British spy novelist, John le Carré, has been given an honorary doctorate title by Bern University where he was once a student.
This content was published on
1 minute
David John Moore Cornwell, better known under his pseudonym John le Carré, studied German literature from 1948 to 1949 at the Swiss university.
On Saturday, the 77-year-old best-selling author was honoured for reviving the spy novel and giving it a profound, literary dimension.
He was called an analyst of the “mechanism of might and corruption which in his works uncover the unscrupulous manipulation of the secret services through the powers of the state”.
According to le Carré’s official website, the author left Bern to study modern languages at Oxford. He taught at Eton before he joined the British Foreign Service for five years in Germany.
He started writing novels in 1961, and since then has published 20 titles.
The head of Switzerland’s State Secretariat for Economic Affairs, Jean-Daniel Gerber, also received an honorary doctorate title at the ceremony on Saturday, as did Bernese theologian Hans Rudolf Lavater.
Gerber received the title for his contribution to improving Switzerland’s reputation as a trading partner, while Lavater was honoured for 30 years of researching church history.
What factors should be taken into account when inheriting Swiss citizenship abroad?
Should there be a limit to the passing on of Swiss citizenship? Or is the current practice too strict and it should still be possible to register after the age of 25?
Switzerland wants to spend CHF47 million on armed drones
This content was published on
The Swiss authorities are keen to buy long-distance combat drones as soon as possible, according to a Sunday newspaper report.
Trump tariffs: ‘I’m a bit perplexed’, says former US ambassador to Switzerland
This content was published on
The former US ambassador to Switzerland, Edward McMullen, says he is optimistic for the Alpine country with regard to the 31% tariff on imports imposed by US President Donald Trump.
Swiss Federal Court upholds Beny Steinmetz’s bribery conviction
This content was published on
Switzerland's highest court has upheld the conviction of French-Israeli mining magnate Beny Steinmetz for bribery of foreign public officials.
This content was published on
The Trump administration has imposed a 31% tariff on imports from Switzerland. Swiss President Karin Keller-Sutter has warned against "giving in to alarmism" in an interview published on Saturday,
This content was published on
Scientists have shown that bonobos combine their calls into complex sound sequences that resemble combinations of human words.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Ex-spy boss cleared over South Africa affair
This content was published on
The defence ministry said the move was tantamount to the full clearing of Peter Regli, the former head of Switzerland’s foreign intelligence unit, of any wrongdoing. However, the author of a scientific study into Swiss links with apartheid South Africa criticised the decision by the Federal Prosecutor’s Office as “beyond comprehension”. A defence ministry statement,…
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.