Klaus Schwab

Schwab holds a doctorate in Economics from the University of Fribourg,[4] a doctorate in Engineering from the ETH Zurich (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology)[5] and a Master of Public Administration from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.[6] Before pursuing his doctorates, he graduated as an engineer from the ETH Zurich, and as an economist from the University of Fribourg..

Additionally, he has been the recipient of 17 honorary doctorates,[7] including from the London School of Economics,[8] the National University of Singapore,[9] KAIST,[10] and over a dozen other universities, from Kaunas to Haifa to Bangkok.[11][12][13] He is also an honorary professor of the University of Geneva, the Ben-Gurion University of Israel[14] and the China Foreign Affairs University.[15]

He obtained his "Abitur" or high school diploma from the Humanistisches Gymnasium in Ravensburg, Germany.

Schwab was professor of business policy at the University of Geneva from 1972 to 2003, and since then, has been an Honorary Professor there.[16] Since 1979, he has published the Global Competitiveness Report, an annual report assessing the potential for increasing productivity and economic growth of countries around the world, written by a team of economists.[17] The report is based on a methodology developed by Schwab, measuring competitiveness not only in terms of productivity but also based on sustainability criteria.[18]

He has authored and co-authored several books, including The Fourth Industrial Revolution (2016),[19] Shaping the Fourth Industrial Revolution (2018, with Nicholas Davis),[20] COVID-19: The Great Reset (2020, with Thierry Malleret),[21] and Stakeholder Capitalism (to appear in 2021, with Peter Vanham).[22]

In 1971, Schwab founded the European Management Forum,[23] which in 1987 became the World Economic Forum, as a not-for-profit foundation committed to improving the state of the world. He founded the WEF in 1971, the same year in which he published Moderne Unternehmensführung im Maschinenbau[24] (Modern Enterprise Management in Mechanical Engineering). In that book, he argued that the management of a modern enterprise must serve not only shareholders but all stakeholders (die Interessenten), to achieve long-term growth and prosperity. Schwab has championed the multistakeholder concept since the WEF’s inception. In 2015, the WEF was formally recognised by the Swiss Government as an "international body".[25] Under Schwab's management, the WEF has been keen to promote its image as a driver for reconciliation efforts in different parts of the world, acting as a catalyst of numerous collaborations and international initiatives.

In 1998, Schwab and his wife founded the Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship, another NGO based in Geneva, Switzerland.

In 2004, Schwab created a new foundation using the US$1 million prize money from the Dan David Prize he received that year from Israel. The Forum of Young Global Leaders[26] aims to create a dynamic global community of exceptional people (under 40) with the vision, courage and influence to drive positive change in the world.

In 2011, he founded the Global Shapers Community, a global network of local communities, or "hubs", of young people aged 20 to 30 who are exceptional in their potential, achievements and drive to make a contribute to their communities. As of 9 June 2020, there are 421 Hubs with 9,731 Shapers.[27]

• In 1993-1995, he was a member of the UN High-Level Advisory Board on Sustainable Development.[28]

• In 1996-1998, he was Vice-Chairman of the UN Committee for Development Planning.[29]

• In 1997, he received the Knight of the Légion d'Honneur of France.

• In 2001, he received the Candlelight Award from then U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan (New York, 2001).[30]

• In 2006, he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth (Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George).

• In 2012, he received the Knight Commanders Cross of Germany.

• In 2013, he received The Grand Cordon of the Rising Sun of Japan.[31]

• In October 2017, he became the 45th Honorary Doctor of Kaunas University of Technology for "spreading the knowledge on economy and innovative ideas, for fostering social entrepreneurship and support for young businesses, and for his contribution into developing the concept of the Fourth Industrial Revolution".[32][33]

• In 2018, he received the China Reform Friendship Medal for "promoting China's international economic exchanges and cooperation".[34]

• Schwab is being a member of the Peres Centre for Peace.[35]

• Schwab is a member of the board of the Lucerne Festival.[36]

During the earlier years of his career, he was on a number of company boards, such as The Swatch Group, The Daily Mail Group, and Vontobel Holding. He is a former member of the steering committee of the Bilderberg Group.[37] He is honour member at FC Bayern Munich.