Prof. Schürer, born in 1946 in Coburg, studied economics and social sciences at the University of St. Gallen. There, just under 50 years ago and while still a student, he founded the St. Gallen Symposium. To this day, the Symposium seeks dialogue with the next generation in order to combine economic, scientific and political challenges.

Environmental and socio-political aspects were high on the agenda from a very early stage. In the year 1999, he was proposed by the then Federal President Roman Herzog as the Chairman of the Foundation Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting. Until 2016, with the help of large-scale development aid, he ensured that this generational dialogue was placed on a solid international basis and that it received worldwide recognition.

He had visiting professorships at the University of St. Gallen and at the Georgetown University in Washington, is member of the board of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and was Vice-President of the Foundation of the Pontifical Swiss Guard between 2000 and 2009. From 1989 to 2009, Prof. Wolfgang Schürer was a member of the Board of Trustees at the International Law Academy of The Hague. Since 2018, he has been Chairman of the Foundation for the Peace Dialogue of World Religions and Civil Society.