The EU builds bridges with Asia on research
The EU has long aimed to build strong exchanges with Asia in the fields of higher education and research. The EU-funded project 'EU-NESCA Research Dialogue' (EU-NESCA) sought to strengthen research activities between the European Research Area (ERA) and the Network of European Studies Centres in Asia (NESCA). It also reached out to other European studies associations in Asia. Ten universities from the two regions came together to transfer the latest research on Asian issues to stakeholders in Asia, including research about the Asian continent conducted in European institutions. The project also aimed to upgrade sustainable cooperation among universities and research institutions in the ERA and Asia. The project organised a series of workshops and conferences, in addition to an online forum and portal to encourage dialogue. It helped improve European studies infrastructure in Asia through all these activities and strengthen cooperation within NESCA as the leading academic infrastructure for EU-Asian cooperation. As a result, EU-NESCA published several books related to EU-Asian research and academic collaboration. In all, EU-NESCA underlined the importance of cooperation between European and Asian institutions in advancing scientific research as well as the feasibility and benefits of such an initiative. The project achieved almost all its objectives and successfully built cooperation between the two continents that covers different age groups, professions and genders.
