Research Bulletin

RB 004 - July, 2010

SWISS TOURISM APPLIED RESEARCH CENTRE

Research news of staff and students are welcome. Please submit information to the editor.

Table of Contents

Foreword 2

Latest news 3

Research Collaborations 10

Welcome to the LRG Research Bulletin. The Research Bulletin is the newsletter for staff, students and associates of our institution. It contains news, reports and other research events. It also presents the latest staff publications and conference presentations.

Research Collaborations 10

Collaboration with the industry 13

Research Events 14

Research Projects 20

Publications and Conference Presentations 22

Editor: Ruth Rios-Morales (PhD)Deputy Director of ResearchSwiss Tourism Applied Research (STAR)Les Roches-Gruyère University of Applied SciencesCH 1630 Bulle, SwitzerlandTel. 00 41 26 919 78 78Fax 00 41 26 919 78 79, Email:ruth.riosmorales@glion.edu

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Foreword

I am extremely pleased to be able to present the foreword to another issue of the ResearchBulletin. Research in LRG, Glion and Les Roches appears to be engaging a growing numberof staff and the Research Centre has had numerous enquiries concerning the developmentof research. The diversity of approach is also impressive and I think reflects the wealth andpotential that we have within our institutions.

Recent research events (colloquiums and presentations at the United Nations) seem to haveagain focused upon sustainability as an area of research that has been developingmomentum over the last six months. A number of staff are now engaged in researchprojects related to tourism and hospitality, underpinning our aspirations (CopernicusProject) to integrate sustainability into research and other areas.

I am still anxious to try and encourage staff to

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Dr Ian Jenkins, Director of Research

I am still anxious to try and encourage staff todevelop their research within the areas ofhospitality and tourism whilst remaining withintheir discipline area. There have been a number ofexcellent examples where ‘tangential disciplines’ totourism and hospitality have been developed with atourism and hospitality focus.

It was extremely pleasing to see so many staff atthe EuroChrie Mini Conference, which we held inBulle in February. The theme I felt was verypertinent to many staff. Methods of research andmethodology is always one of those contentiousareas which I sense makes staff nervous whenembarking on research. I know that theConference was extremely well received and mythanks must go to all the staff who supported andhelped with this event.

I hope you will enjoy this edition of the Bulletin and my grateful thanks to Dr Ruth Rios-Morales for the time taken to collect narratives and edit this document. May I alsoencourage all staff to support us by sending or contacting us with any relevant researchstories for inclusion in future bulletins.

Dr Ian JenkinsJuly, 2010

Latest News

Congratulations to Congratulations to Jon M. Jon M. EbersoleEbersole and Caroline and Caroline PulfreyPulfrey!!

Jon M. Ebersole obtained his Doctorante in February22, 2010 from the Institute for Leadership and PersonnelManagement, University of St. Gallen.

Dr Ebersole is a lecturer in Leadership and PersonnelManagement based at our Bulle campus. Jon also holds aBA in Peace and Conflict Studies, a MA in CulturalAnthropology, and a MSc in Public Administration. His

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Anthropology, and a MSc in Public Administration. HisDoctoral thesis is entitled “Predicting Fund ManagerIntegrity and Profitability”.

Caroline Pulfrey obtained her Doctorante in June23, 2010 from the faculty of Social and PoliticalScience, University of Lausanne.

Dr Pulfrey is a lecturer in Psychology andManagement at our Bluche campus. Caroline’sresearch has been published in top academic journals.Her research topics range from educational andcultural psychology to motivation, evaluation andcultural values.

Latest News

Best Dissertation AwardsBest Dissertation Awards

Each semester our university recognizes research conducted by undergraduatestudents, awarding the top undergraduate dissertations with the Best Dissertation Awards.

Léa Duvillard has won the prize for the bestundergraduate dissertation 2010.1, Bulle campus.Léa’s dissertation is entitled “The Effects of the USSubprime Mortgage Crisis on the Housing Market of theFrench part of Switzerland”. Léa’s disseration was

Dr Alain Imboden and Joshua –Graduation day

French part of Switzerland”. Léa’s disseration wassupervised by Ms Pia Huh.

