Sina is Pro Journo's Social Media Editor and currently pursuing her Masters in Mass Communication and Media Research with a minor in Political Science at the University of Zurich. Her main focus is on the interplay of society, media and politics. She is highly interested in how governments and international organizations innovate, communicate policy decisions and how those issues are reflected in the media. Being in the communications field, Sina is trying to keep up with the newest media innovations and use her knowledge to leverage our social media channels. She has already gained some practical experience with internships at the Canton of Zurich and at swissnex San Francisco. In her free time Sina is an avid reader, a photography enthusiast and an amateur soccer player.
Offene Daten sind mitunter wahre Goldgruben der Information. Und jeder Bürger kann sie auswerten, verwenden und verbreiten. Das könnte nun in der Schweiz die Stadtplanung verändern.
Having just reached a population of 8 million this summer, Switzerland seems minuscule compared to China and its roughly 1.35 billion residents. Nor can Switzerland’s economic and political power be compared to the upcoming superpower that is China. However, with Swiss founders and co-organizers, Switzerland was featured quite prominently at the World Resources Forum 2012 in Beijing. But why should China and other countries around the world be interested in Switzerland when it comes to resources? And how can Switzerland benefit from these Sino-Swiss relations?
“As my mother said, it’s important for a girl to have more than one suitor.”
Dambisa Moyo, economist and author of multiple New York Times Best-seller books, applies her mother’s maxim to Africa’s economic situation. For Moyo, the girl in the saying represents Africa. And amongst the many suitors clamouring for hand, is China. However, while China’s financial engagement in (sub-Saharan) Africa has strongly increased in the last few years, it has also become subject to widespread criticism, mostly by Western countries. For China, economic relations with Africa are of great significance.
When it comes to scarcity of resources, one of the most publicly discussed topics is the impending shortage of fossil fuels. As we have known for a while now, global oil reserves are limited. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), 2035 will be the decisive year in which the maximum amount of oil production will be achieved. Thereafter, less oil will be available on the market year after year and eventually, reserves will be exhausted. This knowledge implies that people have to change their consumer behavior sooner or later.