ESF renews cooperation ties with Japan
The European Science Foundation (ESF) has renewed ties with the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) with the signing of a memorandum of understanding to promote further knowledge exchange between young scientists from both regions. The memorandum, which was formally adopted by Professor Bertil Andersson, Chief Executive of the ESF, and Professor Motoyuki Ono, President of (JSPS) in April, is not the first cooperation agreement of its kind between the two organisations. It builds upon an existing collaborative scheme, launched in 2003, for the organisation of conferences entitled 'Frontier Science Meeting Series for Young Researchers'. These conferences, which normally take place on alternate years in Europe and Japan, bring together some 80 young researchers with more senior scientists to debate and exchange views on key topics at the cutting edge of research. The new agreement seeks to expand this scheme by providing 'Follow-up Workshops' to be held two to three years after each conference, allowing young researchers who took part in the first conference the opportunity to explore further a topic in the light of new advances. According to Caroline Hirst, Head of ESF Research Conference Unit, the workshops provide an additional means for both organisations to mentor and support young researchers. 'They are also expected to help enhance further mobility among researchers from both regions, and foster new scientific multi-lateral research collaboration,' she told CORDIS News. Participation is open to young scientists who can demonstrate significant progress in their research and who have, ideally, developed collaborative projects with their colleagues from the partner region/country. Costs for participation are covered by the partners. The next conference in the series is set to take place in Nynäshamn, Sweden, on the topic of climate change, while plans are now in hand for conferences to be held in Japan in 2007 on robotics and in Europe in 2008 on the topic of 'social cognitive neuroscience'. Other recent developments at ESF include a high-level research conference scheme, set up in partnership with national and international organisations, including universities, to tackle topics at the forefront of scientific research. The scheme aims to provide an opportunity for the world's leading scientists and other participants, including young researchers, to meet informally for discussions at the highest level on the most recent developments in their fields of research. It will act, the ESF claims, as a catalyst for creating new synergistic contacts throughout Europe and the rest of the world.
Countries
Japan