On Tuesday, September 16, 2025, ASAGE Zürich had the privilege of kicking off its series of exceptional events with a high-level discussion between Marie-Ange Rousselot and Nicholas Niggli.
💬 Marie-Ange Rousselot and Nicholas Niggli treated the 60 participants from ASAGE’s 16 member schools to a discussion brimming with ideas, proposals, and high-level references, supported by questions posed by the evening’s moderator, Julien Jarmoszko.
⚖️ Unfortunately, we cannot cite all the references brought up in this constructive, thoughtful discussion, which was marked by mutual respect among the participants. Let us nevertheless mention Jean-Jacques Rousseau (who left his mark on both sides of the Doubs River), the European Pact for the Oceans, a publication by the Potsdam Institute prompted by the statement “we have left the ‘safe & just living’ corridor,” the mention of fatigue regarding environmentalism, the concept of techn feudalism, and the concept of polycrises versus polyopportunities. Tolkien was not left out (“ “The idea that ‘you don’t choose where you are in life’ is a thought expressed by Gandalf in The Lord of the Rings, who says, “All we have to do is decide what to do with the time we have.”)
🏙️ The Signature Bahnhofplatz venue was the perfect setting to give this special evening an atmosphere that Alumni love—a reminder of the gathering places at our schools, with a touch of class.
👏🏻 A big thank you to our speakers, to Signature Bahnhofplatz for their exceptional hospitality, and to all the alumni who attended this very first event.
A relevant, highly timely event that stays true to the ASAGE spirit, masterfully organized by the volunteer project team consisting of Julien Jarmoszko, Pierre-Albert Bouard, Laura Léoty, Marie-Luce Baudelet, Stefan Bannwart, Claire Thai, Hedwige Labrousse, and Daphné de Charrin.
🎁 A little bonus:
Mr. Nicholas Niggli wished to conclude his remarks with the following message to all participants, which we are publishing here with his kind permission.
“Dear Participants,
I would like to express my sincere thanks to you all for attending, for your questions, and for your insightful feedback during our “France–Switzerland: Perspectives” discussion. It was an honor and a great pleasure to speak with Marie-Ange Rousselot and all of you as part of this wonderful Asage event.
I took the liberty of inviting Epictetus, Sun Tzu, Rousseau, Camus, Machiavelli, Tolkien, and a few other philosophical and literary companions to enrich our discussion. But, looking back, I should have at least added Montaigne, who so aptly reminded us that “The word belongs half to the speaker and half to the listener.” A thought that would indeed have been very fitting last night, given how much I appreciated the quality of your questions, your reflections, and your invitations to continue the discussion.
While I was fortunate enough to connect with some of you during the networking session, I regret that I wasn’t able to speak with everyone. If you’d like, let’s continue this conversation by connecting on LinkedIn. I’d be delighted to carry on these fruitful discussions.
I wish you a wonderful rest of the week, filled with shared ideas, built bridges, and new horizons.
Sincerely,
“Nicholas”
📸 Photos from the event:
