Switzerland - The Graduate Institute, Geneva

SOCIÉTÉ SUISSE MOYEN ORIENT ET CIVILISATION
ISLAMIQUE (SSMOCI)
(Swiss society Middle East and Islamic Civilisations)
Address SGMOIK SSMOCI, Postfach 8301, 3000 Bern
Phone +41 (0)31 313 14 40
Fax
Web http://www.sagw.ch/sgmoik
E-Mail
sgmoik.ssmoci@tiscali.ch
hartmut.faehndrich@swissonline.ch
Category Research and Knowledge
MISSION STATEMENT
The society aims at :
� Supporting the Swiss public in understanding the Middle East and the Islamic world.
� Enhancing the scientific and pluridisciplinary research on the Middle East and the Islamic world and its relations with
Europe.
� Promoting the dialogue among European cultures and the neighbouring cultures of the Middle East and the Muslim world.
� Facilitating and encourage the study of the languages of the region.
Founding year 1995
BACKGROUND AND ACTIVITIES
Member of the Swiss Academy of Human and Social Sciences. The society organizes every two years an international scientific
colloquium. The SSMOCI invites media and scientists from the West Asian and North African region and supports relevant events.
The society also organises lectures, seminars and exhibitions in various Swiss towns. Currently, the society has approximately 200
members.
As an example, the SSMOCI organised in March 2005 an international conference in Berne: „The Creativity of the Diaspora”.
SELECTED PUBLICATIONS
Published a useful document listing Swiss experts on topics relevant to the SSMOCI, including addresses, phone numbers,
publications, fields of specialization: http://www.sagw.ch/frz/mitglieder/mitglieder.asp?m_id=51&pag=Publikationen, (available at
PSIO library).
Various newsletters (one in spring, one in fall), list of contents are available online.
e.g. “Islam en Europe”, No. 21, automne 2005.
REMARKS
Hartmut Fähndrich: president of the SSMOCI until 1996, one of the most significant translators from Arabic to German, professor
at ETH Zurich.