swissnex India is an initiative of the Swiss State Secretariat for Education and Research of the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Swiss Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Similar institutions are located in Boston, San Francisco, Shanghai, and Singapore. Its goal is to fully exploit the potential of cooperation between Switzerland and the respective host countries in the fields of higher education, research, technology, innovation and culture and to promote Switzerland as one of the leading countries in those domains.
swissnex India is a platform where Swiss and Indian individuals and organisations can connect. Our purpose is to share knowledge and form partnerships in science, higher education, technology, art and innovation.
The Swiss authorities are awaiting approval for the establishment of a Swiss General Consulate in Bangalore. swissnex India will be the scientific annex of the General Consulate facilitating exchanges in science and technology between both countries.
Solar Impulse - Around the world in a solar plane
On 8 July 2010, Solar Impulse made a 26 hours flight purely powered by solar energy stored during the day. This is the longest and highest flight of a solar plane ever. The airplane has a wingspan of 64m and weighs 1'600kg. The carbon-fibre aircraft HB-SIA has 12'000 solar cells.
The Solar Impulse project is led by CEO André Borschberg and Bertrand Piccard, Swiss president of the project and known for completing the first round-the-world flight in a hot air ballon in 1999. The test flights are coordinated by Swiss astronaut Dr. Claude Nicollier.
Solar Impulse is being developed at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology at Lausanne EPFL (solar-impulse.epfl.ch/en/index.html) together with a large number of parter and sponsor institutions. The ultimate goal is to fly around the world on solar power. The next milestone will be crossing the Atlantic.
Find out more: www.solarimpulse.com
Science and Education
2008 was the year of celebrating 60 years of the Friendship Treaty between India and Switzerland signed in 1948. The celebration of this great friendship continued in 2009 with a special focus on Science and Education. For more information (pdf)(www.indiaswitzerland.in)
