We are pleased to share that our alumnus, Fasih D. Khan, has recently been awarded for his sustainable architecture collaboration by the Ambassador of Denmark to Pakistan, H.E. Mr. Jakob Linulf. Fasih graduated in 2015 with a Master’s degree in Architecture (MSc Arch) from the University of Liechtenstein, specializing in Sustainable Urban Design.

During his studies, Fasih had the opportunity to participate in an Erasmus exchange program at the Royal Danish Academy of Architecture (KADK) in Copenhagen, where he further honed his architectural skills. One of his projects, developed during his time in Denmark, received recognition at the World Architecture Festival (WAF) in Singapore in 2014. Additionally, his design for a chair, created at KADK, was featured at the Milan Furniture Fair under the theme ‘Morphology – Stick and Padding’, part of a special exhibition celebrating Danish design.

After completing his studies, Fasih worked with Mikkelsen Arkitekter AS in Copenhagen before returning to Pakistan, where he continues to contribute to the field of architecture and design. His journey highlights the value of international exchange and cross-cultural learning in shaping the future of architecture.

For more details, visit the Danish Embassy's social media pages:

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Congratulations to Ar. Fasih D. Khan on this achievement. 

With the new chapters, the University of Liechtenstein offers its alumnae and alumni the opportunity to stay in touch with their alma mater and its graduates. In 2024, four chapters were opened in Liechtenstein, Vorarlberg, Munich and Zurich and the next meetings for 2025 have already been scheduled.

Alumni chapters are groups of alumnae and alumni in a city or region who meet regularly to make contacts and network. By setting up alumni chapters, the University of Liechtenstein's network can also grow and remain active where the graduates live and work, in their everyday lives and in their vicinity.

Chapter openings in 2024

In the winter semester of 2024, the first four chapters were opened in the German-speaking four-country corner. At Scanaua in Schaan, the Jahnhalle in Feldkirch, the YNOS Kitchen Bar in Zurich and the Löwenbräukeller in Munich, interested alumni were able to refresh old acquaintances and make new contacts in a relaxed atmosphere.

Ideas such as company visits or guest speakers are just as conceivable in the future as cross-chapter meetings. Together with the alumni officer at the University of Liechtenstein, Simone Brandenberg, the alumnae and alumni present at the openings have, however, initially decided on uncomplicated and everyday meetings once a quarter. 

Alumni commitment as ambassadors

There are already 5 to 7 people per chapter who are interested in taking on the role of chapter ambassadors and who would like to actively support further planning and implementation. And above all, help to spread the chapters and other alumni offers in their personal networks in order to invite other alumnae and alumni into the growing network. 

Planning for 2025

Further meetings have already been scheduled for the first quarter of 2025 - interested alumni and alumnae are cordially invited, but also students, lecturers and employees who would like to use the chapters for a reunion and exchange with the graduates.

• Liechtenstein chapter: Friday, January 31, 2025 flexible from 6 p.m. in Dolce Gusto/Schaan Registration: https://bit.ly/4fgxbcf | WhatsApp group: https://bit.ly/3ZRXuB5
• Munich chapter: Friday, February 7, 2025 6 p.m. curling / 7 p.m. beer garden in the Königlicher Hirschgarten/Munich Registration: https://bit.ly/3OWK9kU | WhatsApp group: https://bit.ly/4fltUsd
• Vorarlberg chapter: Thursday, February 20, 2025 flexible from 6 p.m. in the Jahnhalle/Feldkirch Registration: https://bit.ly/41yxQmg | WhatsApp group: https://bit.ly/49FUGdO
• Zurich chapter: Thursday, March 13, 2025 flexible from 6 p.m. in the Ynos Kitchen Bar/Zurich Registration: https://bit.ly/3ZyRoUN | WhatsApp group: https://bit.ly/3OTdXi6

Open to all alumni

Of course, all graduates of the University of Liechtenstein are cordially invited to use the new offers for alumni. Ideas, requests and suggestions are always welcome via alumni@uni.li. And the new alumni channels are available for networking with one another: Website, community, LinkedIn und WhatsApp.

On 12 December 2024, the Chair of Corporate, Foundation and Trust Law, as part of the Executive Master of Laws (LL.M.) program of the same name, hosted a thematic evening titled “Insights from the EFTA Court.” Around forty participants took the opportunity to gain exclusive insights into the workings of the court from Dr. iur. Bernd Hammermann, Judge at the EFTA Court appointed by the Principality of Liechtenstein.

The EFTA Court was established in 1994 on the basis of the EEA Agreement to ensure the uniform application of EU law in Liechtenstein, Iceland, and Norway. Thus, this year marks the 30th anniversary of the EFTA Court.

The EFTA Court is a supranational court based in Luxembourg. It corresponds to the Court of Justice of the European Union for matters concerning the EEA/EFTA member states (Liechtenstein, Iceland, Norway) and consists of one judge from each of these three countries.

