The Marie Curie Alumni Association Switzerland Chapter hosted a delicious meet-up event energised by Swiss chocolate. Read about the beautiful day spent in Lake Zurich, focused on networking and learning about the history of local chocolate making.
Research and development in the Swiss Chocolate industry
On 28 March 2026, the MCAA Switzerland Chapter held an event that included entry to the Lindt Home of Chocolate museum, a lunchtime group meeting, and a boat ride on Lake Zurich. The day trip was a chance for several international members living in Switzerland to socialise, immerse themselves in the Swiss culture, plan the upcoming priorities of the Chapter, and exchange with members employed across many industries. Recent MCAA Switzerland Chapter events have included picnic socials in Basel and professional training for self-branding in academia.
The entrance to the Lindt Home of Chocolate museum in Kilchberg, near Zurich, Switzerland.
Entry to the museum offered a chance to learn about the history of scientific developments across the Swiss landscape that supported the intensification of the international chocolate industry in the country. The historical exhibit highlighted the internationality of the Swiss economy and the industrial and scientific progress necessary to create and maintain a competitive edge in the food industry. Later exhibits showcased the technological advancements of robotics, computers, and product handling that support factory processes to create and package chocolate batches, which still to this day have a human element for the delicate placing of nuts. The exhibit showed that a diverse set of skilled workers is needed from chemistry, robotics, computer programming, business processes, materials sciences, and more.
Participating MCAA Switzerland Chapter members and family at the 9.3-meter-tall Lindt chocolate fountain.
The atmosphere was conducive to socialising and discussing research and career topics— typical among Marie Curie alumni. The group shared stories of places, mobility, and career highlights from various Marie Curie Actions, with a range of participation throughout the past decade. Lunch at a Swiss kitchen nearby provided time to discuss the results of a recent member questionnaire on upcoming Chapter priorities. The afternoon concluded with a boat trip back to Zurich for a closing discussion.
Colin Courtney-Mustaphi
Knowledge Core LLC, BaselMCAA Switzerland Chapter
Colin Courtney-Mustaphi is a researcher and consultant on topics of environmental change and long-term societal impacts on our environment. He is based out of Basel, Switzerland, and Ottawa, Canada, and has extensive fieldwork experience in the Arctic, Rocky Mountains and eastern Africa. Colin uses methods from geology, disturbance ecology, archaeology and qualitative research methods to understand past and recent modifications to ecosystems in order to help support today’s dialogues and decisions on environmental management into the future.
With contributions from Toni Fröhlich and Maria José Mendieta Jara, MCAA Switzerland Chapter
Originally posted as ”Swiss Chapter alumni drawn together by chocolate and networking” on the MCAA webpage at https://www.mariecuriealumni.eu/newsletters/48th-mcaa-newsletter/swiss-chapter-alumni-drawn-together-chocolate-and-networking under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
See also
Courtney-Mustaphi CJ. 2026. Swiss Chapter alumni drawn together by chocolate and networking: Research and development in the Swiss Chocolate industry. MCAA Newsletter 48, June 2026: pp.23–24. [Full newsletter PDF] [Backup PDF] [Backup – article only]