World-wide stagnation in trade development, geopolitical uncertainty and the increasingly problematic effects of globalisation have formed the backdrop to the choice of theme as much as an apparently increasing loss of faith in the market system and the consequences of business failures in recent years, which in wider circles have been viewed as the consequence of failure by decision-makers to recognise their responsibilities.
Once
again the ISC’s goal was to use the general topic as a basis on which to design a programme which would
be used in plenary discussions, special sessions and workshops to find a starting point for intercultural
discussions transcending generational boundaries. Various plenary speeches delivered on Thursday shed
light on the uncertainties and responses to the imbalances looming in the geopolitical and economic
background. A visionary lecture was devoted to the progression towards a fusion of information, biology
and trade. In the special sessions on the Thursday and Friday afternoons specific topics such as intercultural
understanding, the principles of business management or the future role of the Asian hemisphere were
discussed. Friday’s programme centred on corporate strategy in the aviation, automobile and insurance
industries and a panel discussion on global epidemics and the role of the pharmaceutical industry in
fighting these. A traditional highlight was the presentation of the contributions devised by the winners
of the St. Gallen Wings of Excellence Award. The plenary sessions of the third day comprised the search
for a global legal framework and the prospects for two important future challenges for the world: the
change-over to a global information society and the scarceness of water resources. Along with the discussion
of a "Business Plan for the Unexpected" the presentation of how Singapore overcame the life-threatening
challenge of the S.A.R.S. epidemic brought to a close the plenary programme. A total of 29 Leadership
Sessions, the workshops of the St. Gallen Symposium, within the context of the general topic, offered
an opportunity for in-depth discussion of the specific issues concerning the interface between business,
society and politics.
