Professor McNeal participates in invite-only Swiss conference

Brandeis School of Law Professor Laura McNeal spent a few days in Zurich, Switzerland, in November to participate in the Young Leaders Conference, an event which brings together 25 young American leaders and 25 young Swiss leaders for a week of intensive discussions on a broad range of issues of concern to both countries.

The 26th annual conference is invite-only.

McNeal was nominated to attend by a former U.S. Ambassador to Switzerland who is familiar with her concurrent work at the Charles Hamilton Houston Institute for Race and Justice at Harvard Law School. She was actually able to meet the ambassador in person for the first time during her trip to Switzerland.

“I thanked her for nominating me for such an amazing opportunity,” McNeal said. “I am humbled by the opportunity to serve as one of 25 Young Leaders to represent the U.S. in discussions of Swiss/U.S. relations.”

During the trip, McNeal noted that she was surprised by the Swiss’ commitment to education. College education, she said, costs less than $2,000 per year at a 4-year institution and students receive vocational training in their chosen field as early as age 14.

She was also intrigued by Switzerland’s political system.

“The most memorable moment of the trip was my visit to the Swiss Parliament and discussion with senior representatives of Switzerland's four leading political parties. I am still in awe of the fact that Switzerland, one of the oldest democracies, does not have an elected President as part of their political structure,” McNeal said. “I found Switzerland's distributed leadership model to be very appealing.”

Professor McNeal also acknowledges the trip’s benefits to her legal scholarship, stating that it exposed her to unique and innovative ways to address education law and policy issues from a global perspective.

“On a personal front, the trip enabled me to build meaningful relationships with other young leaders from the U.S. and Switzerland that I hope will lead to lasting friendships and increased opportunities for interdisciplinary projects,” she said.

There was one downside to the trip, she said: "Not being able to bring back a Swiss Chocolatier. They made the most amazing chocolate I’ve ever experienced.”