News & Views September 2017
New Benefits for LSE Alumnae and Alumni, The Art of the Deal, Swiss Indoors Basel, Latest Anthology, To Boldly Go Where No LSE Alum Has Gone Before and Upcoming Events
New Benefits for LSE Alumnae and Alumni
Benefit No. 32: Private Air Service
This benefit is open not only to all LSE alumnae and alumni in Switzerland regardless of membership of the Association but also to their businesses. Non-member LSE alumnae and alumni are, however, encouraged to join the Association. Our corporate partner will donate 5 percent of tickets sales to the LSE Alumnae and Alumni Foundation of Switzerland, the national scholarship foundation co-founded by the Association.
Do you fly between Zurich and London? The Association has arranged special terms with Surf Air, the first private air travel club of its kind offering an all-you-can-fly service for one monthly fee. Scheduled private air service with executive aircraft between Zurich and London will start on 25 September 2017.
LSE alumnae and alumni and their business associates enjoy an effortless flying experience that saves valuable time with every trip. Operating a fleet of Embraer Phenom 300 executive jets and Swiss-made Pilatus PC-12 aircraft, Surf Air flies to and from convenient airports in Europe and along the US West Coast and Silicon Valley, with additional regions and destinations to follow.
https://www.slseaa.ch/benefits/career/private-air-service
Benefit No. 33: SCHULER St. JakobsKellerei
LSE alumnae and alumni, who love wines and want to restock their private cellars, enjoy through the Association a terrific 20 percent discount on the list prices of wines offered by Switzerland's oldest wine house.
When Jakob Castell first transported wine over the Gotthard pass, the Sun King Louis XIV ruled over France. This was in 1694, over 320 years ago. Today, SCHULER St. JakobsKellerei is one of the most renowned wine houses in Switzerland. Its wine portfolio is large and often exclusive, covering all major wine-making regions of the world.
https://www.slseaa.ch/benefits/media-lifestyle/schuler-st-jakobskellerei
Benefit No. 34: Schweizer Monat
Switzerland's oldest monthly magazine, first published in 1921, is renowned for its many international authors writing about topical issues in politics, economics and culture. Throughout its long contribution to liberal debate, the magazine has also featured LSE professors, Friedrich August von Hayek and Sir Karl Popper among them. The publisher is delighted to introduce the magazine to Members of the Association with a 20 percent discounted subscription for the first year.
https://www.slseaa.ch/benefits/media-lifestyle/schweizer-monat
The Art of the Deal
Are you better versed in the art of the deal than the Donald? Would you enjoy negotiating benefits and provisioning services for LSE alumnae and alumni similar those announced above? Do you already contribute to the LSE alumni community in Switzerland as a Member of the Association?
Please consider volunteering as a Benefits and Services Officer for election by Members in 2018. Contact the Secretary General for further information.
Swiss Indoors Basel
The "Swiss Indoors", Switzerland's largest sporting event and one of the most important indoor tournaments in the world, traditionally takes place in Basel and always forms part of the end-of-season run-up to the World Finals. The magnificent St. Jakobshalle is the setting for this annual gathering of the elite of the tennis world.
The Association is conducting a prize draw of two tickets to a VIP Box on Centre Court for 27 October offered by Surf Air. You'll be sitting up close to the action and will have exclusive access to the Tennisdorf VIP area. Any LSE alumna or alumnus, who would enjoy seeing Federer and Co. in action, please respond to this announcement with the name of your guest. Your e-mail will be put in a pot from which one will be drawn.
Latest Anthology
The latest publication in the Foreign Affairs Anthology Series, books complimentary to Members of the Association, is on North Korea and the Bomb.
The great irony is that one of the most homogeneous nations on the planet as forged over more than a millennia, the Korean people, find themselves divided between two regimes. As the late Joungwon Kim noted, no government can secure permanent legitimacy in a divided nation and that, as a result, both Koreas have been trapped ever since in continuously undermining the existence of the other. Indeed, Sue Mi Terry argues that there can only be one happy ending: unifying the Korean peninsula.
At least since the test of a thermonuclear weapon this month, nukes are again front and center in military thinking and political discourse. Professors Scott Sagan and Van Jackson outline how the concept of nuclear deterrence is still the best policy available but must adapt to avoid a mushroom-clouded future on the Korean peninsula, Japan and beyond.
Upper estimates currently put the North Korean nuclear weapons stockpile at 60, with U.S. forces stationed in South Korea and Japan presumably as their primary targets. However, Pyongyang's deterrence strategy would not be credible without the capability to strike U.S. mainland population centers. Jeffrey Lewis provides a comprehensive review of the North's fast evolving intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) programme.
Other recent anthologies covered environmental politics and policies; immigration, terrorism and populist nationalism; and the future of the liberal world order. To get access, activate your membership journal subscription:
https://www.slseaa.ch/benefits/membership-journal
To Boldly Go Where No LSE Alum Has Gone Before
We are happy to report that the LSE will still be around in 200 years, as now shown in Star Trek. Khan Noonien Singh (or simply Khan), who terrorized humanity during the Eugenics Wars, will be given the cover identity of John Richard Harrison, who will have graduated from the LSE in 2250. Khan/Harrison was played by Benedict Cumberbatch in the movie "Star Trek Into Darkness". A tip to all LSE Trekkies (and their lucky partners): The debut of "Star Trek: Discovery", the new TV series, is approaching at warp speed, viewable in Switzerland on Netflix on Monday, 25 September.
Our alma mater features in three other movie franchises: James Bond, Star Wars and as the title character Jack Ryan in the 5 film adaptations of Tom Clancy novels. See the June 2014 and December 2015 News and Views:
https://www.slseaa.ch/news-views/108-news-views-june-2014
https://www.slseaa.ch/news-views/19-news-views-december-2015
Upcoming Events
The LSE-MIT-ETH Alumnae and Alumni Field Trip to the World of Hydropower and Gigantic Dams, Saturday, 14 October 2017
https://www.slseaa.ch/events/100-20171014
The Founders' Dinner, Zurich, Friday, 10 November 2017
https://www.slseaa.ch/events/66-20171110
14th True Purple, Basle, Berne, Geneva, Lugano, St. Gallen and Zurich, Monday, 4 December 2017