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Your Majesty, Distinguished guest Danish and Chinese students
I am proud to join with you today in what is a historic milestone for education and research cooperation between Denmark and China. This is a great celebration. This is a day to remember.
The Sino-Danish Center for Education and Research - SDC - is the most ambitious Danish educational venture abroad ever.
It is an eminent example of cooperation between Denmark and China. And the House of the Danish Industry Foundation will be a magnificent symbol of the collaboration between our two nations.
The idea of a Sino-Danish University Center in Beijing was born back in 2008.
A partnership with the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences was formed.
The following year, the Danish Industry Foundation confirmed that they would donate a building.
In 2010, the Partnership Agreement and the Building Agreement between China and Denmark were officially signed.
And in 2012, the first four SDC Master's programmes were launched.
So today we celebrate the groundbreaking of the House of the Danish Industry Foundation.
The road has been long. We have faced and overcome obstacles. We have taken a step closer to our goal every day.
With the establishment of SDC and the new building, we are more connected. And we have shortened the distance between China and Denmark.
It will increase student exchange and exchange of knowledge. It will increase the dialogue between Danish and Chinese research environment. And it will increase cultural understanding between our two countries.
I have no doubt that the future of SDC students will be bright.
Doors will be open. In business and in research. And Danish and Chinese business will benefit. Both from the research from SDC and not least from the talents of the students.
The cultural competences the SDC students will attain here, combined with the excellent academic skills, are highly sought-after in our globalised world.
And I do not think one should underestimate the cultural dimension of cooperation. It is important that we understand each other. It makes it much easier to work together.
When I was young, like many Danish children, I was told by my parents that if I dug a hole in the garden – and kept on digging - I would eventually end up in China.
Hans Christian Andersen or An tu sheng wrote the opposite.
In his autobiography, he tells how he was fascinated by China as a young boy. And he describes a dream wherein a Chinese prince digs through the ground to Denmark and takes An tu sheng with him to China.
And here we are today, with the honour of her Majesty the Queen of Denmark breaking ground in China.
Not to end up in Denmark. But to bring Denmark and China closer together. And to seal this devoted collaboration.
This is indeed a great adventure.
Let me conclude by thanking all those who have taking part in the creation of the SDC.
I would like to thank UCAS. I would like to thank the Danish Industry Foundation. And I would like to thank Universities Denmark.
This is a great celebration. This is a day to remember. And I congratulate both Denmark and China.
Thank you.