Work Tools Depending on the contexts, we will be employing worktools used and maintained by "Flying Students". Video recordings With the participants' agreement, we record didactic, academic and cultural encounters on video and make the recording available to interested parties. On request we can produce CDs of these recordings. In the case of didactic encounters access to the saved video documentation is available as a commercial service on request. Video and film equipment In the large seminar and conference room we are able to project video and TV film material on to a big screen. Video conferencing We have Sony video conferencing equipment for holding meetings as part of our advisory and academic encounters. We will be initiating a low-key cooperation together with the Swiss Economic Consulate Swissnex in Cambridge Massachusetts with occasional academic discussions with colleagues who are professors at Harvard Law School. Virtual Classroom Virtual Classroom is a media-assisted learning and communications environment. It not only helps lecturers and those conducting workshops to carry out administrative tasks (e.g. registrations for events, administration of personal data and pastoral care, administration of personal and public documents) but also to make available materials (such as papers, exercises and information) to participants over the Internet. There is a comprehensive testing tool to assist self-testing by the user or testing by others. Virtual Classroom also offers access to information, texts and exercises from anywhere at any time. Virtual Classroom builds on the concept of “People-Task-Technology”. This is based around participants of a seminar or a community (the People) who are to be trained to become interested, independent individuals as well as team players. The aim is to use new methods to extend key qualifications and social skills in order to meet the rapidly changing needs of the information and communication society. This is achieved through posing variously orientated, application-based tasks (the Task). Examples of these are the ongoing observation and documentation of current affairs, the attaining by those involved of compatibility, competitiveness (1) and interoperability in an increasingly internationalised field of legal work or the development of an above-average awareness of professional tasks and roles as well as the perception of the participants as leading advocates by decision makers. In order to help them solve the Tasks, participants are provided with papers, short exercises on individual chapters, general information, frequently asked questions, online help, word search functions, links, email and chat programs as well as standard software (the Technology). The Virtual Classroom relieves lecturers and those conducting workshops from time-consuming administrative tasks. This makes them better able to act as individual coaches. Possibilities opened up to participants through Virtual Classroom include: > Holding an online-debate on an issue > Obtaining additional information and discussion with an expert on a subject in an online-chat > Obtaining additional information and discussion with an expert on a subject in an online-chat > Increasing existing knowledge using a web-based learning module > Support of the communication process through e-tutoring > Checking knowledge acquired through self-testing (online-test) > Generating online surveys and evaluations > Carrying out project management Virtual Classroom is thus a comprehensive learning and communication solution enabling the greatest possible independence of time, place and level of the events being held. By using this tool, seminars, colloquies, communities or work groups in an international context can be carried out more efficiently and effectively. Besides using the tool in the content of academic teachning i shall particulary use it to monitor exchange of ideas among experts such as general councels to organise and manage particulary important client relationships to create virtual communities among authors editors and publishers of the book series "Access to Swiss Law in English" and "Transatlatica, Law, Language, Culture from a Transatlantic Perspective" as well as for coaching in the Consulting of Lawfirms and Legal Departments. (1)Jens Drolshammer prefers the word competitivity in his own writings. This is an interesting coinage but not widely recognised. However, if this text is to be published in the context of his own work, it would be better to use “competitivity” instead.