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Eighteen artefacts from the Kingdom of Benin have been returned to Nigeria by three Swiss museums. The courtly and religious objects are among the famous ‘Benin Bronzes’, which were looted from the Kingdom of Benin – in modern-day Nigeria – at the end of the 19th century. Switzerland also returned to Nigeria five artefacts seized in this country. During the restitution ceremony, Federal Councillor Elisabeth Baume-Schneider and Nigeria’s minister of culture, Hannatu Musa Musawa, signed an agreement on the transfer of cultural property, with the aim of combating the illicit trade in cultural property and protecting cultural heritage.

Opening address of Elisabeth Baume-Schneider, Federal Councillor, on the occasion of the signing of the bilateral cooperation agreement between Switzerland and Nigeria concerning the import, export and return of cultural property. Check against delivery.

On the sidelines of the 75th Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting on 28 and 29 June, Martina Hirayama, State Secretary for Education, Research and Innovation, held talks with several of her counterparts, including Dorothee Bär, German Federal Minister for Research, Technology and Space.

Of those who obtained a professional qualification in 2020, 58% changed companies or started their own business and 20% changed roles within their company in the four years following their examination. These are the results of the second Survey on Professional Education by the Federal Statistical Office (FSO).

Speech by Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis, Head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA), on the occasion of the FDP Delegates’ Assembly – Check against delivery

On 26 June, the first high-level meeting of the international coalition for science, research and innovation in Ukraine took place in Gdańsk on the fringes of the Ukraine Recovery Conference (URC). A joint declaration is intended to send a message of international solidarity in support of the reconstruction of Ukraine’s research and innovation system.

On 26 June 2026, Alexandre Fasel, the state secretary of the FDFA, was in Beijing for the political dialogue between Switzerland and China. He held talks with Hua Chunying, vice minister of foreign affairs of the People's Republic of China. The discussions focused on bilateral relations, economic, scientific and financial cooperation, and a number of regional and international issues.

A new preliminary report (railways) is available on the website of the Swiss Transportation Safety Investigation Board STSB.

The retina of the human eye contains six to seven million cone cells. These cells contain light-sensitive proteins known as cone opsins. They enable us to perceive our surroundings in detail in daylight. In a new study, researchers led by Polina Isaikina from the Paul Scherrer Institute PSI have now, for the first time, determined the three-dimensional molecular structure of human cone opsins in their dark state, that is, before they are activated by light.

One cessation and one new factual report (aviation) are available on the website of the Swiss Transportation Safety Investigation Board (STSB):

At the conclusions of its annual consultations with Switzerland, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) emphasizes the importance of Switzerland’s strong institutions and appropriate economic policy frameworks. In a challenging external economic environment, these underpin stability and growth.

Bridges, support structures, and industrial steel constructions are often subjected to stress for decades. As they age, fatigue cracks can compromise safety. However, replacing permanently installed components is often impractical or very costly. Empa researchers are therefore investigating how steel components can be specifically repaired or even redesigned in the future – using metallic 3D printing.