{"id":45889,"date":"2025-09-29T20:31:58","date_gmt":"2025-09-29T18:31:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/asage.ch\/%f0%9f%8c%8e-a-look-back-at-asages-first-exceptional-debate-in-zurich-%f0%9f%8c%8e\/"},"modified":"2026-10-13T16:54:48","modified_gmt":"2026-10-13T14:54:48","slug":"%f0%9f%8c%8e-a-look-back-at-asages-first-exceptional-debate-in-zurich-%f0%9f%8c%8e","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/asage.ch\/en\/%f0%9f%8c%8e-a-look-back-at-asages-first-exceptional-debate-in-zurich-%f0%9f%8c%8e\/","title":{"rendered":"\ud83c\udf0e A Look Back at ASAGE’s First Exceptional Debate in Zurich \ud83c\udf0e"},"content":{"rendered":"

On Tuesday, September 16, 2025, ASAGE Z\u00fcrich had the privilege of kicking off its series of exceptional events with a high-level discussion between Marie-Ange Rousselot and Nicholas Niggli.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\ud83d\udcac Marie-Ange Rousselot and Nicholas Niggli treated the 60 participants from ASAGE\u2019s 16 member schools to a discussion brimming with ideas, proposals, and high-level references, supported by questions posed by the evening\u2019s moderator, Julien Jarmoszko.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2696\ufe0f 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 <\/span>European Pact for the Oceans<\/span><\/a>, <\/span>a publication by the Potsdam Institute<\/span><\/a> prompted by the statement \u201cwe have left the \u2018safe & just living\u2019 corridor,\u201d the mention of fatigue regarding environmentalism, the concept of techn feudalism, and the concept of polycrises versus polyopportunities. Tolkien was not left out (\u201c <\/span>“The idea that ‘you don’t choose where you are in life’ is a thought expressed by Gandalf in <\/span>The Lord of the Rings<\/span><\/i>, who says, \u201cAll we have to do is decide what to do with the time we have.\u201d)<\/span><\/p>\n

\ud83c\udfd9\ufe0f The Signature Bahnhofplatz venue was the perfect setting to give this special evening an atmosphere that Alumni love\u2014a reminder of the gathering places at our schools, with a touch of class. <\/span><\/p>\n

\ud83d\udc4f\ud83c\udffb 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. <\/span><\/p>\n

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 L\u00e9oty, Marie-Luce Baudelet, Stefan Bannwart, Claire Thai, Hedwige Labrousse, and Daphn\u00e9 de Charrin. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\ud83c\udf81 A little bonus:<\/span><\/p>\n

Mr. Nicholas Niggli wished to conclude his remarks with the following message to all participants, which we are publishing here with his kind permission.<\/span><\/p>\n

“Dear Participants,<\/em><\/p>\n

I would like to express my sincere thanks to you all for attending, for your questions, and for your insightful feedback during our \u201cFrance\u2013Switzerland: Perspectives\u201d 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. <\/em><\/p>\n

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 \u201cThe word belongs half to the speaker and half to the listener.\u201d 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. <\/em><\/p>\n

While I was fortunate enough to connect with some of you during the networking session, I regret that I wasn\u2019t able to speak with everyone. If you\u2019d like, let\u2019s continue this conversation by connecting on LinkedIn. I\u2019d be delighted to carry on these fruitful discussions. <\/em><\/p>\n

I wish you a wonderful rest of the week, filled with shared ideas, built bridges, and new horizons.<\/em><\/p>\n

Sincerely,<\/em><\/p>\n

“Nicholas”<\/em><\/p>\n

\ud83d\udcf8 Photos from the event:<\/span><\/p>\n