The University of New Caledonia is one of the major institutions of higher education in the French overseas territories. Located in Nouméa, the largest francophone city in Oceania, the university has over 3.000 students. The leadership of the university decided to put the individual Gömböc 166, carrying the number of the meridian passing thorugh the island, on permanent exhibit. Gömböc 166 has been transported from Budapest to the Hungarian embassy in Paris by diplomatic courier, from where it travelled to Nouméa (via Tahiti) in the personal luggage of Dr Norbert Somogyi (top picture, right), cultural counsellor at the embassy. At the handover ceremony, on March 11, 2024, Dr Somogyi presented Gömböc 166 to university president Professor Catherine Ris (top picture, left) in the main library of the university (picture below).
After the handover, the ceremony continued with a short introduction of the Gömböc by Professor Renaud Leplaideur (lower left picture, left) as well as speeches by Dr Somogyi and Vice Rector Virginie de Barnier (lower right pictue, right).
The university prepared posters to highlight the signifiance of the Gömböc and posted a short article on its website. After the event, the interested participants could inspect Gömböc 166 in its brand new showcase.
The production of Gömböc 166, standing 90mm tall, made from AlMgSi-alloy, was sponsored by Mr Ottó Albrecht.