Beijing library speaks volumes for Switzerland

The arch at the entrance to Beiwai University swissinfo.ch

The Swiss Studies Centre at Beijing’s Beiwai University has offered Chinese students an insight into culture and society in Switzerland for more than 15 years.

It boasts a library of more than 6,000 books and periodicals, but resources are limited and there is a lack of up-to-date information.

The old buildings, unlit corridors, cold lecture rooms and generally spartan facilities at the university on the outskirts of Beijing can, however, be misleading.

“This is China’s most prestigious institution for language learning and the study of foreign cultures,” observes Tang Xingying, head of the French faculty.

The university offers courses in 33 different languages to approximately 8,000 hand-picked students from all over China.

“The most successful will enter government service. More than 200 of China’s ambassadors have been trained at Beiwai,” points out Yuan Jianhua, head of the faculty of German studies.

A brief chat with groups of young people studying German, French or Italian reveals they have an almost perfect command of their adoptive languages.

Literature and statistics

Consisting of two rooms, a computer and thousands of printed pages, the small, library is bursting with novels and periodicals on architecture, photography and the theatre.

Works by authors Friedrich Dürrenmatt and Max Frisch, and the philosopher, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, can be found in one section; other shelves are devoted to the peculiarities of the Swiss federal system and the history of the Confederation.

Supported by Switzerland’s arts council, Pro Helvetia, the library also stocks books on William Tell and a whole collection of Swiss statistical yearbooks.

There are also a number of current affairs magazines, but they are few in number and most are out of date: one French-language weekly dates back to 2001.

“Economy measures,” explains Chen Wei, director of the centre. “Nevertheless, we still receive some 20 different publications.”

No news

There are no newspapers – again due to financial reasons.

“We have roughly 6,000 Swiss books, half in French, half in German, and a few in Italian,” adds Chen Wei.

“Many researchers, as well as the students, use the library to obtain information about Switzerland. We receive 20 visitors a day on average and many others contact us by telephone.”

Thanks to the centre and its library, students are able to write dissertations on aspects of Swiss life and culture, including the country’s traditional festivals, its foreign and immigration policies.

High-level visit

The institute, sponsored by Switzerland’s current ambassador to China, Dominique Dreyer, was inaugurated in 1988. Last year it received a visit from the then Swiss president, Pascal Couchepin.

Recently, the centre took delivery of its first computer, and the library catalogue is now being fed into a database.

According to Lukas Schifferle, head of the cultural section at the Swiss embassy in Beijing, the library is an important asset in attempts to broaden and diversify Chinese conceptions of Switzerland.

“Not just chocolate, neutrality and mountain scenery, but also art, culture, politics and business,” comments Schifferle.

“Thanks to the institute at Beiwai University, we have been able to organise workshops with Swiss artists and events attended by leading figures in the Swiss business world. The interest shown by the students has been quite amazing.”

Swiss art is still something of an alien concept in China, but it is slowly making its presence felt.

For example, last year the Mummenschanz mime group toured theatres in a number of Chinese cities, and some well-known Swiss architects will be designing stadiums for the Beijing Olympics in 2008.

Meanwhile, extracts from the works of Dürrenmatt have already been staged in the Chinese capital.

swissinfo, Marzio Pescia, Beijing

Key facts

There are around 8,000 students enrolled at Beijing’s Beiwai University.
The French and German faculties each number approximately 330 students.
The Italian faculty has roughly 50 students.

In brief

The Swiss Studies Centre in Beijing was founded in 1988 at the instigation of Switzerland’s current ambassador to China, with the support of Beiwai University, the Conference of Swiss University Rectors and Pro Helvetia.

The objective was to open a window onto Swiss culture at a major Chinese university.

Today, the library has more than 6,000 books and periodicals, mainly in German and French.

The activities organised by the Swiss Centre include seminars, discussions and workshops with Swiss artists and leading figures from political and business circles.