The University of St. Gallen (HSG) is an elite public research university located in St. Gallen, Switzerland that specialises in business administration, economics, law, and international affairs. Established in 1898, it consistently ranks among the best business schools in the world and counts as the top one in the German speaking world. In 2020, it had 9,047 students, of which 3,443 were master's students and 617 doctoral students. Although one of Switzerland's smallest universities, HSG has Switzerland's largest faculty for business administration. It is a member of the CEMS and APSIA and is EQUIS, AACSB and AMBA accredited (triple crown). Its campus is listed as a Swiss heritage site of national significance. History 19th and 20th centuries In May 1898, the Cantonal Parliament of St. Gallen established an academy for trade, commerce and administration in St. Gallen. The actual founding father is considered to be Theodor Curti, then the head of the Department of Economic Affairs of the Canton of St. Gallen. The business academy commenced lectures in 1899, making it one of the first institutions of its kind in the world. From 1911 on, the name Handels-Hochschule was used. In 1938, the former foundation under private law became a public institution, and in 1939 gained the right to award doctoral degrees. In 1963, the university moved to new buildings and changed its name to Hochschule für Wirtschafts- und Sozialwissenschaften. The new buildings were planned for 900 students, but by the winter term of 1963/64, more than 1150 students were enrolled. With the enaction of the Higher Education Act of 1989, the university was renamed Hochschule St. Gallen für Wirtschafts-, Rechts- und Sozialwissenschaften to reflect its curricula. The university has had its own law department since 1978. In 1989, the library building opened, and enrollment had grown to over 3900. In February 1994, the Cantonal Parliament of St. Gallen approved a bill to amend the Higher Education Act, leading to the renaming of the institution as Universität St. Gallen (University of St. Gallen). The acronym HSG remained. Recent history In winter 2001/02, the University of St. Gallen started the reorganization of its study programs. Education was classified into bachelor's and master's degrees, making the university Switzerland's pioneer in the Bologna process. In October 2005, the university's Executive School of Management, Technology and Law (ES-HSG) was opened. The financially autonomous Executive School centralizes further educational activities such as MBA and executive