Thanks to the ThinkSwiss scholarship, I was fortunate enough to pay a second visit to Switzerland — this time, Zurich! This summer, I conducted a two-month policy research project at Center for Sustainable Finance and Private Wealth (CSP) at the University of Zurich (http://csp.uzh.ch/en.html). At CSP, I worked in a very welcoming team and collaborated with and learned from several brilliant researchers in the field of sustainable finance.
Coming from an interdisciplinary background across economics, finance, and public policy, I have always been intrigued by the role of sustainable finance (aligning the financial system and vehicles with sustainable development) in tackling the world’s challenges in climate change and more. However, as this field of study is still emerging, I have not been able to explore deeply this favorite topic of mine at the University of British Columbia, so I was eager to learn from the leading practitioner, Europe. (The European Investment Bank was the first issuer of green bonds globally.) And as one can expect from a leader in making global standards, Europe is also leading the policy and standard development in sustainable finance around better information disclosure. In 2017, the Swiss Federal Office for the Environment offered to its pension funds and insurance companies to test, on a voluntary basis, their portfolios in alignment with the 2-degree climate target; whereas member states of the European Union are pushing banking and insurance to disclose environmental and social information. During my stay at the University of Zurich, I also attended several events on this topic which convened the academia, NGOs, and government agencies. I could definitely sense the enthusiasm in discussions and presentations for rapid progress in the field. Beyond my rich academic experience, what I loved about this experience as a ThinkSwiss awardee is not only the amazingly picturesque Swiss mountains and lakes but also the trips and events organized by Presence Switzerland. Those events helped us learn about Swiss politics, policy, and culture even more and connected me with fellow brilliant awardees from diverse backgrounds. We had such a wonderful time in Lucerne and Bern! All of the above, I guess, is the reason why I still talk with my friends about my summer in Switzerland from time to time, even after two months! Bo Wang photo: Me ‘blown away’ by the breathtaking views of Swiss mountains and lakes. Taken at the top of the Rigi.