After an introduction of the project partners involved in CATS by Bernd Müller, executive construction director, Gisela Splett and Theresia Bauer in their speeches emphasized the importance of the transcultural research for the future development of Heidelberg University. Furthermore, they outlined that the research done in CATS will facilitate the mutual understanding of cultural differences. They also mentioned the success of the newly established CATS Schülerlabor, which is the first project of CATS.
Prof. Bernhard Eitel, President of Heidelberg University and Jürgen Odszuck, first mayor of Heidelberg stressed the innovative concept behind CATS and its importance for the university and city of Heidelberg as well as for the quarter of Bergheim. Profs. Barbara Mittler and Axel Michaels, who are the managing directors of CATS, presented an outlook on research and studies at CATS and connected the continents of Asia and Europe in their speech.
After the speeches, the guests proceeded to the edge of the contruction site where the foundation stone, built from bricks, had been placed for the ceremony. All partners involved in the creation and construction of CATS placed a symbolic object in a cassette that was then immured into the foundation stone. Besides objects like the daily newspaper, a bottle of wine or important documents related to the construction, several objects from the Asian continent were placed found their way into the cassette. The final closing of the stone rounded, with the assistance of the guest of honour completed the ceremony.
The Centre for Asian and Transcultural Studies (CATS) is currently being built at Campus Bergheim of Heidelberg University. It will unite the South Asia Institute, the Centre for East Asian Studies, the Institute of Anthropology and the Heidelberg Centre for Transcultural Studies. It will surround a newly-built underground library and research collaboratorium, which will provide central access to three departmental libraries focusing on South Asian, East Asian and Southeast Asian Studies. The CATS research facility is financed by the German Federal Government and the State of Baden-Württemberg and will offer approximately 5,000 square metres of office, teaching and library space. The new research center is supposed to open in autumn 2018.