The best BBA dissertation,Bluche campus was developedby Joshua Tan Le-on. Joshua’sdissertation is entitled“Extroversion, personal values andtheir impact on sexual harassment :perception and tolerance in thehospitality industry”. Joshua’sdissertation was supervised byDr C. Pulfrey.

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Latest News

BestBest AppliedApplied ResearchResearch KempinskiKempinski ProjectProject AwardAward

The prize for the Best MBA-MEd Applied Research Project (ARP) 2010 was given to the ARPentitled “Loyalty Marketing and Brand Alliance Strategies: GHA(Global Hotel Alliance)Discovery Program in the Global Hospitality Panel”. The award winners were chosen byKempinski managerial team based on presentation, analysis and research commitment.

Madame De Fontaine, Vice President of training at the Kempinski Group presented the prizeat the graduation ceremony to Anqi Wu, Jeff Theile and David Brochiero.

Primary data was collected from Kempinski Headquarters, Kempinski Hotel-Geneva and fromformer employees. Findings are kept undisclosed under the confidentiality agreement betweenLRG and Kempinski.LRG and Kempinski.

Left to right: Ms. De Fontaine, Anqi Wu, Jeff Theile, David Brochiero and Mr. Juskiw, 6

Latest News

Climate Change: Risk Management Issues and ChallengesClimate Change: Risk Management Issues and Challenges

Dr Ian Jenkins has been asked to write a chapterin a book by Cabi relating to the issue of climatechange and its effects on tourism. The chapter isentitled: ‘Climate Change: Risk ManagementIssues and Challenges’ and will be featured in thebook ‘Disappearing Destinations’, due to bepublished later this year. He states, “The chapterdraws upon my expertise and knowledge base,which I have developed through teaching andresearching this subject over the last 20 years.” Hefurther adds, “Currently, there is a plethora oftexts dealing with safety and management issues,which is a far cry from when I began my career,

and analyse what exactly will be the response oftourist destinations to climate change and alsoconsiders the measures and models that could beapplied and adapted from these changes. Thereare many examples of good practice, or at leastmarketing responses, by companies involved in thetourism industry to the challenges that willinevitably result. Ian has recently reviewed a bookfor Cabi called ‘Planning For Tourism andSustainability’ which again will be published thisyear. These publications emphasise the need toensure that Glion, LRG and Les Roches havefuture research areas connected to sustainabilitywhich is a far cry from when I began my career,

when there were very few”. Also climate changeis now an accepted premise of long term changesto our weather patterns. The text tries to evaluate

future research areas connected to sustainabilityand climate change▪

Dr Lyn Glanz has accepted an invitation onto the editorial advisory board of a book series forEmerald Group Publishing, entitled Critical Studies on Corporate Responsibility, Governance andSustainability. Detailed information can be found on the website:http://info.emeraldinsight.com/products/books/series.htm?id=2043-9059

Dr David Horrigan has been appointed member of the Editorial Board of Journal of VacationMarketing. The Journal is published by SAGE, a leading international publisher of journals, books, andelectronic media for the academia. Journal of Vacation Marketing main aim is to provide a forum for thepublication of peer reviewed academic papers, meeting the highest standards of intellectual rigor. Moreinformation can be found in the following link:http://www.uk.sagepub.com/journalsProdDesc.nav?prodId=Journal201732&crossRegion=eur

Dr Ruth Rios-Morales has been invited to be Guest Editor of the Special Issue on Wine Business andGlobalisation for the International Journal of Business and Globalisation. The Journal is publishedby Inderscience, publisher of distinguished academic, scientific and professional journals. Moreinformation is found the following link:http://www.inderscience.com/browse/callpaper.php?callID=1365

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News from Australia

The research strategy for the Blue Mountains International Hotel Management School (BMIHMS)began in 2008 with the establishment of the Orion Research Centre. With changes in companyownership when BMIHMS joined the Laureate Hospitality Education network the Centre is nowknow as the BMIHMS Research Centre. The Centre is funded by an annual grant of $50 000 over afive year period as an outcome of its partnership with The University of Queensland’s School ofTourism.

