Dear President,
Dear Chinese friends of Switzerland,
Dear Swiss friends of China,
Dear Guests,

I am very happy to be here and discover China, your culture and even – a little bit – your language !

It is a great pleasure for me to speak to you on the occasion of the inauguration of the new Library of Humanities and Social Sciences at Tsinghua University. The inauguration takes place at a historic moment: Tsinghua University is, as we all know, celebrating its one hundred year anniversary and I would like to start by congratulating you for all the achievements in the past and by wishing the students and faculty of Tsinghua an even brighter future!
In my function as Swiss Federal Councillor for Science, Education and Culture, I am particularly proud to witness that the impressive new library building which we are inaugurating today has been designed by my compatriot, the renowned Swiss architect Mr. Mario Botta. I am very happy to celebrate this memorable event together with him.

Allow me to say a few words about his work. He designed his first buildings aged 16. Today his trademark style and astonishing works can be seen not only in Switzerland but all over the world.

Among other buildings, he has designed museums, theaters, sacred spaces and libraries – all of them places dedicated to commemoration. Mario Botta lives today in Ticino, a small canton in southern Switzerland, in a beautiful landscape separated by the Alps from the rest of Switzerland. This area reflects Switzerland's peculiar situation: politically it is Swiss, yet culturally very close to Italy. It brings Switzerland it’s part of italianità

In a recent interview Mario Botta said: “The past is very important for my work and so is the environment and the climate of a place. But it doesn't imply that we should reproduce the past but rather be inspired by it.”

This is true for architecture, but just as much for international cooperation. I strongly believe that in order to create a meaningful dialogue one must understand ones surroundings, the history and culture of a place.

I am pleased to state that 61 years ago, Switzerland and China decided to establish diplomatic relations.
Switzerland was one of the very first Western countries to establish such ties, opening doors to dialogue and cooperation, joint projects and exchange programs, allowing government and business delegations, but also students and researchers to visit each other.

Thanks to the Sino-Swiss scholarship exchange agreement signed almost 50 years ago, every year around 25 Chinese researchers and more than 50 Swiss students are awarded with a scholarship for their studies in the host country.

This exchange is essential to build bridges for mutual understanding, to learn about the other culture and, something we should definitely not underestimate, to learn the language of the partners.

The same is true for the Sino-Swiss Science and Technology Cooperation known as SSSTC program, which was launched in 2008 and which provides an excellent platform for Chinese and Swiss researchers to work together.

I am told that the Chinese value Switzerland as a beautiful small country in the middle of Europe, famous for its watches, the Swiss army knife and maybe also for some delicious chocolate. But I also believe that due to the diverse relations in the past years the Chinese have learned that Switzerland offers even more: not only Heidi, but High tech!

We have the chance to have on our soil the two best ranked Universities on European Mainland: two Swiss technology institutes - ETH Zurich and EPF Lausanne – and they make their way in the company of many other excellent universities!

Our conditions for researchers and innovators to find solutions for a modern, environmentally sound, secure and healthy life are outstanding. But such solutions cannot be found in Switzerland alone, we need to collaborate, especially with respect to the global issues.

The importance of this cooperation is more than obvious in this world defined by challenges, where nature regularly asserts its dominion over man by means of one disaster or another

Fundamental research and innovation are necessary to make us fully understand the true value of precious natural resources like air, water, food, and energy in an increasingly global context.

With this, I would like, In the name of the Swiss federal government and in the name of the Swiss people, to congratulate Tsinghua University, Mario Botta and all the other actors involved for their successful cooperation and realization of this impressive new library building.

To the leaders of Tsinghua University I would like to express my sincere wishes of success for the grandiose Centennial Celebrations.
To the Students of Tsinghua I wish many hours of hard but passionate work in this building in the company of all these books and authors.

For our two countries – China and Switzerland – I wish that together we will meet and face our international responsibilities by using research and innovation in dealing with the main global challenges. And finally to all of you I wish a very happy (Easter) Weekend.

Thank you very much for your kind attention.

FC Burkhalter Inauguration Ceremony of the new Library of Humanity and Social Sciences, Tsinghua University