The Geneva University Hospital system (HUG) is opening a school for robotic abdominal surgery in a bid to become a center of excellence for new medical and operating table techniques.

Robots are used in micro-invasive surgery, which does not require large sutures. This type of mini surgery means patients are not cut wide open, with their organ(s) exposed, like in Emergency Room.

The Da Vinci robot, built by the private company American Intuitive Surgical, is used in abdominal and urological surgery. The first training courses at the specialized center took place under the direction of Prof. Philippe Morel of the visceral surgery group at the HUG.

The Geneva University Hospital is seeking to train roughly 80 surgeons per year with the new technique. To this end,

they’ve bought another robot and will be teaching the procedure using two cadavers.

Some critics of the university hospital system are saying the cadavers are actually ex-patients from previously unsuccessful operations.

Robotic surgical procedures allow via a doctor to prepare his operation in fine detail using a simulation program in the robot.

From the patient’s perspective, the technique reduces the possibility of errors or complications and reduces the overall cost of the procedure (as well as reducing the number of days spent in hospital), pleasing both the Insurance companies who get lower bills, and patients who have less anxiety over inebriated surgeons.

Geneva has larger ambitions with the program, hoping to become a sort of hi-tech center for robotic surgical techniques. Serge Serro, the president of Federation des Nouvelles Technologies, points out that Romandy has specific competencies in micro technologies and which he believes can be leveraged, along with fruitful associations with other university hospitals.

The HUG has invested several million francs in the new robotic equipment, which has high-resolution 3-dimensional vision and provides highly detailed medical imaging, most of which was financed by gifts from patients to the HUG.

Geneva and Zug are important centers of trading activity in Switzerland for both raw materials and finished goods, providing a large number of jobs to professionals involved with dealing, brokerage and trading.

To meet the demand for experienced traders needed by local companies, the University of Geneva created last Spring a Masters Program in Trading, which will begin accepting students this October. The Masters in Trading will focus on trade finance, international trade, commodities and raw materials trading.

Spokesman for the program in the Economics faculty at the University of Geneva explain that Geneva is essentially a trading city. There are over 150 companies and 6000 professionals working in trading. The large number of companies involved with trading activities is remarkable in view of the current absence local opportunities for professional training.

This lack of study opportunities was remedied this month with the inauguration of the Masters in Trading Program. The faculty at the University of Geneva note that at this time only Paris, London and the East coast American universities offer this type of curriculum.

The program opened this month with 16 students, chosen from 50+ applicants, and will last 3 semesters, alternating between coursework and work experience in local companies.