This strategy was created so that UQ faculty could mentor BMIHMS as the school concurrently

By Dominic SzambowskiDirector - Academic Affairs

Australian International Hotel SchoolBlue Mountains International Hotel Management School

This strategy was created so that UQ faculty could mentor BMIHMS as the school concurrentlywent about hiring faculty with a research background for key senior teaching positions. Thismedium-range plan (3 years) was put in action to further firm BMIHMS’ position operating in theAustralian university sector.

The funds are currently managed by the BMIHMS Academic Board for research directions andoutcomes.

Projects

In the initial round of research, after a joint research workshop conducted by and for staff atBMIHMS and UQ, a call for proposals was advertised to the combined staffs. Four projects wereoriginally funded but only three of them were able to commence. The three funded projects were asfollows:

Australian Hotel & Hospitality Degree Programs: Philosophy and Practice. N. Breakey, S. Craig-Smith, R.Robinson, D. Szambowski.

Crisis Planning, Perceptions and Attitudes of New South Wales Hotel Managers. B. Ritchie, D. Beirman, G.Bentley.

Evolution & Evaluation of Tourism and Hospitality Programs in Higher Education Institutions in China. P.Ding, C. Arcodia & S. Craig-Smith, H. Batey.

All projects will be completed by July 2010 with full reports from these projects available by August.

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Research Events

Les Roches- Gruyère, University of

Applied Sciences (LRG-UAS) was pleased

to host the 3rd EuroCHRIE mini

conference at its Bulle campus on April

19th 2010. The theme of this academic

event was “Research Methodologies for

New Researchers”. Dr Ian Jenkins and Dr

EuroCHRIEEuroCHRIE Mini ConferenceMini Conference

New Researchers”. Dr Ian Jenkins and Dr

Ruth Rios-Morales, director of research

and deputy director of research

successively from LRG-UAS opened the

event addressing the importance of

research methods in research development.

LRG-UAS was delighted to have three

keynote speakers: Mr Andy Middleton

from TYF, Wales, UK addressed the topic

of sustainability and importance of

research. Prof. Sandra Watson from

Edinburgh Napier University spoke about

alternative routes to PhDs. Prof. John

Swarbrooke from César Ritz lectured on

experiential methodology.

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Research Events

LRG-UAS was also honoured to have four guest speakers: Dr Dragan Gamberger from

RuñerBošković Institute, Zagreb, Croatia who addressed the topic of quantitative data analysis and

integration of statistical and data mining. Dr Thouraya Gherissi-Labben & Adriana Centeno from

Ecole Hoteliere de Lausanne lectured on the tools for qualitative and quantitative data analysis. Dr

Zarina Charlesworth from LRG-UAS talked about validating qualitative analysis and Caroline Pulfrey

from Les Roches addressed the topic of questionnaires, data-entry and statistical analysis.

The 3rd EuroCHRIE mini-conference was a real success. It was a pleasant and friendly gathering of

delegates that came from all the Swiss Hotel and Tourism academic institutions. The general purpose

of these events is to provide a platform of opportunities to new researchers and also serve as

avenues for research collaboration▪

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Research Events

ColloquiumsColloquiums

AdventureAdventure tourism,tourism, profitabilityprofitability andand sustainablesustainable developmentdevelopment inin NationalNational

ParksParks

The first guest speaker was Mr Andy Middletown. Mr Middleton is founder and director of St

David's-based (Wales UK) TYF Group. TYF Group is an instructive and adventure business who

teach 12,000 people a year to work, live and play differently. Mr Middleton key role at TYF isteach 12,000 people a year to work, live and play differently. Mr Middleton key role at TYF is

‘talking the walk’ as an advisor to business and government, helping to close the gap between

knowledge and action on climate change and sustainability issues. The colloquium took place on.

