The University played host to royalty Friday as Hereditary Prince Alois and Prince Hans Adam II of Liechtenstein attended an advisory council meeting for the Liechtenstein Institute On Self-Determination.
Along with the meeting, the princes attended tea at Forbes College and high tea — a late afternoon tea — at Prospect House.
At the high tea, Prince Alois explained some of small states' policy concerns.
"As a small country you have to be quick and flexible," he said. "You can't set an international agenda."
Students listened to the prince outline his hopes for Liechtenstein's economy, social security and health care.
Alois said he also wants to provide the best education possible for his citizens.
"The only natural resources we have are our people," he said.
The prince answered questions from students on a variety of subjects, including Liechtenstein's position in the United Nations, tax rate, relationship with the United States and the participation of citizens in direct democracy.
"Students were a bit surprised at the openness and friendliness and unconventionality of father and son," said Wolfgang Danspeckgruber, a Wilson School lecturer and founding director of the Liechtenstein Institute.
"The princes were surprised about the forthright and open questions," he said, noting that a student at the Forbes tea even asked one of the princes to recount a typical day.
Danspeckgruber first met Prince Hans Adam II in 1983 at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government. Beginning in 1994, the prince supported Dan-speckgruber's work on the self-determination of states. In 2000, the prince made a lump sum donation to create the Liechtenstein Institute.
The mission of the Institute is to support work on state sovereignty and self-determination, and other related subjects such as international politics and organizations.
"I hope students take away the experience to have met a ruling monarch and to exchange with them personally," Dan-speckgruber said.
"And perhaps also a little bit to appreciate the uniqueness of Prince Hans Adam," he continued. He's not only head of state, but he's also a very brilliant man with a great deal of vision."
Students relished the opportunity to speak with leaders in a personal setting.
Brad Heller '05, who attended the high tea, said, "I thought it was informative. It was interesting to see real leaders of a real country, even if it's a small one.'
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