Projev prof. Ueli Aebiho, PhD.












            ******************************************************************************************

            * Projev prof. Ueli Aebiho, PhD.
            ******************************************************************************************
            UA’s Honorary Doctorate at Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic, 01-Feb-07

            Vaše Magnificence, Spectabiles, vážení hosté, dear friends and colleagues,
            As you might expect, it is a special honor and, at the same time a great pleasure to accep
            degree from Charles University here in Prague, founded in 1348 and thereby being among the

            universities in Europe. Foremost and most significantly, this event further strengthens th
            have for this wonderful country and its people who over centuries have made important cont
            steady progress in biology, medicine and beyond.

            So you may wonder what my specific ties to Prague in particular and your country more gene
            In fact, it all started with music. Already as a child I had the opportunity to witness pe

            Switzerland by the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra led by conductors such as Karel Ancerl, Ra
            Karel Neumann. Even more so, it was the music written by the Czech composers Jan Dismas Ze
            Smetana, Antonin Dvorak and Leos Janacek which caught my attention very early on, in parti

            melancholic touch some of this music has such as, for example, Smetana’s symphonic composi
            Country” with “The Moldau” etc.- I could listen to these pieces for hours and hours and pl
            again … Also, through my early interest I developed in Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart I realized 

            Prague had for him: here his music was much more appreciated than in Vienna and Salzburg. 
            was here that the audience really celebrated his “La noce di Figaro”, and it was not by ac
            “Don Giovanni” premiered in Prague. In fact, his “Clemenza di Tito” he even wrote in Pragu

            with Leopold II’s coronation in 1790.
            Also, during my high school years I developed a strong interest in Franz Kafka, so I “vigo
            all his works, in particular, his romans, his many short stories and his “letters to Milen

            I am not quite sure that I ever got his “full message” – it is without question that he ha
            complicated personality: while enormously analytical he often appeared intransparent, at t
            controversial …?

            Another key event in developing my ties to your country was in 1968 when the son of a frie
            in-law, Karel Novotny, left his home town Ostrawa and came to Switzerland to become the “f
            my parents-in-law, in addition to my future wife, her sister and her brother. Kajo, as we 

            a fully trained medical doctor while I was an undergraduate in theoretical physics. It was
            by my father-in-law who is a medical doctor too, who awoke my interest in biology. He trie
            that I could put my talents much better to work in biology where were waiting all these ex

            to being cracked rather than “constructing” them as this was typical in theoretical physic
            succeeded: the day after I got my diploma in theoretical physics, I went back to school an
            molecular biology.

            It was this “transition” in my professional career that forged another important tie to yo
            1970, while starting to work on my Master’s thesis in the lab of Edward Kellenberger in Ba
            graduate student named Ivan Raska, who was winding up his project in Kellenberger’s lab to

            supposed to take up his project and continue, so Ivan became my first mentor to introduce 
            structure and assembly, electron microscopy and image analysis and processing. Having a th
            background himself, plus being a very tolerant and easy-going person, greatly facilitated 

            and mutual understanding, so I advanced like a “charm” and quickly got on top of matters. 
            for me, after a few months Ivan packed his “suit case” to return to his home town Prague. 
            I had a lot of arguments with him as to why he wanted to return to Prague, after all, endo

            superior training, remarkable experience and impressive intellect, doors were open to him 
            Western Europe and North America to pursue a successful scientist career at the cutting ed
            and medicine. While he was not very explicit in his explanations, it soon became clear to 

            there was more than just a “successful Western career” at stake, HE WAS COMMITTED TO HIS H
            was determined to go there and start from scratch to slowly but definitely put his country
            a significant player in teaching and research in the modern sciences, particularly in the 

            All things considered, I think together with a bunch of colleagues he is slowly but defini
            – it has been a long march on an often stony trail …congratulations for this incredible vi
            and perseverance, which definitely has role model character for many other ventures.

            Last but not least, let me thank my family and, in particular, my wife Janine who played a
            throughout my professional career. It’s only because of their tolerance and appreciation f
            which go beyond  personal success but have a potential to make a more general impact on so

            where I am today – I fully appreciate this privilege.
            To finish, let me accept this honorary degree from Charles University as a symbol of our c
            intellectual bonds and goals that unite us all.

            While this moment may be temporary, it will definitely stay in my memory forever.