Wednesday, 17th February 2010.

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Research Events

NeuroscienceNeuroscience inin MarketingMarketing:: TheThe CaseCase ofof EmotionalEmotional BrandingBranding

The second colloquium was presented by two guest speakers: Professor Luiz Moutinho and

José Paulo Santos from the University of Glasgow. Professor Moutinho is a well known

academic; he is the Chair of Marketing Founding at the Department of Management,

University of Glasgow. Prof. Moutihno is also Editor of the Journal of Modelling in

Management (JM2). José Paulo Santos’ research is focused on Biological basis of the behavior

and Neuromarketing. Professor Moutinho and José Paulo Santos presented a lecture entitled

“Neuroscience in Marketing: The Case of Emotional Branding” on April 29th 2010.

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Left to right: José Paulo Santos and Professor Luiz Moutinho

Collaborative Projects

Collaboration with Fribourg Tourism BureauCollaboration with Fribourg Tourism Bureau

LRG Research Centre is working in two joint projects Fribourg Tourism Bureau.

Hotel Capacity Study: Fribourg Canton – Project

The notion of this project is to evaluate the capacity of hotel beds within the Canton ofFribourg. The study Vision 2020 identifies the need to have 1000 more bed spaces within thearea of Fribourg by the year 2020. In order to achieve this target it is necessary to evaluate andidentify where the demand for tourism and business bed-spaces can be found. Tourism is aidentify where the demand for tourism and business bed-spaces can be found. Tourism is agrowing sector with Switzerland and in Fribourg and the idea is to ensure that the capacity forbed-spaces is met with this ever increasing demand. The occupancy level in Fribourg shows adichotomy between the Federal government’s official statistical and those that are supplied bythe Hotel associations of the Canton, and this is an issue which needs to addressed andinvestigated within the remit of this study.

Developing Competitive Advantages through Responsible Tourism in the

Canton of Fribourg – Project

This is the second stage of a study piloted by Mr Henri Kuokkanen that aims to structure amodel that can explain how businesses operating within the field of tourism could gaincompetitive advantage through Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and improve theirfinancial performance. The main proposition of this research is that no operator/serviceprovider really understands what demand for social responsibility is, we argue that a customercannot demand something of which he has no previous experience. By determining what thereal demand is for social responsibility in tourism, a company could _ by meeting thisdemand_ gain a competitive advantage for its business (responsible brand) and a thus improvefinancial performance measured mainly by revenue (as this is what the consumer choiceaffects) as well as net income (to include the cost of being responsible).

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Collaborative Projects

The United Nations Conference for Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and the academiccommunity gathered together at the annual Symposium on International Investment forDevelopment, 15-16 March 2010 to set the agenda for policy-oriented research for the next tenyears. The aim of the Symposium was to facilitate long-term partnerships between UNCTAD andacademics on issues of mutual interest. The Symposium gathered 165 people from the four cornersof the world. LRG-UAS was represented by Dr Ian Jenkins and Dr Ruth Rios-Morales.

UNCTADUNCTADSymposium on International Investment for DevelopmentSymposium on International Investment for Development

At the Symposium, LRG delegates advocated the importance of the tourism industry in economicdevelopment. They argued that tourism must be integrated in national development strategies andshould be present in the economic development and poverty reduction agenda.

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Collaborative Projects

The economic contribution of the tourism industry accounts for about 10.6 percent of theworld’s GDP. Tourism represents one of the main sources of income for many developingcountries. For some nations, tourism contributes up to 95 percent to their GDP

Despite the strong correlation between tourism related investment and economic growth,research in the topic of investment in the tourism industry is very limited. In order to detectrelevant and meaningful relationships between government policies and investment in thetourism industry, Ruth Rios-Morales, Dragan Gamberger, Ian Jenkins and Tom Šmuc areworking on a project entitled “Modelling investment in the tourism industry by the WorldBank's good governance indicators”.

