Jorge Castro-Valle Kuehne (Alumnus 1973)

Ambassador of Mexico to Switzerland and Liechtenstein

Attending the Sommerhochschule of the University of Vienna in 1973 remains a wonderful memory after 43 years. I had recently returned from Mexico half a year after my Matura at the Theresianum in Vienna and was enrolled at the Rechts- und Staatswissenschaftliche Fakultät when I first heard about the summer course in Strobl. Needless to say, I immediately presented my application and was thankfully accepted. It was to be an unforgettable experience both from the academic as well as from the personal and cultural perspectives. The lectures by such distinguished professors as Georg Schwarzenberger, Fritz Machlup and Karl Zemanek strengthened my interest in international affairs and motivated me to pursue a career in the Foreign Service of my country. The majestic beauty of the landscape with its lake and mountains was both awesome and inspiring. Last but not least, our outings to the Salzburger Festspiele were the beginning of a true "love affair" with that prestigious music festival which has intensified in the last two decades. I feel not only proud but also privileged to be a Strobl Alumnus 1973 and wish the Sommerhochschule, on its 60th anniversary at Lake St. Wolfgang, many more years of academic excellence and intercultural exchanges.

Bern, June 2016

Jorge Castro-Valle Kuehne
Strobl Alumnus 1973