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April 11, 2008

German-Israeli Year of Science to Promote Young Scientists

The German-Israeli Year of Science and Technology 2008 formally began April 7 at the Jewish Museum in Berlin. The program seeks to build on a nearly 50-year cooperative history between researchers in the two countries with conferences, symposia and special events. The initiative’s focus will be especially geared toward young scientists.

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Annette Schavan, Federal Minister of Education and Research (BMBF), and Israeli Minister of Science, Culture and Sports Galeb Majadle kicked-off the Year’s cooperative events with an April 8 symposium at the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences which brought together 20 young researchers each from Germany and Israel working in the fields of science and technology.

Under the banner “Science as a Diplomacy of Trust”, the initiative will build on nearly 50 years of German-Israeli scientific cooperation. Oncology research, for example, has benefited from the cooperation between the German Cancer Research Center in Heidelberg and the Ministry of Science and Technology in Jerusalem which began in 1976.

The Year of Science will also seek to open the door of Germany’s research institutes to young Israeli scientists. This collaboration is intended to bring together the next generation of scholars in study and research. The highlight of these events will be the 2008 Young Scientist Prize.

To meet the challenges of the changing field of science, the Year of Science will employ an interdisciplinary approach. More applications-oriented projects will serve as the basis for cooperation. The recently opened Minerva Center for the Humanities and Social Sciences will bring together students from the humanities and sciences to better approach research in today’s interconnected world.

The German-Israeli Foundation for Scientific Research and Development (GIF) and the German-Israeli Project Cooperation in Future-Oriented Fields (DIP) will help organize events. Special emphasis will also be placed on medical sciences and environmental research.

Other German organizations will cooperate with the Year of Science including the Max Planck Society (MPG), Helmholtz Association of German Research Centers (HGF), the Fraunhofer Society (FhG), the German Research Association (DFG), the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation (AvH) and the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD).

The Year of Science will come to an official close in November 2008, although scientific and technological cooperation between the two countries will remain. The full events calendar is available online. (Young Germany)

Links:

German-Israeli Year of Science and Technology

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