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Left to right:Dr Jenkins, Dr Rios-Morales, Prof. Hafiz Mirza (UNCTAD’s Chief) and Prof. Louis Brennan (Trinity College Dublin)

Collaboration with the Industry

Fostering collaboration with the industry is one of the main objectives of LRG. In 2010, our

university initiated three interesting projects.

Four Seasons

Robert Lewis, lecturer and researcher at LRG, Bluche campus is piloting this collaboration

project with a Florence-based luxury hotel. This study argues that hospitality organisations can

attract and retain high quality staff by measuring work-life balance implications for employees

within context. Work-life balance, for the purpose of this study, refers to the relationship

between work- and non-work life.

ARJO

This project represents collaboration between ARJO group, a market leader in lifting

equipment and LRG-UAS. Based on their recognised role in the market for support equipment

for obese and ageing people, ARJO will assist our Master’s students conducting an applied

research project with the development of client profiles, provide lifting equipment for tests

and discussions with hospitality clients and support implementation concepts. Students are

working under the supervision of Dr Tom Guthknecht.

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Collaboration with the Industry

Kempinski

In 2009, the Kempinski Hotel and our university initiated an interesting project. This project

encompasses four case studies, offering MBA and MEd students the opportunity to conduct

research and to gather information and data from the Kempinski Hotel Chain. MBA and MEd

students are working under the supervision of Mr Juskiw and Mr Gervaix. The head

office based in Geneva have offered unlimited access to data bases to collate primary data from

around the world and also access to conduct interviews with all levels of employees.

Kempiski Headquarters Geneva: the Kempinski managerial team, MBA/MEd students and supervisors

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FP7 FP7 -- CCollaborativeollaborative Project Project PProposalroposal

LRG-UAS is a member of a team of 20EMRBI associates universities that hasparticipated in the submission of acollaborative project proposal to the FP7 EUprogramme.The project aims at the creation of atransnational network of structures, which willsearch internally for viable existing structuresand mechanisms that have the power to create,promote and enhance financial innovation, atthe beginning, nationally and then globally.These structures and mechanisms will initiallybe recorded and presented, at the transnationallevel, in order to form a synthesis of

the adequate existing mechanism, targeted toits needs. This will allow each partner to form,at a national level, a pilot action. This pilot runwill test the new innovative financial productsand will also determine the ability ofmethodology transfer towards the globalmarket financial environment. Thedissemination of the results of the pilotactions will contribute to the economic growthand employment of Europe since it willgenerate the critical mass financial productsand of mechanisms, which will activate theentrepreneurs, and the financial institutionsinvolved towards globally marketable

Collaborative Projects

be recorded and presented, at the transnationallevel, in order to form a synthesis ofexperiences ready to be adopted after thenecessary adjustments. Through this procedureeach partner will in one hand form or reformthe existing financial innovation structure andon the other hand, it will select and implement

entrepreneurs, and the financial institutionsinvolved towards globally marketableinnovation. Again, all relative consequences atthe economic, social and environmentalperspectives will be examined and analyzedfrom this change at the financial system.

TEMPUS Programme

LRG-UAS is participating in the Tempus programme, one of many European

Community programmes focused in the field of higher education. The aims of the

project are to create and disseminate knowledge about key success factors and cross

cultural management in cross border alliances (mergers, acquisitions, and joint ventures).

This knowledge will be acquired through research in cooperation of universities and

business associations.

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LRG-UAS is participating in the COST Actionentitled “The Emergence of SouthernMultinationals and Their Impact on Europe”.Ruth Rios-Morales has been nominated theCOST action’s manager in Switzerland. COST(European Cooperation in the field of Scientificand Technical Research) is one of the EuropeanScience Foundation’s program with objective ofwidely disseminate research results at bothnational and international level.This COST Action brings together scholars

or host country or both). This project researchis innovative in both its comparative dimension(there is no similarly broad-ranging analysis ofthe impact of Southern Multinationals onEurope) and its methodology (drawing oncontextual, multi-perspective and multi-levelresearch). The project addresses the need for agreater understanding around SouthernMultinationals, and for theory development andnew models. It will integrate the outcomes ofempirical studies based on a broader conceptual

LRG Participation in COST ActionLRG Participation in COST Action

Collaborative Projects

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This COST Action brings together scholarsfrom COST-eligible countries that share aninterest in the scientific study of SouthernMultinationals and their impact on Europe andhave specific area knowledge (country of origin

empirical studies based on a broader conceptualframework and cases generating firm level dataacross national boundaries.

