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Government & Diplomacy

Learn more about Government & Diplomacy from some of our partners and other sources.

Leader Spotlights

Ambassador Ed McMullen: On Optimism

Elected as Vice Chairman of the American Swiss Foundation in 2021, Ed McMullen served as Ambassador of the United States to Switzerland and Liechtenstein from November 2017 to January 2021. Ambassador McMullen is an alumnus of the 1995 Young Leaders Conference.

At the core of ethical and effective leadership is a culture that drives positive change and the overall betterment of our world around us. In my experience, the single most important attribute of leaders who embrace such a culture is an attitude of optimism. During my Ambassadorship to Switzerland...

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Ambassador Jacques Pitteloud: On Trust

Briefings

Switzerland and the European Union: Balancing Sovereignty and Close Economic Ties

June 2021

Located in the heart of Europe, Switzerland has never been a member of the European Union. While trade, legal, financial, and cultural ties between Switzerland and the EU are strong, the relationship is not without challenges. Disagreements on the details of a Swiss-EU framework treaty have led to further challenges: Long-standing negotiations on the treaty came to an impasse in 2018. While Bern contacted Brussels in late 2020 to resume negotiations, the two sides once again did not agree on...

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ASF CONNECT

Video conferences and podcasts with experts on key issues in business, government, and technology

Explore all programs

Government & Diplomacy May 02, 2022

U.S. Economic and Political Outlook

ASF CONNECT featuring The Honorable Bill Ferguson (YL 2021), and The Honorable Chris Sprowls (YL 2019)

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Government & Diplomacy Mar 04, 2022

Fostering Innovation through Collaboration

ASF CONNECT featuring Professor John Hennessy and Professor Joël Mesot

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Government & Diplomacy Jan 13, 2022

The Next Generation of Leaders: Highlights from the 2021 Young Leaders Conference

ASF CONNECT with Honorable Paige Gebhart Cognetti (YL 2021), Florian Aigrain (YL 2021) , and Pierce Bush (YL 2021)

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Government & Diplomacy Oct 18, 2021

Fireside Chat on Current Legal Issues

ASF CONNECT with Robert Giuffra (YL 1996); Markus Diethelm; and Jay Clayton

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Government & Diplomacy Oct 08, 2021

ESG Standard Setting: Challenges and Pathways Forward

ASF CONNECT with Markus Diethelm, Anisa Costa (YL 2003), Tamur Goudarzi-Pour, and Bettina Schaller (YL 2011)

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Government & Diplomacy Jun 24, 2021

Emerging from the Covid Pandemic

ASF CONNECT with Congressman Bill Huizenga (YL 2009, R-MI) with moderation by Christa Markwalder (YL 2006)

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Government & Diplomacy May 06, 2021

The First 100 Days of the Biden Administration

Panel discussion with Guy Benson (YL 2018) and Marie Harf (YL 2019), moderated by Robert Giuffra (YL 1996)

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Government & Diplomacy Apr 09, 2021

What to Expect from the Biden Administration

ASF CONNECT with Congressman Joaquin Castro (YL 2010, D-20 TX) with moderation by Bill McQuillen (YL 2010)

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Government & Diplomacy Nov 12, 2020

Reflections on the U.S. Election Results

Panel discussion with Alison Williams (YL 2018) and Reid Wilson (YL 2014), moderated by Markus Diethelm

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Government & Diplomacy Oct 01, 2020

U.S. Election Preview

Panel discussion with Hon. Chris Larson (YL 2015) and Hon. Chris Sprowls (YL 2019), moderated by Amy Holmes (YL 2014)

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Government & Diplomacy Jun 26, 2020

The U.S. Response to the Pandemic and Outlook for the U.S. Economy

ASF CONNECT featuring Senator John Barrasso (YL 1990), R-WY

Listen Now

Government & Diplomacy May 08, 2020

Opportunities for Swiss-American Collaboration in Response to COVID-19

ASF CONNECT featuring distinguished guest, His Excellency Jacques Pitteloud, Swiss Ambassador to the U.S.

