Tucked in the heart of Europe, Switzerland easily captures travellers’ entusiasm for its reputed picturesques towns and mountains. The little but rich nation boasts a rich assortment of cheese, meticulous watches, handcrafted chocolates, long hiking trails and adventurous ski paths. As an Egyptian, I couldn’t help but admire the cleanliness and organization of the city of Lausanne, Switzerland’s most well-known student city. The latter had, through the years and on par with Geneva, become synonymous with European luxury, thriving culture and unrelenting workaholic attitudes, so I was curious to experience the city first hand as I expected it to contrast strongly with my hometown, Cairo. A historical bond Interestingly, Lausanne’s historic relationship to Cairo isn’t as far-fetched as many would believe. Not only was there a large presence of Swiss in Egypt’s northern towns, but, as Nasser started to sequester properties and nationalize enterprises, a large number of expulsed Egyptian Jews, mostly cotton merchants, were able to find a home in the peaceful nation. Most resettled in Lausanne and Geneva, the French parts of Switzerland, where they continued their business activities and trade in the 20th century. Their relocation to…
