della mobilità e la sua capacità di accendere relazioni scientifiche” (The movement of people and knowledge: implications of mobility and its ability to ignite scientific relationships)

3rd Prize - Emily Fleming-Berry
“Il ruolo delle donne migranti come un motore dell’uguaglianza di genere in Svizzera” (The role of migrant women as an engine of gender equality in Switzerland)

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Updated:  2 November 2022/Responsible Officer:  Head of School/Page Contact:  CASS Marketing & Communications