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Management Committee Meeting of the COST Action – May 25-26 2010, Brussels

Research Projects

Comfort, Risk, Seduction and Wilderness: the Paradoxes Comfort, Risk, Seduction and Wilderness: the Paradoxes

of Adventure Tourismof Adventure Tourism

By Dr Alain Imboden

In a series of conference papers, Dr Imboden is exploring some of the paradoxes gravitatingaround adventure tourism.

In Adrenaline for Sale: A Discourse Analysis of Adventure Tourism in Sweden & Switzerland, the focusis on the notion of risk and its representations in the promotion of adventure tourism by theofficial Tourism boards of Sweden and Switzerland. The analysis shows that once commodified,official Tourism boards of Sweden and Switzerland. The analysis shows that once commodified,adventure is mostly represented by these two actors as a risk-free activity. Risk is here diluted ina representation of adventure as something manageable and achievable, while paradoxicallyuncertainty is represented in the literature as an essential attribute of adventure.

In Escaping Modernity? The Conditions of Existence of Adventure Tourism, the factors that makeadventure tourism socially desirable are discussed. Risk is here once again part of the analysis, inparticular as a perception of being on the edge that may establish a sense overcoming and self-achievement. This conceptual paper identifies two ways of explaining the desire for adventureboth based on the notion of escape: one defining adventure tourism as a necessary buttemporary and punctual form of escape from our modern reality and the other seeing adventureas a form of post-modernism.

In Hospitality and Wilderness - Defining the Norms of a Cohabitation, another phenomenon generatedthrough the commodification of adventure is explored: the presence of comfort in thewilderness. The compromises done in offering hospitality but preserving the wild nature inwhich this hospitality is offered are analyzed through the case of the mountain hut. The analysisreveals the omnipresence of comfort as an essential element of modernity, even in the mostremote places and during the most adventurous activities. It also raises the issue of perceptionversus reality in relation with what is today considered as wilderness.

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Research Projects

Together, these papers display the complex nature of adventure once it becomes a modernproduct for sale under the label of adventure tourism. In its different representations, thisproduct contains notions of risk but also safety, threat but also desire, comfort but alsowilderness, control but also uncertainty. It is precisely this ambivalence that will be furtherstudied by the author, in particular from a consumer’s perspective.

References:

� Imboden A. (2009), Adrenaline for Sale: A Discourse Analysis of Adventure Tourism in Sweden &

Switzerland, 18th Nordic Symposium in Tourism and Hospitality Research, University ofSouthern Denmark, 22nd - 25th October 2009, Esbjerg, Denmark.

� Imboden A. (2010), Escaping Modernity? The Conditions of Existence of Adventure Tourism, paper tobe presented at the International Critical Tourism Studies Conference “Tourism andbe presented at the International Critical Tourism Studies Conference “Tourism andSeductions of Difference”, 9th-12th September 2010, Lisbon, Portugal.

� Imboden A. (2009), Hospitality and Wilderness - Defining the Norms of a Cohabitation: the case of the

Mountain Hut, paper to be presented at the 19th Nordic Symposium in Tourism and HospitalityResearch, 23rd – 26th September 2010, Akureyri, Iceland.

Cabane BERTOL – Valais, Switzereland © 2008-2010 La cabane Bertol

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Swiss Tourism Applied Research (STAR)

Les Roches-Gruyère University of Applied Sciences

CH 1630 Bulle, Switzerland

Tel. 00 41 26 919 78 78

Fax 00 41 26 919 78 79