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Government & Diplomacy May 01, 2020

Celebrating 75 Years of the American Swiss Foundation

Presentation on the history of the American Swiss Foundation, spotlighting 75 years of public diplomacy

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Government & Diplomacy Apr 24, 2020

Response to COVID-19

ASF CONNECT featuring then-U.S. Ambassador to Switzerland Edward T. McMullen, Jr. (YL 1995)

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Additional Resources

Learn more about Government & Diplomacy from some of our partners and other related writings.

Apr 8, 2022

Swiss government launches plan to halve food waste by 2030—currently almost one-third of food produced for consumers goes unused

Mar 18, 2022

Neutral Switzerland mulls defense boost; head of U.S. Air Force meets with counterpart in Switzerland, discuss fighter-jet deal

Mar 11, 2022

Humanitarian charity Swiss Solidarity raises more than $88 million for Ukrainian war victims

Feb 14, 2022

Swiss President Ignazio Cassis wants to revive the relationship between Switzerland and the European Union through a new package of bilateral agreements

Jan 28, 2022

Swiss Health Minister Alain Berset says use of COVID-19 certificate may end soon, as Switzerland appears to be “on the right track”

Jan 14, 2022

New Swiss President Ignazio Cassis stresses that, despite tensions, Switzerland remains a reliable EU partner

Dec 17, 2021

After latest U.S. Treasury report, U.S. states that Switzerland “does not engage in any manipulation of the Swiss franc”

Dec 3, 2021

Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis will be Switzerland’s president for 2022

Nov 26, 2021

President Biden will not attend the Davos World Economic Forum in January, sending a delegation instead—something that most recent U.S. presidents have done

Nov 19, 2021

The Honorable Christa Markwalder (YL 2006) was in Washington D.C. for the signing of the most recent apprenticeship memorandum of understanding and had the opportunity to catch up with Congressman Bill Huizenga (YL 2009)

Government & Diplomacy

Ambassador Ed McMullen: On Optimism

Related Leader Spotlights

Ambassador Jacques Pitteloud: On Trust

Switzerland and the European Union: Balancing Sovereignty and Close Economic Ties

Related Briefings

Technology Regulation in the 21st Century

Tax Reform and International Competitiveness

Building Bridges Leadership Conference 2018, Washington, DC

ASF CONNECT

U.S. Economic and Political Outlook

Fostering Innovation through Collaboration

The Next Generation of Leaders: Highlights from the 2021 Young Leaders Conference

Fireside Chat on Current Legal Issues

ESG Standard Setting: Challenges and Pathways Forward

Emerging from the Covid Pandemic

The First 100 Days of the Biden Administration

What to Expect from the Biden Administration

Reflections on the U.S. Election Results

U.S. Election Preview

The U.S. Response to the Pandemic and Outlook for the U.S. Economy

Opportunities for Swiss-American Collaboration in Response to COVID-19

Celebrating 75 Years of the American Swiss Foundation

Response to COVID-19

Additional Resources

Swiss government launches plan to halve food waste by 2030—currently almost one-third of food produced for consumers goes unused

Neutral Switzerland mulls defense boost; head of U.S. Air Force meets with counterpart in Switzerland, discuss fighter-jet deal

Humanitarian charity Swiss Solidarity raises more than $88 million for Ukrainian war victims

Swiss President Ignazio Cassis wants to revive the relationship between Switzerland and the European Union through a new package of bilateral agreements

Swiss Health Minister Alain Berset says use of COVID-19 certificate may end soon, as Switzerland appears to be “on the right track”

New Swiss President Ignazio Cassis stresses that, despite tensions, Switzerland remains a reliable EU partner

After latest U.S. Treasury report, U.S. states that Switzerland “does not engage in any manipulation of the Swiss franc”

Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis will be Switzerland’s president for 2022

President Biden will not attend the Davos World Economic Forum in January, sending a delegation instead—something that most recent U.S. presidents have done

The Honorable Christa Markwalder (YL 2006) was in Washington D.C. for the signing of the most recent apprenticeship memorandum of understanding and had the opportunity to catch up with Congressman Bill Huizenga (YL 2009)