American Swiss Foundation honors Susan Hockfield at 55th Stratton Prize dinner

The American Swiss Foundation held its 55th Stratton Prize dinner on Oct. 15, 2026, at the MIT Museum in Cambridge, Massachusetts, honoring Susan Hockfield, the former MIT president. The event highlighted the foundation’s long-running award for leaders who strengthen Swiss-American understanding and featured remarks from MIT and Swiss diplomatic figures.

Why it matters: - The Stratton Prize is a long-running recognition of people who advance intercultural understanding between Switzerland and the United States. - Honoring Susan Hockfield ties the award to MIT’s leadership, research, and transatlantic academic influence. - The dinner also underscored the American Swiss Foundation’s role in building a pipeline of Swiss and American leaders.

What happened: - The American Swiss Foundation hosted the 55th Stratton Prize dinner on Oct. 15, 2026, at the MIT Museum in Cambridge, Massachusetts. - The foundation honored Susan Hockfield, PhD, MIT’s 16th president, who served from 2004 to 2012, as the 55th Stratton Laureate. - Dr. Michelle Hanlon, deputy dean for faculty and research at MIT Sloan School of Management and a member of the ASF Stratton Prize Committee, moderated a fireside conversation with Hockfield. - Shantenae Robinson, head of U.S. strategic partnerships at Aon and a member of the ASF Alumni Committee, opened the evening. - His Excellency Dr. Ralf Heckner, ambassador of Switzerland to the United States, delivered closing remarks.

The details: - The Stratton Prize was founded by Dr. Freddy Homburger, who served as honorary consul for Switzerland in Boston from 1966 to 1986. - The award recognizes career achievements that foster understanding between Switzerland and the United States. - Julius Adams Stratton, former MIT president and later chair of the Ford Foundation, was the first recipient in 1966. - The prize was created in honor of Stratton’s work integrating the humanities at MIT. - The foundation said that work was shaped by his advanced education at ETH Zürich and exposure to Swiss humanistic thinking. - Swiss International Air Lines and Läderach supported the event. - The foundation listed a long roster of past Stratton Laureates, including diplomats, academics, artists, scientists, and business leaders.

Between the lines: - The laureate list shows the prize has expanded beyond academia into diplomacy, arts, science, public service, and business. - The 2026 honor keeps the award tied to MIT and to leaders connected to Swiss-American institutional exchange. - The foundation’s emphasis on young leaders and alumni suggests the dinner is part recognition event, part network-building platform. - The presence of a Swiss ambassador and MIT leadership signals the award’s continued diplomatic and academic relevance.

What's next: - The American Swiss Foundation is likely to continue using the Stratton Prize and Young Leaders network to deepen ties between Swiss and American leaders. - Future laureates will extend a recognition list that has run since 1966 and now spans more than half a century. - The foundation said its alumni from the past 35 conferences now total more than 1,800 leaders across business, government, media, and public policy.

The bottom line: - The 55th Stratton Prize dinner reinforced the American Swiss Foundation’s dual mission: honoring transatlantic leadership and cultivating the next generation of Swiss-American connectors.