In his lecture, Dr. iur. Bernd Hammermann provided an overview of the EFTA Court, focusing in particular on its internal organizational structure, the various types of legal proceedings, as well as current case statistics and court figures. He also addressed the structure of court rulings, the canon of interpretation that judges must adhere to, and the impact of precedents and fundamental rights. The core of his presentation, however, centered on selected decisions with relevance to Liechtenstein. He succinctly summarized the facts of these cases for the audience and subsequently discussed their legal implications.

The in-depth analysis of case law was particularly well received by the audience and led to a lively discussion following the lecture. The evening concluded on a festive note with mulled wine and roasted chestnuts.

As part of this year’s Faculty Day of the Faculty of Law at the University of Innsbruck, Jeffrey Lee Brüstle, research associate at the Chair for Corporate, Foundation, and Trust Law, received the prestigious Bendura Bank Award 2024 for his master’s thesis, approved in 2021. This award is presented annually by the Faculty of Law in cooperation with Bendura Bank AG to recognize and promote outstanding master’s theses in business law.

The ceremonial award ceremony took place on November 29, 2024, in the grand hall of the University of Innsbruck. Jeffrey Lee Brüstle, LL.B. LL.M. LL.M., had the honor of briefly presenting his thesis entitled “Interpretative Issues of the CISG” to a professional audience. The award was then formally presented by Univ.-Prof. Dr. Walter Obwexer, Dean of the Faculty of Law, and Dr. Markus Federspiel, CEO of Bendura Bank AG.

“The Bendura Bank Award encourages students of the Master’s Program in Business Law to write theses that provide valuable insights both for academia and legal practice. My thesis is particularly aimed at practitioners, discussing on the one hand the methods of interpretation under the CISG and on the other, addressing the issue of the so-called ‘homeward trend’ of national courts,” explained Jeffrey Lee Brüstle.

The CISG (United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods) is considered the most significant unification treaty in private international law to date. It has been ratified by 97 countries—including the Principality of Liechtenstein—and provides substantive law for cross-border sales contracts. To achieve as global a scope as possible, some substantive weaknesses had to be accepted as part of a harmonized compromise. As a result, the CISG frequently uses vague legal terms such as “reasonable” or “appropriate.” The autonomous interpretation of these terms presents considerable challenges for national courts of the contracting states, particularly the Austrian Supreme Court.

On November 25, experts from the regional financial sector, academics and interested parties gathered at the University of Liechtenstein for the conference “Artificial intelligence: hype or sustainable transformation?”, a collaboration between Assistant Professor Dr. Sebastian Stöckl and the Liechtenstein Business School with PLEXUS Investments, led by CEO Günter Jäger. Aurelia Rauch from Bergos led through the afternoon.

The numerous presentations by renowned experts offered a deep insight into the ongoing development of artificial intelligence (AI) in finance.

The Dean of the Liechtenstein Business School, Prof. Dr. Michael Hanke, opened the conference with a short speech in which he emphasized the importance of the topic of artificial intelligence for the University of Liechtenstein. He emphasized how important it is to offer the topic in education and training and to actively contribute the university's expertise to practice through knowledge transfer and targeted research.

In his opening presentation Dr. René Deist from ZF Friedrichshafen provided  a fascinating insight into the rapidly advancing field of generative AI. Following the opening presentation, Günter Jäger from PLEXUS Investments shed light on the potential of AI in asset management. Jäger emphasized the dynamic development with the words: “Artificial intelligence in finance is less hype than transformation. And it will significantly change the industry at an increasing pace.”

Assistant Professor Dr. Sebastian Stöckl from the University of Liechtenstein continued the afternoon by emphasizing in his presentation that AI is not just hype, but is already having a transformative effect on industries such as finance and services, while also highlighting the challenges that need to be overcome in order to exploit its full economic potential. Dr. Christopher Krauss from Artellium then gave an exciting presentation on how AI-based stock selection works, focusing in particular on the importance of the human factor.

Finally, Dr. Reto Degen from the Liechtenstein Financial Market Authority discussed the future European regulation of AI and provided an insight into the use of AI among financial intermediaries.

A highlight of the day was the dynamic panel discussion “AI - hype or sustainable transformation”, in which renowned experts such as Dr. Reto Degen, Dr. Christopher Krauss and Ass.-Prof. Dr. Sebastian Stöckl shared their perspectives.

The concluding networking aperitif not only offered participants the opportunity for an informal exchange, but also provided space for further discussions on the fascinating connection between investment and artificial intelligence. Assistant Professor Dr. Sebastian Stöckl from the Liechtenstein Business School was delighted with the outcome: “We are delighted with the positive response to the conference and the great interest in the topic of artificial intelligence, not only in the financial sector. In view of this success, we are pleased to announce that we are already planning next year's conference to continue this exciting format.”